"Camelot" - A Knight's Tale

OK, I've tried not to blab on too much about Camelot because we try to cover all community theatre efforts in this humble space - but since I'm in the show, and tonight (at 8 p.m.) and Sunday (at 2:30 p.m.) are the last performances, I should break down and say a bit more about it.

I've included some photos by the Mark Webb as proof that I'm actually in the show - that's me on the left as Sir Lionel (I think the insignia on my costume is supposed to be a phoenix, but I prefer to think of it as an angry chicken). Standing next to me are my pals Ron Short (Sir Dinadan) and Merlyn Marten (Merlyn).

It's been a childhood dream come true to play the part of a knight in King Arthur's court, and it's been a blast. I also seem to be surviving my short singing stint in one song (don't blink or you'll miss it), which was the source of much concern on my part when we first started working on the show.

Of course, the best reason to see the show is to catch the performances by the lead actors - Marina Jurica as Queen Guenevere, Mark Baker as Arthur (seen in the photo below), Todd Preston as Sir Lancelot, Danny Ray as King Pellinore and Andrew Surber as the delightfully wicked Mordred.

Of course, it takes a team to make a show work, and everyone in the cast and crew has worked long hours (over weeks and weeks) to make the show a real success!

Kudos to the team of directors who led the way to making Camelot a reality, including: director Eddie Harbert, who overcame some incredible obstacles to bring this show to life; choreographer Coni Anthony, who's amazingly talented and patient (especially considering she had to put up with ol' "Two Left Feet" Minsker here); music director Mike Campbell, who somehow manages to be a (virtual) one-man orchestra and a terrific guy; and the rest - producer Maxine Loudermilk, assistant director Clara Adkins, props manager Helga Thorn, stage manager Cynthia Simmons, backstage assistant Carol Scarberry and sound technician Chad Snead - heroes all!

It's been a lot of fun to work on the show, which has been one of my favorites since the days in the 1960s when I listened to the soundtrack at my Grandma Hill's house.

It's always fun when dreams come true. Drop by and see the show tonight or tomorrow - it's two-and-a-half hours of songs, music and magic!