In the “Camelot” now on the stage of The Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, magic has been replaced with science, wizardry replaced by wisdom, romance replaced by practicality, and fantasy is overcome by reality. This all falls at the hands of Aaron Sorkin who penned this new book based on the original by Alan Jay Lerner, in an attempt to improve an inferior product. In Mr. Sorkin’s effort to infuse a more realistic and human environment into this theatrical utopia, he disregarded the generation that experienced The Kennedy era and the generations to follow that would learn about the era through history. That Kennedy “Camelot” was filled with youth, hope, beauty, romance, and style that made it magical, along with deceit, unfaithfulness, scandal, and tragedy that made it real. So, there is nothing new here except it is missing the proverbial “round table” for the new order of chivalrous and righteous knights created by King Arthur. This new version works as well as the old, but still has its pitfalls. What it does have is a divine score with music by Frederick Lowe and lyrics by Mr. Lerner, that is played by an incredible thirty-piece orchestra conducted by Kimberly Grigsby to perfection.

Director Bartlett Sher, for the most part, has assembled a remarkable cast that delivers foremost on the vocals and portrays the complicated characters equally well. He manages to utilize the expansive playing area in certain scenes then shrink the enormous space down to an intimate setting for a simple game of chess. Costume design by Jennifer Moeller is very attractive but somewhat confusing when it comes to period, but this may be in attempt to infuse a contemporary take on the Middle Ages. The set design by Michael Yeargan consists of a large leafless tree, several massive castle-like arches spanning the stage, and a few pieces of furniture that are brought onstage to depict certain scene locations. The moody, atmospheric lighting design by Lap Chi Cho creates the illusion of a mysterious and mystical place.

The three principals in the cast provide stunning performances. Andrew Burnap captures the insecure, innocent, youthful King Arthur in Act one and transforms into the mature, courageous, and conflicted king in the second half of the show. His performance is precise and convincing. Nothing can compare to the smooth, sultry vocals of Jordan Donica as Lancelot. His Lancelot is confident, strong yet vulnerable and intelligent. Phillipa Soo first appears as a bold, opinionated, self-reliant woman but slowly peels away the layers of her character to reveal a smart, sensitive, wise lady who is defenseless when attacked by romance. Her vocals are pure and effortless. Dakin Matthews is enchanting as Merlyn and needs no magic to cast a spell on the audience. He then appears as the delightful Pellinore to beguile with befuddled wisdom. The supporting cast serves the material well.

Mr. Sorkin’s attempt to modernize the book was valid since the original book fell on much criticism for good reason. Adding reality and humanness was thoughtful, hoping it would relate better to the audience. However, the envelope could have been pushed a bit further, after all it is “Camelot,” where love and forgiveness should prevail.