Heike Baird as Guenevere and Adam Tran as Arthur share a lighter moment with Gabriel Porch as Lancelot in Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre production of “Camelot” with performances this weekend and next. Behind them is Alaina Coplin as Lady Sybil.(1 of 1)         Review: Nothing kills ‘Camelot’ Mainstage drops medieval gear for the ’60s By Scott L. Miley The Herald Bulletin The Herald Bulletin Wed Nov 10, 2010, 09:01 PM EST

ANDERSON, Ind. — Whether “Camelot” is a King Arthur saga set in 6 A.D. or a John F. Kennedy parable from 1962, the question remains: What brings an end to paradise?
Jealousy and weariness are the first answers surfacing in Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre’s production of the Lerner and Loewe play. First produced on Broadway in 1960, most of us are familiar with the melancholy costumed spectacle of knights, maids, idealistic King Arthur  and beautiful Guenevere.
But here, director Rick Vale drops the medieval gear and adapts costumes, set and mannerisms to the White House in 1962 while keeping the play’s dialogue and music intact. Vale’s vision is appropriate, especially since Nov. 8 was the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s election. Though there’s no round table, you can imagine a Kennedy cabinet.
So instead of armor and helmets, Arthur (Adam Tran) and Lancelot (Gabriel Porch) wear ties and suits and Guenevere (Heike Baird) dresses in a Jackie K pink suit and pillbox hat.
They look stylish enough to be in the Kennedy clan.  That is, excluding magician Merlyn, played by Roland VanHorn in hippie gear. And excluding the rubbery faced Bill Malone, who gets the best quips as Pellinore.
Good looks aside, Vale relies on character in this production. He views “Camelot” as a play with music. So don’t count much on stunning musical solos — though Porch offers a room-filling tenor when he introduces us to the comically pretentious Lancelot in “C’est Moi.” Of those on stage, Porch perhaps seems most comfortable with his role.
Tran and Baird play well off one another as Arthur instills his dream of hope and a land without war to his future bride, Guenevere. Vale emphasizes their cohesive partnership; the first 20 minutes of the 2-hour, 15-minute play center entirely on the couple’s relationship. The audience is focused to watch the couple’s romance bloom, as Vale provides no set — only a thin white curtain — behind the duo.
As you may know, the optimistic couple wed (symbolizing the Kennedys but we can envision the Obamas). Some five years down into Arthur’s administration, Lancelot and Guenevere spark up a romance. They are caught, accused of treason and Guenevere is to be burned at the stake. Lancelot saves her during a battle that kills some of Arthur’s knights. That element can become muddled when the ensemble sings “Guenevere,” a hectic summary of the guilty verdict, stake-burning, battle and escape. Just know that Guenevere and Lancelot escape.
At the finale, Tran and young Toby Fry, as Tom of Warwick, share a touching moment that again brings up the question: What kills a Camelot?
As Tran knights the youth, the answer becomes clear: Nothing kills Camelot. Its ideals will always pass to future generations.