'The Golden Dream'

ROYAL WEDDING: Joanna (Nickie Gentry, left) is married to King Alec (Dan Wozniak) in a ceremony performed by the priest (Mike Bower). 'THE GOLDEN DREAM' When: Through Oct. 9. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays Where: Huntington Beach Central Library Theater, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach Suitability: All ages Length: 2 hours plus 15 minute intermission How Much: $15-$19 ($7-$10 for students/seniors) Information: (714) 375-0696

With "Camelot," did Lerner and Loewe corner the market on musicals set in medieval times?

One might think so, and the great success of Wasserman, Darion and Leigh's "Man of La Mancha," which followed "Camelot" onto Broadway, would seem to have closed the door for any new musicals in the genre.

With "The Golden Dream," Joe Syiek and Erik Przytulski tread onto familiar ground and, at the same time, deliver the first world premiere production in the 46-year history of Huntington Beach Playhouse.

Based on his 2001 poetry anthology "The Golden Dream," Syiek's book and lyrics are refreshingly free of cliche, and Przytulski's score, based on music by Syiek, is winning - skillfully varied and filled with musical detail.

With director Stephen Reifenstein, choreographer Edward Bangasser and scenic and costume designer Andrew Otero, the pair have done a bang-up job of creating a convincing world of evil rulers deposed by good-hearted peasants who yearn for freedom - and bad guys who persist in seeking to regain power.

"Dream" is among the most ambitious productions HBPH has ever undertaken, with a cast of 25 essaying more than 35 characters. It has the color, pageantry and whimsical humor of "Camelot," "La Mancha," "Les Misérables" and the like. Many of its characters, scenes and plot developments even echo these great predecessors.

The 70-minute first act ends with the heroic Alec (Dan Wozniak) winning, wooing and wedding young Joanna (Nickie Gentry) as his queen and, as the obligatory reversal, the news that a mysterious, fear-spreading "dark knight" has eluded capture and raised an army that now marches upon the kingdom.

Alec is locked into a mortal struggle with Desmond (Nathan Hieger), whose evil father, King Dereck (Michael J. Keeney), he slew to gain the throne. As "Dream" opens, Desmond slays Alec's father in a wanton act of brutality. Underplayed is the intensity of Alec's obsession with, and futility of his efforts in, tracking down the dark knight.

Otero's modular set design is truly inventive, giving this small company the luxury of staging a play with eight different settings. Otero's costumes sparkle: They're ornate, elegant and well representative of the period.

Wozniak expresses the raw emotions churning within Alec, an everyman who comes to power over his peers, then vacillates under the burden. As soft and lyrical as is Gentry's singing voice, her best scenes aren't with Wozniak, but with potent vocalist Adriana Sanchez as Joanna's mother. As Alec's sidekick, Gavin, Paul Hanegan is ambivalently loyal and rebellious. Hieger is a sleekly sinister, ferociously evil Desmond.

The songs are enjoyable, sung and danced by a musically polished cast. Alec's "Answer to the Call" is a stirring number with echoes of "Camelot's" holy quest and "La Mancha's" impossible dream. Some of the best numbers are in the minor key, such as Desmond and Alec's dark "Fuel on the Fire" and Alec and Joanna's melancholy "Softly She's Touched Me." The score, in fact, touches all the bases, from the grandiosity of the all-male "Valhalla" to the "Oliver!"-like "Welcome Back Again" to the rousing "Free Men." When it comes to writing a substantive musical-theater score, Syiek and Przytulski really know their stuff.