Forcenturies,ArthurianlegendhascapturedimaginationsthroughoutEuropeandtheAmericaswithitstalesofCamelot,romance,andchivalry.Theever-shifting,age-oldtaleofKingArthurandhisworldisonewhichdependsonretellingsforitsenduranceintheculturalimagination.Usingadaptationtheoryasaframework,FromCamelottoSpamalotforegroundstheroleofmusicinselectedArthurianadaptations,examiningsixstageandfilmmusicals.Thebookconsidershowmusicalversionsintwentiethandtwenty-firstcenturypopularcultureinterpretthelegendofKingArthur,contendingthatmusicguidestheaudiencetounderstandthiswell-knowntaleanditscharactersinnewandunexpectedways.Alloftheproductionsconsideredincludeanovertlymodernperspectiveonthelegend,intrudingandevencommentingonthetaleofKingArthur.Shiftingfromanidealisticutopiatoasillyplace,themyriadnotionsofCamelotofferalookattheimportanceofmythinAmericanpopularculture.AuthorMeganWoller’sapproach,rootedintheliterarytheoryofscholarslikeLindaHutcheon,highlightstheintertextualconnectionsbetweenchosenworksandArthurianlegend.Insodoing,FromCamelottoSpamalotintersectswithandprovidesatimelycontributiontoseveraldifferentfieldsofstudy,fromadaptationstudiesandmusicaltheaterstudiestofilmstudiesandArthurianstudies.
