Camelot comes to the Englert

ICCT - Iowa City Community Theatre invites audiences to be swept away by the music and pageantry of Lerner and Loewe's classic musical Camelot. It is a retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy The Once and Future King. It begins with the entire community of Camelot awaits the arrival of Guenevere, King Arthur of England's future Queen. According to director Josh Sazon, "It is a singular pleasure to have this opportunity to direct this classic, particularly one that has not been staged in the area in the last thirty-five years or so. The score is wondrous, and the story of ideals continues to resonate, as does the whole Arthurian mythos. The show is literate and has humor and heart."

We had the chance to ask Jeremy Ping, who plays Arthur, a few questions about the show.

Tell us about the rehearsal process - what challenges have you had to overcome?

Jeremy: The rehearsal process has been great! As a principal character, it's helpful to have a wonderful cast working with me, as they are all supportive have a lot of patience with me as I struggle with lines. My biggest challenge personally has been the lines. I've not been given a role like this in 10 years or more, and Arthur has a lot of lines! But I love a challenge, and hopefully the audience will love it too!

What's your favorite song in the show and why?

Jeremy: Oh wow... Of all the songs in the show, I love Guenevere's "Before I Gaze at You Again." Kate Thompson has a gorgeous voice, and this song allows her to pull no punches! It's unbelievable! Of my songs that I sing, I find I enjoy "How To Handle A Woman." The content is a little dated for our way of thinking in 2009, but it is a beautiful piece of music.

The Arthur story has been around forever. Do you find yourself sticking with the story as written in the musical or does what you know from other tellings of this story color your performance?

Jeremy: I always try to interpret each role individually, and I try not to pay attention to outside factors. With this role, however, it is important to keep certain parts of the interpretation true to Loerner and Lowe's production, as the role of Arthur is extremely well known, and I think there is a certain expectation for anyone that takes this role on.

Anything else to add?

Jeremy: I hope that this production is as enjoyable to the audience as the experience has been for me. I greatly look forward to getting a reaction to this show from a crowd. I think it has all the elements that people look for in a musical. It has singing and dancing (of course) but more than that it has comedy, drama, a few tragic moments, and some darkness that even after eight weeks of rehearsing I find I'm still discovering and finding incredibly fascinating!

Thanks, Jeremy.

Camelot runs from September 24 through the 27th at the Englert Theater in downtown Iowa City. Evening performances start at 7:30pm, while Saturday and Sunday matinees start at 2pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students with ID. Go here for more information.