The glorious
”
Camelot
”
that opened on Broadway in 1960 is a shadow in Glenn Casale’s
loosely directed, rather drab production. This show looks like they
were on a tight budget, mom and dad built the sets and Aunt Matilda
sewed the costumes.
The glorious “Camelot” that opened on Broadway in 1960 is a shadow in Glenn Casale’s loosely directed, rather drab production. This show looks like they were on a tight budget, mom and dad built the sets and Aunt Matilda sewed the costumes.
From the moment the curtain rises, this production drags. There really isn’t any excuse with the marvelous words, music and story that “Camelot” tells of King Arthur, Guenevere, Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table.
This is not entirely the fault of the meager cast who tries very hard to bring in a decent performance. But lackluster direction and unimaginative, limited choreography throughout brings this once proud musical to a fizzle.
The only shining moments are when Rachel York, (no relation to Michael) uses her beautiful voice to cradle the words and music of Lerner and Loewe. (She sounds as close to Julie Andrews as one can get.) She is the only believable character in this production. While James Barbour’s well-trained voice as Lancelot is great to listen to, you have to shut your eyes and listen because its hard to believe Guenevere could fall for this loutish teen-age giant.
Robet Goulet, the original Lancelot, had the presence that Barbour doesn’t touch. A grandfatherly Michael York does the best he can as the idealistic young King Arthur, but with all his experience and talent, he doesn’t quite pull it off. Alan Lerner’s son Michael did a rewrite on the plot and all I can say is, as the old adage goes, “If it’s not broke don’t fix it.”
If you feel you would like to see Michael York in this awkward position, (he deserves better), you might want to venture over the hill and see what he shouldn’t be doing and listen to the beautiful score of “Camelot.”
Camille Bounds is the Theatre and Arts Editor for Sunrise Publications.
