Camelot is a musical with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics and story by Alan Jay Lerner. It is based on the story of King Arthur, which was adapted from a 1958 book by T.H. White.

The original 1960 production, directed by Moss Hart with music arrangements by Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang, performed on Broadway for 873 shows and won four Tony Awards. The cast included Richard Burton as Arthur, Julie Andrews as Guenevere, and Robert Goulet as Lancelot.

The musical led to several important productions, including four Broadway revivals and a 1967 movie version. The 2023 Broadway revival includes a rewritten story by Aaron Sorkin.

Camelot is often linked to the presidency of John F. Kennedy, sometimes called the "Camelot Era," because of an interview with Jackie Kennedy. She compared her husband’s presidency to King Arthur’s rule, noting his love for the musical and the final lyrics of the song titled "Camelot."

Background

In 1959, Alan Jay Lerner and Moss Hart chose to adapt T. H. White's The Once and Future King into a musical. As Lerner wrote in his 1978 book, The Street Where I Live, Frederick Loewe, who was not interested in the project at first, agreed to write the music. He made a deal that if the project failed, it would be his final musical score. After the success of My Fair Lady, people had high hopes for the new musical. However, the production faced many problems. During the writing process, Lerner's wife left him, which caused him to seek medical help and delayed the work on the show.

When Camelot began rehearsals, it still needed a lot of improvements. The producers found a strong cast, including Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, Roddy McDowall, and Robert Goulet, who made his Broadway debut. John Cullum also appeared as Sir Dinadan, and Bruce Yarnell played Sir Lionel. Later, some actors were replaced. For example, John Cullum took over from Roddy McDowall, and William Squire replaced Richard Burton. Other replacements included Patricia Bredin, Kathryn Grayson, and Janet Pavek for Julie Andrews.

The show premiered in Toronto at the O'Keefe Centre on October 1, 1960. It was supposed to last two hours and forty minutes, but it ended up lasting four and a half hours. The curtain closed at 12:20 a.m. Lerner later said, "Only Tristan and Isolde equaled it as a bladder endurance contest." Noël Coward reportedly said the show was "longer than the Götterdämmerung… and not nearly as funny!" Despite the long length, the morning newspapers gave mostly positive reviews, though they suggested the show needed major editing to succeed. Soon after, Lerner was hospitalized for three weeks with a bleeding ulcer. After he was released, Hart suffered his second heart attack, and Lerner became the temporary director for the rest of the out-of-town run.

Camelot then moved to Boston, where it was edited but still ran longer than planned. The production team tried to find another director, even contacting José Ferrer, who could not take the job. Lerner and Loewe disagreed on how to proceed with the show, as Loewe did not want to make 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, Burton helped calm the cast's fears. The song "Before I Gaze at You Again" was given to Julie Andrews at the last minute before the first New York preview, which led to her famous comment, "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 made further cuts to the play. Two songs, "Then You May Take Me To the Fair" and "Fie on Goodness," were removed a few months into the run (though they remain on the cast album, and the former was included in the 1967 film).

The New York critics had mixed opinions about the original production. However, Ed Sullivan invited Lerner and Loewe to perform on his television show to celebrate the fifth anniversary of My Fair Lady. They chose to perform four highlights from Camelot instead of using material from their previous hit. This helped increase ticket sales, and Camelot achieved an unprecedented advance sale of $3.5 million. Robert Goulet received favorable reviews, especially for his performance of the song "If Ever I Would Leave You," which became his signature song.

After Camelot ended its run, Goulet appeared on The Danny Thomas Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, which made him well-known to American audiences.

A week after the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, his wife, Jackie Kennedy, was interviewed by Theodore H. White. In the interview, which appeared in the December 1963 issue of Life magazine, Jackie said that the original cast recording of Camelot was a favorite bedtime listening for her husband, who had been Lerner's classmate at Harvard University. She mentioned that her husband's favorite lines were from the final number: "Don't let it be forgot/ That once there was a spot/ For one brief, shining moment/ That was known as Camelot." She also compared the story of Camelot to her husband's presidency, saying, "There'll be great presidents again… but there'll never be another Camelot."

The truth of her claim

Synopsis

In the 1981 version of the stage musical, the story begins at the end of the plot, with Arthur about to fight Mordred. Arthur asks Merlin to take his memory back to the beginning, and the rest of the musical is told in flashback from this frame story. This technique was first used in the 1967 film adaptation. The 1981 version also changes the order of some scenes, especially in Act II. What follows is a summary of the original 1960 version.

King Arthur is nervous about an arranged marriage and hides in a tree. Merlin, his wise teacher, calls Arthur down to tell him he must learn to think for himself. Merlin, who lives backward in time and remembers both the past and future, knows he will soon be separated from Arthur. Merlin encourages Arthur to climb down and scolds him for acting like a king. Arthur is left alone and thinks about his people and his feelings about the marriage (“I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?”). He hears someone approaching and climbs the tree again. Guenevere, Arthur’s intended bride, arrives in the woods. She does not want to be queen and prefers the life of a nobleman’s daughter (“Simple Joys of Maidenhood”). She stumbles into Arthur, who first introduces himself as “Wart” (his childhood nickname), and then tells her about the joys of Camelot (“Camelot”). They almost kiss but are interrupted by Arthur’s attendants. He reveals himself as the king and tells Guenevere how he pulled the sword from the stone and became king. She agrees to marry him. Merlin is happy but becomes sad as his memories of the future fade. He realizes that Nimue, a water nymph, has lured him into her cave for eternal sleep (“Follow Me”). He asks Nimue for answers, unsure if he warned Arthur about Lancelot and Mordred. His memories fade completely, and he is taken away.

Five years later, Arthur and Guenevere discuss his ideas about knights and chivalry. He wants to create knights who uphold honor and justice instead of fighting. With Guenevere’s help, he establishes the Round Table with the motto “might for right.” Over time, the Knights of the Round Table become famous in England and even in France. A young, arrogant French prince named Lancelot du Lac hears about the Round Table and wants to join Arthur’s knights (“C’est Moi”). King Pellinore, an elderly friend of Arthur’s family, visits Camelot and accidentally joins Guenevere’s May Day festivities (“The Lusty Month of May”). Guenevere arranges for Pellinore to stay at the castle, and he remains part of the story until the end. When Pellinore leaves, Arthur introduces Lancelot to the court. Guenevere is unimpressed by Lancelot’s boastful behavior, and her attempts to challenge him amuse the court. She encourages three knights—Sir Dinadan, Sir Sagramore, and Sir Lionel—to challenge Lancelot in a joust (“Then You May Take Me to the Fair”). Arthur, who is friendly with Lancelot, is confused by Guenevere’s actions (“How to Handle a Woman”).

In the joust, Lancelot easily defeats the knights and seriously injures Sir Lionel. The crowd believes Lancelot’s cries for Lionel to live bring him back to life, and everyone honors Lancelot as a hero. Guenevere curtsies to him, and both she and Lancelot seem to understand something new. Arthur notices their silent exchange. Later, Guenevere struggles with her growing feelings for Lancelot and her loyalty to Arthur. She urges Lancelot to leave Camelot (“Before I Gaze at You Again”). Despite Lancelot’s claims of being immune to love, he is deeply in love with Guenevere and torn between his love for her and his duty to Arthur, who made him a knight. Arthur hopes their conflict will resolve itself and speaks to his sword, Excalibur, about facing future challenges together.

Years later, Guenevere and Lancelot still struggle with their unfulfilled love. She begs him to stop the romance, but he refuses (“If Ever I Would Leave You”). They believe Arthur does not know about their relationship. Guenevere remains loyal to Arthur and helps him rule. Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son, arrives in Camelot to betray him and take the throne. Arthur puts Mordred in charge of training the knights, unaware that Mordred plans to destroy the Round Table in revenge. Arthur feels the pressure of ruling and wonders how common people live without such burdens (“What Do The Simple Folk Do?”).

Mordred secretly plots with Morgan le Fay, Arthur’s aunt, to trap him. He bribes her with sweets to build an invisible wall around Camelot, so Arthur cannot return from a hunting trip. Mordred also convinces the knights to abandon their peaceful ways and turn against Arthur (“Fie On Goodness!”). When Arthur is away, Lancelot visits Guenevere, and they kiss passionately (“I Loved You Once in Silence”). Mordred and some knights interrupt them, accuse Lancelot of treason, and try to arrest him. Lancelot escapes, but Guenevere is arrested, found guilty of treason, and sentenced to be burned at the stake (“Guenevere”). Arthur watches helplessly as Mordred mocks him. At the last moment, Lancelot rescues Guenevere and takes her to France, but he kills some knights, leaving others vowing revenge.

To protect Camelot’s honor, Arthur must now fight Lancelot. Mordred has taken up…

Productions and adaptations

Camelot opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on December 3, 1960, and closed on January 5, 1963, after 873 performances and 2 previews. Moss Hart directed the show. Hanya Holm created the dance arrangements, Oliver Smith designed the stage sets, Adrian and Tony Duquette designed the costumes, and Abe Feder handled the lighting. The production won four Tony Awards. The original cast album was the top-selling mono LP record in the United States for six weeks.

A two-year U.S. tour began after the Broadway run, with Kathryn Grayson and William Squire in the lead roles. Squire was later replaced by Louis Hayward. Grayson was replaced in Cincinnati, Ohio, after missing shows and was replaced by Jan Moody. A 1963–1964 bus-and-truck tour featured Biff McGuire as Arthur, Jeannie Carson as Guenevere, and Sean Garrison as Lancelot. Another tour in 1964 starred Howard Keel as Arthur, Constance Towers as Guenevere, and Bob Holiday as Lancelot. An Australian production opened in Melbourne in 1964 at Her Majesty's Theatre, with Paul Daneman and Jacqueline McKeever in the lead roles. John Truscott designed the stage, and he later worked on the film version. The production, by the J. C. Williamson company, ran for two years.

The London production opened in August 1964 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with Laurence Harvey as Arthur, Elizabeth Larner as Guenevere, and Barry Kent as Lancelot. It played for 518 performances. Richard Harris played Arthur again in a West End revival at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London from November 23, 1982, to February 5, 1983, with Fiona Fullerton, William Squire, and Robert Meadmore.

Camelot returned to Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre from November 15, 1981, to January 2, 1982. It was broadcast on HBO a year later, with Richard Harris as Arthur, Meg Bussert as Guenevere, Richard Muenz as Lancelot, and Thor Fields as Tom of Warwick. The show’s script was slightly changed, including a new story where an older Arthur looks back on his life. The order of scenes was also adjusted in Act II.

Richard Burton played Arthur in a revival at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center from July 8, 1980, to August 23, 1980, with Christine Ebersole as Guenevere and Richard Muenz as Lancelot. Another Broadway revival ran from June 21, 1993, to August 7, 1993, at the Gershwin Theatre, with Robert Goulet as Arthur. Goulet later performed the role in Toronto in 1993.

In March 2022, Aaron Sorkin and Bartlett Sher began working on a new version of Camelot for Broadway, planned to open in November 2022. The revival was later moved to 2023. It began previews on March 9, 2023, and officially opened on April 13, 2023, with Andrew Burnap as Arthur, Phillipa Soo as Guenevere, and Jordan Donica as Lancelot. A cast recording was released in June 2023. The show was nominated for five Tony Awards but did not win any. Reviews were mixed, and the production closed on July 23, 2023, after 38 previews and 115 regular performances. Plans for a U.S. tour and a West End production were announced but later canceled.

• In 1967, David Carradine played Arthur in a production at the Dallas Summer Musicals. Gaylea Byrne played Guenevere, Nolan Van Way played Lancelot, and others were in the cast. The show ran from August 7 to 20 at the 1925 Music Hall at Fair Park.
• Richard Harris played Arthur again in a West End revival from November 23, 1982, to February 5, 1983, with Fiona Fullerton, William Squire, and Robert Meadmore.
• An 18-month U.S. tour, starring Michael York as Arthur, Rachel York as Guenevere, and James Barbour as Lancelot, began in January 2007 and ended in April 2008. Changes to the script were made by Michael Lerner, and Glenn Casale directed. The tour played in Toronto, where the musical first premiered in 1960. A separate tour, without union actors, also toured cities not visited by the main tour. The character Morgan le Fay was not included in this version.
• In May 2008, the New York Philharmonic performed five concerts of Camelot at Lincoln Center. Gabriel Byrne played Arthur, Marin Mazzie played Guenevere, and Nathan Gunn played Lancelot. The May 8 performance was broadcast on PBS.
• Camelot was produced at San Francisco Playhouse in July 2013.
• In May 2014, a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center featured Brian Stokes Mitchell as Arthur, Laura Michelle Kelly as Guenevere, and Josh Grisetti as Mordred.
• The 2018 production at Sidney Harman Hall set box office records for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.
• In March 2019, a Lincoln Center Theater gala production starred

Musical numbers

§ — Removed early in the 1960 performance but included in the cast album; added back in most later performances; "Fie on Goodness" not included in the movie version; "Then You May Take Me to the Fair" included in the movie version.

† — Removed from the 2022 Broadway production.

‡ — Assigned to the character Lancelot in the 2022 Broadway production.

Critical response

The New York critics' reviews of the original production of Camelot were mixed to positive. A 1993 review in The New York Times said the musical "has become more respected over time, mainly because of its excellent score … [which] combined simple, lyrical songs with rich romantic feelings, beautifully shown in songs like 'I Loved You Once in Silence' and 'If Ever I Would Leave You.' These songs sung by Guenevere and Lancelot are among the most unforgettable in the Lerner-Loewe collection. King Arthur adds humor with songs like 'I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight.'" A 2003 review noted, "this musically rich, story-based classic has enough exciting, adventurous scenes to make people smile. And for fans of romantic stories, Camelot has everything — a beautiful English princess who falls in love with a shy but passionate king; a devoted French knight who struggles between loyalty to his king and strong feelings for the king's passionate wife. Camelot features a score filled with charming English folk music by Mr. Lerner. [sic: Loewe wrote the music] Its lyrics, by Mr. Loewe [sic: Lerner wrote the lyrics], always impress with their cleverness and skill." However, "Jay Lerner's unclear story … has made many revivals of the musical less successful. It is a good story, but Lerner's writing is too wordy and difficult to follow, filled with long speeches that would have been more powerful if sung. Also, while the entire show moves toward a violent ending … when it finally happens, it is only briefly shown in one song, 'Guenevere.' … The score, though, is still very special."

Film adaptation

A film version of the story, directed by Joshua Logan, was released in 1967. The movie features Richard Harris as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guenevere, Franco Nero as Lancelot, and David Hemmings as Mordred.