Camelot is a
musical by
Alan
Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and
Frederic Loewe (music). It is based on the
King Arthur legend as adapted from the
T. H.
White tetralogy novel
The Once and Future
King.
The original 1960 production, directed by
Moss
Hart and orchestrated by
Robert Russell Bennett and
Philip J. Lang, ran on
Broadway
for 873
performances, winning four Tony Awards
and spawning several revivals, foreign productions and a 1967 film version. The original cast
album was America's top-selling LP for 60 weeks. The musical has
become associated with the
Kennedy
Administration.
Background
In 1959,
Alan Jay Lerner and
Moss Hart decided to adapt T. H. White's
Once and Future King as their next project. As discussed
in Lerner's 1978 book,
The Street Where I Live,
Frederick Loewe, who had no interest in the
project, agreed to write music, with the understanding that if
things went badly, it would be his last score. After the tremendous
success of
My Fair Lady,
expectations were high for a new
Lerner
and Loewe musical. However, the show's production met several
obstacles. Lerner's wife left him during the writing process,
causing him to seek medical attention and delaying the production.
When
Camelot began rehearsals, it still needed
considerable work.
However, the producers were able to secure a
strong cast including Julie Andrews,
Richard Burton and Roddy McDowall, as well as Robert Goulet in his first Broadway role.
John Cullum also made his Broadway debut
as Sir Dinadan;
Bruce Yarnell was Sir
Lionel. Cullum later replaced McDowall, and
William Squire replaced Burton. Other
replacements included
Patricia
Bredin,
Kathryn Grayson, and
Janet Pavek for Andrews.
The show's first tryout was in Toronto, at the
O'Keefe Centre in 1960. The curtain came down
at twenty minutes to one in the morning; Lerner later noted that
"Only
Tristan and Isolde
equaled it as a bladder endurance contest." The morning papers,
though kind, hinted that the show needed much work in order to
succeed. Lerner was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer and had to
withdraw from preparations for a time. Hart then suffered a heart
attack, and Lerner stepped in as temporary director for the rest of
the out-of-town run at the behest of
Kitty Carlisle Hart.
Camelot
then moved to Boston, nearly an hour and a half shorter, but still
running very long. The production team tried to find another
director, even phoning
Jose Ferrer, who
could not undertake the job. Lerner and Loewe disagreed on how to
proceed with the show, as Loewe did not want to make any major
changes without Hart's guidance. Lerner wrote: "God knows what
would have happened had it not been for Richard Burton." Accepting
cuts and changes, he radiated a "faith and geniality" and calmed
the fears of the cast. Guenevere's song "Before I Gaze at You
Again" was given to Andrews at the last minute before the first New
York preview, which provoked her famous quote, "Of course darling,
but do try to get it to me the night before." After the show opened
on Broadway, Hart was released from the hospital, and he and Lerner
began cutting the play even further. Two songs, "Then You May Take
Me To the Fair" and "Fie on Goodness," were cut.
The advance sale for the show was the largest in Broadway history.
The New York critics' reviews of the original production were
mixed. Fortunately for the show,
Ed
Sullivan approached Lerner and Loewe to create a segment for
his TV show "Toast of the Town," celebrating the fifth anniversary
of
My Fair Lady. They decided to do very little from their
previous hit and instead to perform four highlights from
Camelot. The show stimulated ticket sales, and
Camelot achieved an unprecedented advance sale of three
and a half million dollars.
It was also publicized, just after the
assassination of President John F.
Kennedy (a classmate of Lerner at Harvard
), that the
show's original cast
recording had been favorite bedtime listening in the White House
, and that Kennedy's favorite lines were in the
final number (in which Arthur knights a young
boy and tells him to pass on the story of Camelot to future generations):
Since then,
Camelot has been associated with the
Kennedy
Administration.
The obstacles encountered in producing
Camelot were hard
on the creative partnership of
Lerner
and Loewe, and the show turned out to be one of their last
collaborations (although they did rejoin each other to adapt their
1958 award-winning movie "
Gigi" to the stage in
1973; and collaborated again the following year on the movie
musical "
The Little Prince").
Camelot was also Hart's last Broadway show. He died of a
heart attack in Palm Springs, California on December 20,
1961.
The 1960 Original Broadway Cast
Recording CD cover
Productions
On
December 3, 1960, after two previews, the show opened on Broadway at the
Majestic
Theatre
. The production was directed by
Moss Hart and ran for 873 performances, winning
four
Tony Awards. The original cast album
was America's top-selling LP for 60 weeks. A two-year U.S. tour
followed the Broadway closing in January 1963, starring Kathryn
Grayson and William Squire, who was succeeded by
Louis Hayward. There was also a 1963-64
bus-and-truck tour starring
Biff
McGuire as Arthur,
Jeannie Carson
as Guenevere, and Sean Garrison as Lancelot. An Australian
production opened in Adelaide in October 1963 produced by the
J. C. Williamson company and ran for two
years.
The London
production opened in August 1964 at the Theatre Royal,
Drury Lane
and featured Laurence
Harvey as Arthur, Elizabeth
Larner as Guenevere and Barry Kent as Lancelot. It
played for 518 performances. The
film
version was made in 1967 starring
Richard Harris and
Vanessa Redgrave.
Richard
Burton reprised his role as Arthur in a revival that ran during the
summer of 1980 at the New York State Theater
at Lincoln
Center
. Christine
Ebersole played Guenevere, and
Richard
Muenz was Lancelot.
The show
was revived on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater
in November 1981 and
broadcast on HBO a year later, starring Richard Harris as Arthur, Meg Bussert as
Guenevere, and Richard Muenz as Lancelot. Harris, who had
starred in the film, and Muenz also took the show on tour
nationwide.
Another Broadway revival played in June 1993
for 56 performances at the George Gershwin Theatre
, with Goulet now cast in the role of Arthur.
Goulet reprised this role at Toronto's O'Keefe Centre in
1993.
A U.S. Regional tour, starring
Michael York as Arthur,
James Barbour as Lancelot, and
Rachel York as Guenevere, kicked off on January
9, 2007 and continues in 2008. Alan Jay Lerner's son,
Michael Lerner, contributed changes to the
libretto, and Glenn Casale directs. The cast also includes
Shannon Stoeke as Mordred and
Eric Anderson as Merlyn. Notable cast
replacements include
Lou Diamond
Phillips as Arthur, Matt Bogart as Lancelot, and Rachel De
Benedet as Guenevere. From June 27-30, 2007, the tour played at
Toronto's Hummingbird Centre, formerly the O'Keefe Centre, where
the musical had premiered in 1960.
While the 2007 "Michael York" Regional tour was performing across
the U.S., Candlewood International ran a separate, largely
non-equity national tour that played to citites not visited by the
union tour. Jeff Buchsbaum directed a cast headed by Robert Brown
as Arthur, Matthew Posner as Lancelot, and Mollie Vogt-Welch as
Guenevere (ironically, Vogt-Welch would go on to perform with
James Barbour of the union tour
in Broadway's
A Tale of
Two Cities ). The cast also included Geoff Lutz as Mordred,
Noah DeBias as Dinadan, Dave Howard as Lionel, Gregory Van Acker as
Sir Sagramore, and Heather Faith Stricker as Lady Catherine. As in
the union tour, for this production the Morgan Le Fey sub-plot was
removed.
From May 7 to May 10, 2008, the
New York Philharmonic presented five
semi-staged concerts of
Camelot directed by
Lonny Price and produced by
Thomas Z. Shepard. The cast starred
Gabriel Byrne as
King
Arthur,
Marin Mazzie as Guenevere,
and opera singer
Nathan Gunn as
Lancelot. It also featured
Christopher
Lloyd as Pellinore,
Marc Kudisch as
Lionel,
Bobby Steggert as Mordred,
Will Swenson as Sagramore, Christopher
Seiber as Dinadan and
Fran Drescher as
Morgan le Fey. The May 8 performance was broadcast nationally on
Live from Lincoln
Center on
PBS.
Roles and original cast
Synopsis
Act I
King Arthur is nervous about his upcoming arranged marriage and is
hiding in a tree. Merlyn the Magician, his wise tutor, calls Arthur
down to warn the young king that he must learn to think for
himself. Merlyn, who lives backwards in time and remembers the
future as well as the past, knows he will soon be separated from
Arthur. Merlyn persuades Arthur to climb down and chides him for
his unkingly behavior. Arthur then left alone, ponders both his
subjects and his own feelings about the intended nuptials ("I
Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?"). Arthur hears someone
coming and scampers up the tree again. Guenevere comes to the
woods, having snuck away from Camelot where she is to marry, is
uncertain about herself and the impending marriage ("Simple Joys of
Maidenhood"). She stumbles into Arthur, who initially calls himself
"Wart" (his childhood nickname) and then, hearing of her reluctance
to marry, tells her of the joys of life in Camelot ("Camelot").
When his attendants come upon the two of them, he is revealed as
the King. He tells Guenevere the story of how he pulled the sword
from the stone and became king, and she, charmed by him, agrees to
marry. The wizard Merlyn is amused by this development, but his joy
turns to sorrow as his memories of the future begin to fade. He
realizes that Nimue, a beautiful water nymph, has come to draw him
into her cave for an eternal sleep ("Follow Me"). He begs Nimue for
answers, as he has forgotten if he has warned Arthur about two
individuals-Lancelot and Mordred. His memories fade permanently,
though, and he is led away.
Five years later, Arthur sits with Guenevere in his study, debating
about what to do. He explains that he wishes to create a new kind
of knight-one that does not pillage and fight, but tries to uphold
honor and justice. He is eventually inspired, with Guenevere's
help, to establish the Round Table to "fight for right, not might."
When news of this reaches young Lancelot in France five years
later, he is determined to come to Camelot and join Arthur's
knights ("C'est Moi"). King Pellinore (a middle-aged old friend of
Arthur's from his boyhood), also arrives and becomes a permanent
guest of Arthur and Guenevere. A May Day celebration takes place on
the castle grounds ("The Lusty Month of May"), where Arthur
introduces his wife to Lancelot. Guenevere takes an instant dislike
to the overly self-assured young man (as do also most of the rest
of the court). Guenevere incites three knights of the Round Table:
Sir Dinadan, Sir Sagramore and Sir Lionel, to engage him in a
jousting match ("Then You May Take Me to the Fair"). Arthur (who
has now become "best friends" with Lancelot), is dismayed by this;
and at a loss to understand a woman's way ("How to Handle a
Woman").
In the jousting match Lancelot easily defeats all three knights. He
appears to kill the third, Lionel, with his jousting lance. But the
dismay of the crowd turns to awe and adoration, as he
"miraculously" restores the dead Sir Lionel to life, (due to his
faith and purity). This adoration of the crowd extends to
Guenevere, who is forced to re-evaluate her feelings about the
passionate young knight ("Before I Gaze at You Again"). She is now
deeply in love with Lancelot. Lancelot falls in love with Guenevere
in turn, and is torn by the conflict between this love and his
devotion to Arthur. Arthur makes Lancelot a Knight of the Round
Table. Arthur is painfully aware of the feelings between Lancelot
and Guenevere, but remains silent to preserve the tranquility of
Camelot. He soliloquizes to his sword Excalibur, that they will all
rise to the challenges they will all face, together.
Act II
Several years later, Guenevere and Lancelot are still tormented by
their unfulfilled love. He finally reveals his feelings to her ("If
Ever I Would Leave You"). They both believe that Arthur is not
aware of it. Nevertheless, she remains faithful to Arthur, and
helps him in carrying out the affairs of State.
Mordred, Arthur's illegitimate son, comes to Camelot to dishonor
the King and tries to gain the throne for himself. Arthur puts him
in the knights’ training program, not knowing that Mordred is there
to destroy the Round Table in revenge against Arthur for abandoning
him ("Seven Deadly Virtues"). Arthur begins to feel the strain of
ruling England, and both he and Guenevere wonder "What Do the
Simple Folk Do?" without any such responsibilities. Morded,
meanwhile, has devised a plan to ruin Arthur and his kingdom
permanently. He enters an enchanted glade where his aunt, the
sorceress Morgan le Fay, dwells in an invisible castle. By bribing
her with sweets, he convinces her to build one of her invisible
walls around Arthur for one night ("The Persuasion"). During this
night, Mordred returns to the castle and provokes the knights to
ally with him, promising that they will have fighting and pillaging
as opposed to their current peaceful ways ("Fie on Goodness!").
Meanwhile, Lancelot visits Guenevere in her chambers, where she
reveals her love for him and kisses him ("I Loved You Once in
Silence"). Mordred and some of the Knights of the Round Table
interrupt, accuse Lancelot of treason, and try to take him
prisoner. Lancelot fights them off and escapes, but Guenevere is
arrested, tried, found guilty of treason by reason of her
infidelity, and sentenced to be burned at the stake ("Guenevere").
At the execution Arthur watches from a distance; he is torn between
upholding his law and doing his duty as a king, or sparing
Guenevere (as Mordred insincerely urges him to do). At the last
moment, Lancelot rescues her and takes her off with him to France.
But in the process, Lancelot has been forced to kill some of the
other knights, leaving some of the survivors vowing revenge.
For the sake of his own honor and that of Camelot, Arthur must now
wage war against Lancelot at his castle Joyous Garde in France.
Mordred has taken up his own army against Arthur, back in England.
The war takes a terrible toll on Camelot, as more than half of the
Knights of the Round Table are killed. Before the final battle,
Arthur meets Lancelot and Guenevere. Guenevere has become a nun,
and the Round Table is now obsolete. They offer to face up to
justice in England, but Arthur will not see Guenevere burned or
Lancelot beheaded. He forgives them both, and they depart
separately. That night in camp, Arthur meets a young stowaway named
Tom of Warwick, who has come to join the Round Table. His speech
reminds Arthur of the idealism and hope that he had as a young
king, and inspires him. Arthur knights Tom, and sends him back to
England to grow up there, that he might pass on to future
generations the ideals of chivalry and Camelot ("Camelot"
reprise).
Musical numbers
- Act I
- "Overture" and "The March [Parade]"
- "I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight" (Arthur)
- "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" (Guenevere)
- "Camelot" (Arthur)
- "Camelot" (reprise) (Arthur and Guenevere)
- "Follow Me" (Nimue)
- "C'est Moi" (Lancelot)
- "The Lusty Month of May" (Guenevere and Company)
- "Then You May Take Me To the Fair" (Guenevere, Sir Lionel, Sir
Sagramore, and Sir Dinadan)
- "How To Handle a Woman" (Arthur)
- "The Jousts" (Arthur, Guenevere and Ensemble
- "Before I Gaze at You Again" (Guenevere)
- Act II
- "If Ever I Would Leave
You" (Lancelot)
- "The Seven Deadly Virtues" (Mordred)
- "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" (Arthur and Guenevere)
- "Fie on Goodness!" (Mordred and The Knights)
- "I Loved You Once In Silence" (Guenevere)
- "Guenevere" (Company)
- "Camelot" (reprise) (King Arthur)
Critical assessments
The New York critics' reviews of the original production were
mixed. A 1993
New York Times
review commented that the musical "has grown in stature over the
years, primarily because of its superb score.... [which] combined a
lyrical simplicity with a lush romanticism, beautifully captured in
numbers like 'I Loved You Once in Silence' and 'If Ever I Would
Leave You.' These ballads sung by Guenevere and Lancelot are among
the most memorable in the Lerner-Loewe catalogue. King Arthur
supplies the wit, with songs like 'I Wonder What the King Is Doing
Tonight.'" A 2003 review noted, "this musically rich, legend-based
classic evokes enough swashbuckling spectacle to keep one smiling.
And for lovers of dime-store romance,
Camelot has it all –
a beautiful English princess swept off her feet by a shy, but
passionate bachelor king; an ardent French knight, torn between
devotion to his liege and an uncontrollable hunger, reciprocated,
to be sure, for the king's tempestuous wife....
Camelot
features a score rich in English country-tune charm by Mr. Lerner.
[
sic: Loewe wrote the music] Its lyrics, by Mr. Loewe
[
sic: Lerner wrote the lyrics], never fail to dazzle with
their virtuosity and wit." However, "Jay Lerner's murky book... has
helped sink many a revival of the musical.... It's a good story,
but Lerner's book is talky and dense, filled with pontificating
soliloquies that would have been more powerfully contained in song.
Moreover, while the entire show rushes towards a bloody climax...
when it finally arrives, it is merely sketched upon in one song,
"Guinevere." ...The score, though, is pure magic"
Awards and nominations
1961
Tony Awards
- Best Actor in a Musical - Richard Burton (winner)
- Best Scenic Design (Musical) - Oliver Smith (winner)
- Best Costume Design (Musical) - Adrian, Tony Duquette
(winner)
- Best Conductor and Musical Director - Franz Allers
(winner)
- Best Actress in a Musical - Julie Andrews (nominee)
1961
Theatre World Award
Original cast recording chart positions
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1961 |
Billboard Pop Albums (Billboard 200)
(mono) |
1 |
|
Notes
- Stempleski, Susan. Review of Camelot
(classicalsource.com)
- Lerner, p. 190
- Lerner, p. 204
- Lerner, p. 214
- Lerner, p. 223
- Lerner, pp. 230–31
- Lerner, p. 232
- Gussow, Mel. "'Camelot' Returns With Goulet as
King" New York Times, June 22, 1993
- Information from Playbill.com
- Rogers, Madeline. "New York Philharmonic: A Night at the
Round Table", Playbillarts.com, May 1, 2008
- Kantor and Maslon, p. 280
- Information from Bard College website
- New York Times, December 21, 1961
- Stempleski, Susan. Review of Camelot
(classicalsource.com)
- Playbill news
- Notice for the 2007 Toronto tour stop
- 2008 Broadway.com article
- Siegel, Naomi. "A Melancholy 'Camelot,' With Plenty
of Scenery and Costumes", New York Times, April 13,
2003
- Schwartz, Jonas. "Camelot", Theatre Mania,
September 17, 2007
References
External links
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Misc
Search
