Arts & Culture
Don’t miss Skyridge Theater’s debut of Chip Brown’s original King Arthur musical
A high school rarely has the opportunity to perform an original musical, but the Skyridge Theatre program is performing one this week. Written by Chip Brown, King Arthur: The Musical is a fantastical musical retelling of the beloved legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
“Working on this project over the last few years has been a true labor of love. It’s taken an army of dedicated and talented individuals to get it to this point, and I am so grateful for the chance to bring all that hard work to the Skyridge stage,” said Brown.
The first-ever production of the musical stars Corinne Braley as Merlin and Harry Fuller as Arthur, with excellent support roles fulfilled by Noah Pulu as Lancelot, Zoe Barrus as Guinevere and Olivia Brown as Lady Exeter. The cast was accompanied by a remarkably talented group of pit musicians and tech crew.
The musical begins with a tableau of Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, with narration from Merlin discussing the moment’s significance. Merlin’s narration is woven throughout the show, providing an all-seeing eye throughout the story to help clue the audience into important moments. Merlin’s narration is followed by leading the company in the first musical number, “How Could Any Man?” which reflects the legendary nature of King Arthur’s story and invites the audience to join the adventure.
Braley was a perfect choice to play Merlin–she commanded the stage but didn’t distract from other characters having their moment in the spotlight. Fuller and Braley played perfectly alongside each other as Arthur and Merlin, sharing moments of fun banter and more severe mentorship moments and action.
Fuller’s voice is clear and beautiful, and Arthur’s song “Someone to Be” offers a yearning for something more than orphanhood, not yet knowing his future as king. It’s easy to understand how he won people’s hearts and trust as a humble, likable, talented young man.
Pulu and Barrus, as Lancelot and Guinevere, were another well-cast pair. The two shared comfortable chemistry as we watched their relationship progress from a sweet, young friendship to star-crossed lovers. In addition to acting well together, both have lovely voices and performed their solo numbers, “Avalanche” and “Stuck,” respectively, and duet, “Turn Back the Clocks,” beautifully.
Finally, I was impressed with the two small groups of the Ladies and their sons, the Knights. It was clear that much preparation went into the scenes they performed together. The Ladies were all regal and powerful as we watched them butt heads, scheme and harmonize.
The Knights’ scenes together were fun and energetic, especially the musical number “When I’m King.” I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them goof off together, and I noticed some fun parallels between the number and some iconic ‘90s Disney songs–“A Girl Worth Fighting For” from Mulan and “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” from The Lion King.
The play’s second act offered a great sense of urgency leading up to the climax. It’s clear that every actor was on the same page,and they portrayed that urgency as one. The show comes to a dramatic and hopeful end, with Merlin singing “The Day Will Come,” offering Arthur solace in the knowledge that, one day, he will be a hero rather than a king who made mistakes and lost the trust of his people.
I notice a lack of convincing, quality dialogue in many musicals that haven’t had their day on Broadway. Fortunately, I found this musical didn’t have that problem. The dialogue came together nicely, providing a comfortable flow between spoken and sung lines.
The story, as a whole, acted as a reflection of heroism. Although his life came to a tragic end, most people think of the legend of Arthur as one of heroism and adventure, not one of tragedy and betrayal.
There were moments of fun and comedy (including a quick nod to Monty Python and the Holy Grail), adventure and action, drama and tension. Although many liberties were taken with the story–which didn’t bother me since the legend of Arthur wasn’t based in reality to begin with–this show has something for everyone.
“Being part of this new musical from its workshop phase to its stage production has been an exhilarating journey of nurturing creativity and collaborating with an incredibly talented team to create an unforgettable theatrical experience,” said John Brown, director of King Arthur: the Musical.
This production is a must-see and is only running for a short time. The remaining shows are on Feb. 23, 24, 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit skyridgetheatre.com.
