Live From Lincoln Center: Camelot, airs this Thursday on PBS- Page 11

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 1:48pm

The original production was fantastic.

Burton, Andrews, Goulet, McDowell.

Hell, John Cullem was in it.

The music was divine.

The sets and costumes were glorious by Broadway standards of 1960.

Sure, the show dragged, but Richard Freaking Burton. I mean COME ON!

Can you imagine how he handled that final scene. Just because the line "I've seen what I wanted to see" is in the script doesn't mean it was necessary. I'm certain in his hands it was implied perfectly.

It's no coincidence the show begins with two great solos. The director/creators wanted to show off their toys right up front.

The audiences that went were there to hear Lerner and Loewe and see Burton and fall in love with Andrews all over again and the first production delivered.

I'll bet most of the audiences that saw it came out amazed and amused.

[Thomas14850ny2]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:00pm

This was probably the worst-directed, worst-choreographed and worst-cast production I've ever seen. Memories of having seen Burton, Andrews, Goulet and McDowall are might hard to erase, but it would have helped if an age-appropriate Arthur and Guenevere had been cast. It might have helped if Byrne or Price had listened to the OBC to learn the tempos of Arthur's songs. Gunn, however, was magnificent.

If anyone needs the DVD.....contact me by e-mail.

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:02pm

I think that's why I can't stop thinking about it: It was Historically Bad.

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:03pm

Aw come on, now. Was Mazzie miscast? Probably. But she's still a very attractive woman with a beautiful voice!

Some of the comments are mean, even for me. And I'm an a**hole!

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:07pm

Even if you never saw Burton, Andrews, Goulet and McDowall, all you have to do is listen to them on the OBC recording to know how glorious the score is capable of sounding. Why can't anyone, but them, get it right? It has never, ever been close to being right, since they did it.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:12pm

Obviously in a true concert version you can suspend your disbelief when it comes to casting if the voices and acting are strong. But this new trend of CALLING something a "concert" which,in reality, is just an incredibly under-rehearsed, under-designed and what appears to be, in this case, an underwhelming FULL PRODUCTION is getting old. And consequently might lead the audience into believing that "she is too old" or "miscast".

I would rather great actors/singers sit on stools with music stands and scripts than try to impose some crazy concept into a rather traditional show.

[Taryn]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:46pm

I'm sitting in a coffee shop listening the OBC, an album that is very near and dear to my heart, being one I grew up listening to. The decision for this concert to include Morgan le Fay and yet drop "Fie on Goodness" is sticking out to me as a HUGE mistake. The humor of the Morgan le Fay is grossly inappropriate at that point in the show, whereas "Fie on Goodness" provides some small comedic relief, but with black humor that is mixed with the real tragedy of WITNESSING Arthur's dream fall apart. It's sad to see such a poor decision made.

[elmore3003]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 2:56pm

I was looking forward to hearing "The Persuasion" because I rememember the scene but the number went unrecorded. For a concert, I want to hear the score not watch a lot of prancey inept choreography or overwrought staging or inept performance. For a full-scale production, sure, cut Morgan Le Fey; she's not been around since the film version, although I suspect the original creators wanted some light and bizarre with insect-humans, as I recall the court of Morgan le Fey was costuned etc., before the final tragedy.

I like to listen to the composition and the arrangements in a concert. I'd rather hear the score as it stands rather than someone's rearrangement thinking they're fixing it in their concert. It's a waste of money and a waste of time. A producer of these things once said to me, my audience doesn't want to hear music that isn't being sung or danced to. I think she was wrong.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 3:08pm

from Sueleen's post:
"I did delight when Kudish went for a big high note and managed to crack 5 times within it."

I was surprised no one had mentioned that before.

[chenofan]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 3:30pm

I have to jump on the wagon here and note how extremely disappointed that I am with the show. I had looked forward to hearing this wonderful score played by the Phil and to hear Marin, but I must admit that I could not truly enjoy either with the lack luster production standards. What was going on with the costuming? It looked like they had borrowed them from a low budget dinner theater that did the show in the late eighties! And Marin's horrid hairpiece - utterly distracting. It seemed as if none of the performers were truly familiar with the show enough to invest in it. Marin was walking through the show - which is extremely disappointing as I have always loved the woman. The highlight of the cast was surprisingly Fran, who though miscast, had a sense of pitch! I am even more grateful now that I had the opportunity to see the tour that was traveling around last year. Though it had a few flaws, it was overall a stunning production. We needed to have Ms. York in this version to show us how truly divine a score CAMELOT has when it is sung correctly. An utter disappointment to this musical theater student!

[Flippancy]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 3:45pm

I think Glenn Close would have made a fabulous Morgan Le Fey. I mean, c'mon -- she chews up the scenery in everything she's in, why not put it to good use? With a dash of her "Cruella DeVil" characterization put in for good measure...

[BWNUT]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 5:14pm

..and the cameraperson/people were either drunk or on medication. I mean, the camera(s) was zooming in and out and whipping around for no discernible reason. Did they even rehearse this thing? And people actually stood up at the end to applaud? Unbelievable.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 7:43pm

What a mess! A real discredit to this great piece from the direction to the wild cameraman to the gaudy gold boxes that re appear in every other scene like building legos.

A casting nightmare!

Bryne is a fine actor, (imo) but dreadfully miscast for this role and indeed made Michael York's portrayal stunning in comparsion.

Marin has a wonderful voice and stage presence but her Guenevere is way off lacking royality and youthful personailty. I was so looking forward to enjoying her in this.

Gunn's Lancelot is heavy handed and his vocals way too operatic as he "woofed" his way through them. Little to no chemistry between Lance & Jenny, while Bryne kept looking into the camera like "What am I gonna do about these two?"

TABOO Mordred was a joke. Someone's bad dream, for sure.

The three knights tried "so hard" but to no avail. Spamalot anyone?

The staging was incredibly poor and the ensamble costumes were a hodge podge of styles. Black costume for the lusty month of May ?! And just who were all those people in the red costumes?

It's pretty bad when the best cast character is Pellinore. Christopher Lloyd nailed Pelly.

Words just can't describe this embarassing prestation that would indeed been better off presented from stools and music stands!

Let's pray the folks at the Hollywood Bowl were watching this as they prepare for the stage concert of LeMiz!

Updated On: 5/9/08 at 07:43 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 7:52pm

Does anyone know why Lancelot was wetting his pinkie and tracing his eyebrows?

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 7:59pm

Cause he forgot his comb, ("Cookie, Cookie lend me your comb")
It was a I'm a pretty boy thing, I thought.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 9:51pm

C'mon, Bobby Steggart as Mordred wasn't that bad. Although the direction was off, Bobby did amazing with what he was given! Talk about making lemons into lemonade! And let's see any of you criticizing him do any better.

Byrne cannot sing, and was too unsure in the second act, but at least for the first act it sort of made you connect with his loveable unsureness.

Marin was phoenom! Love her!

Christopher Lloyd was REALLY good! Fran was...well Fran, but her 2 minutes were unimportant anyway.

As my first exposure to Camelot visually, I actually enjoyed it alot!

Updated On: 5/9/08 at 09:51 PM

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 9:56pm

Huh? Julie Andrews was 25 years old, when she did Camelot. She would have looked much better with the cameras up in her grill.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 10:27pm

In my entire life I have never, ever, EVER seen anyone who can replace either Richard Burton or Julie Andrews. This is the big problem for the show. Burton was an amazing, explosive, effusive blend of scotch and Shakespeare, bourbon and the Bard. He was able to fart better dialog than anyone else on the stage and yet he dissipated his talent with wine and violet-eyed women. And he had a violent temper and a great sense of humor. He was a bag of contradictions. But that voice. That wonderful damn voice.

He was a huge crumbling edifice, even in his 30s. Yes, he was only 35 when he played Arthur.

And Julie Andrews. Come on. That voice is the utter gold standard, coupled with grace and charm and beauty. Totally irreplaceable.

It's funny, this crapfest shows that Camelot is harder to remount than Gypsy and South Pacific.

BTW, after the show, I tried to do some writing but I couldn't think from the giant whirring sounds of Lerner and Loewe, turning in their graves.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 10:42pm

AMEN!

[stella985]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 11:27pm

Just out of curiosity are most of these opinions based on the broadcast or seeing it live?

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 11:28pm

Mine is based on the broadcast

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 5/9/08 at 11:29pm

allofmylife-

Well done! Your comments have been really enjoyable and I agree with everything you've said.

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 12:00am

allofmylife,

Don't know whether or not you saw the tour with Rachel York, but imho she was everything I imagine Julie Andrews was as Guenevere - regal, elegant, radiant, youthful, spirited, and vocally perfect for the role.

I didn't get to see Brent Barrett's Arthur, but friends did and they said he was wonderful. I saw Joseph Dellger give a terrific performance in the North Shore Music Theatre production a few years back. It was phenomenal to have a younger Arthur AND to have him sing beautifully. Just because Burton and Harris did the talk-sing thing doesn't mean it HAS to be done that way. I think a magnificent singing voice can elevate Arthur to a glorious level.

I think a cast of Barrett, York and Gunn would be incredible. Beautiful voices all around, great acting, believable youthfulness, and a truly hot and tragic triangle.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 12:52am

loveclassics,

I'm sure they are very good. York and Barrett are fabulous performers.

But Burton and Andrews were something totally different. I was only a child when I saw the show (Opening night at the O'keefe Center in Toronto. I still have four of the red cover programs with the insert) but there are moments I do distinctly remember,

Andrews oh my God, what a voice. TOTALLY in her prime. Playing a regal part - it's no coincidence she's played so many of those sort of parts ever since. The Royal Family have always said she does royalty quite well.

Brent Barrett is a talented young man. Good looks. Great voice.

Richard Burton was a rock star. This was, remember, the height of his popularity. He was the Welsh phenom. That voice had its own zip code, hell, its own kingdom.

Getting him to do a musical was the equivalent of - actually I'm pressed for examples here, maybe Kevin Spacey or George Clooney?

And he utterly pulled it off. He didn't speak his part, he sang it. And he delivered the numbers. We've all seen the footage of "What Do The Simple Folk Do?" and "Camelot."

I saw him deliver the "Proposition" speech and even as a kid, that sent chills down my spine.

One memory I do have was his wail of anguish during "Guenivere."

Brent Barrett is a good performer but I'm pretty sure he'd never want to be measured against Burton in his prime (which was also when he was in his cups, wasn't it?)

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 1:03am

It's official. No one can touch the original cast of Camelot. It's just not possible. But you know, we knew that when we saw it. It was simply the greatest cast of a show I have ever seen. Every single person was perfection. I've seen shows that I liked more (My Fair Lady, for one), but I've never seen a cast that I liked more.