Saturday, July 9, 2016

Ca-me-lot!

 Lerner and Loewe's Camelot (1960),
with Robert Goulet (in his Broadway debut, age 27)
Julie Andrews and Richard Burton.
Richard was evidently "the one" who held the cast and crew together,
during preview obstacles like heart attacks and bad reviews.
Noel Coward called the first performances
 "longer than the 'Götterdämmerung'...and not nearly as funny!"

 Alan Jay Lerner (lyricist and book writer) 
conferring with Moss Hart (director, bottom left)
about the chain mail on Robert's costume?
It would be Hart's last directorial project;
he died one year later. 

 Last minute changes to songs and book
irritated the cast, 
as they scurried to fix problems during out-of-town previews.
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."

The hair brushing scene: Great quote from Julie Andrews...
 "It wasn't until the first dress rehearsal 
that I discovered that he had a great pair of legs!
Even better I got to enjoy them every single performance for 18 months. 
I sat on stage, misty eyed, while he sang "If Ever I Would Leave You" 
and, to this day, I never told anyone which turned me on more, 
the voice or the legs!" 
In subsequent productions, Robert would have the chance to
play King Arthur (below).
And speaking of King Arthurs, I had to include this photo
of Leonard Nimoy
who got to play Arthur in a 1973 production of Camelot.
But did he have the legs for it?

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