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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > April > 13 > Entry
Review: ‘Arthuriosis’ at Blue Theatre
The potential visual puns are obvious: “Heavy metal, from the time when that was just the dress code.” Fortunately, in The Getalong Gang’s new “Arthuriosis,” a rock metal opera about King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, the armor may be clapboard, but the music is metal at its glammest.
In the only production that’s ever handed me earplugs (unused) at the door, one of the West’s oldest myths is told again. The story doesn’t diverge too much — barring, of course, Andrew Varenhorst as the Grailgnome, a guardian mutt of Gollum, Beezelbub, and awesome. But all the other main characters are there, just rocking a bit harder than usual.
The final battle between Arthur and Mordred is cast as less of a sword duel to the death and more the eternal battle between flashy lead vocalist Benjamin Wright and mysterious axeman — a returned showdown between Plant and Page. And Morgana, played with a punkish sex appeal by Kathleen Fletcher, is revealed with a riff and moves deriving more from Van Halen than Lerner and Loewe.
The style, as brought out by director Zenobia Taylor, carries the show, but there’s substance there as well. The script came through many hands, but co-writer Spencer Driggers, as a Galahad with wide eyes and a flair for mock seriousness in narration, makes it the most clear. Unfortunately, when the story meets the metal, the music (and a very muddy sound setup) wins out. There’s some wit and great parody in the lyrics, but they’re often garbled under shredding solos and heavy drums from house band “Council of the Beast.”
You may miss out on many words, but a ballad of seduction between Arthur and the disguised Morgana paired with Lancelot and Guenevere about making love on a table (you know which one) rings clear. And even if it didn’t, the rock star writhing of Brock England as Lancelot makes the plot pretty apparent.
It’s a different sort of humor than “The Sword in the Stone,” but one that goes better with shots of whiskey and a beer chaser. From what I heard, the writers are more than capable and hearing the lyrics would add to that humor. From my own experience, it’s just as easy to throw up the horns and root for the once and future king when you can’t.
(“Arthuriosis” continues at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at The Blue Theatre, 916 Springdale Road. $10. 927-1118, ggpg.org.)
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By Doug
April 14, 2009 7:09 PM | Link to this
Great Show
By pam friday
April 14, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this
the actress playing morgana is b.iden payne award winner—kathleen FLETCHER , like you’ve never seen her before!
a great show and lots of fun , even if you aren’t into heavy metal.
By Jason Landtroop
April 14, 2009 10:32 AM | Link to this
This show rocks!!!! We went opening night and had a blast! Opera is a lot of fun when whiskey, beer, and killer guitar solos are involved!