If you haven’t already heard the most fantastical medieval legend in history, the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table is a wondrous story that has been retold for centuries. Full of knights, princesses, dragons, and magic, there’s intrigue to be found in every nook and cranny of the story. Though it has been molded to fit every kind of media imaginable, with tv shows, movies, retellings, reboots, and whatever Monty Python has going on, the subject of today is the musical of Camelot.
This year, the BBHS drama department picked the story of Camelot as the spring musical, and boy was that just the perfect choice for this year’s theater students. Every role was filled perfectly, the sets were breathtaking, the stage direction nothing short of broadway level mastery, and the music, which will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life.
Beginning with the casting, Mrs. Darr has an incredible eye for talent. King Arthur, played by senior Ian Welch, has a strong voice that commands attention while still having an air of kindness and understanding. Queen Guenevere, played by sophomore Alyssa Flaa, has a sweet angelic voice that could make all the birds in the world stop and listen if she commanded them so. The Knight Lancelot, played by Freshman Rowan Aguila (always incredible to see such talent in the younger students) has a sonorous, opera- worthy voice that can be recognized in an instant, and in French! The knights, Sir Dinadan, played by Ava Boyer, Sir Sagramore played by Henry Slabinski, and Sir Lionel played by Benjamin Lytle, all roused laughter from the audience with their eccentric personalities, and Mordred, the illegitimate son of Arthur, played by Nitai Fluchel, a silver tongue with a passion for evil.
The set, a technical masterpiece that stuck the audience right in medieval England, the stone walls and props so realistic you’d expect it to be partitioned off as a historical site. A stage can’t do much on its own, though, so the stage direction and ensemble brings the static scene to life. Filling the stage with life brings the entire performance to another level entirely, every member of the ensemble doing their part with the precision of a well oiled machine. Practicing for months perfecting every movement and flowing motion.
Every student participating in the musical does their part to make sure the entire performance goes smoothly, but it’s not just the performance that draws people in.
“I really like the community, you make a lot of friends working in theater, Even people you didn’t know before, you can become really close with, it makes me happy to be here,” said Flaa. The theater community at Blanchet is unlike any other, and Mrs. Darr is always looking out for new talent. If this article has sparked your interest in theater, why not give it a try? No experience is required to participate in the musical or the play!
