NUDITY in Camelot - setting the record straight!

[NSMTpublicity]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 9:55am

Let me set the record straight on the nudity in Camelot. First off.. this show is NOT a kids show.. is it? Never was! It is about lust...adultry.. there is violence.. even killing.. but throw in one breast or buttock and watch people squirm about it being OK for the kids. GOD BLESS AMERICA and the morality police. Call Bush.. NSMT has unleashed the WM Double Ds!!

NSMT's Camelot is NOT a pointy hat cartoony Camelot. It is being approached in an earthier way. More true to the period, and the source material.. THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING. Does anyone remember that Arthur is really supposed to be in his 20's in this piece? No... we have been brainwashed by the 200 Robert Goulet tours of Camelounge that have been shoved down our throadts for years.

As for where the nudity fell... It was NEVER a love scene. (I would squash this rumor at Talking Broadway.. but I am one who is banned for life for questioning the not-so-great and powerless Admin there.) I don't know who has started that rumor. I will tell you that one visual is a unicorn. A mythical creature of beauty... it is danced by a female ballet dancer in a stunning costume .. but the costume does not have a top. HIDE YOUR EYES KIDS.

I for one am sad that the voice of the minority wins. I am talking a handfull of complaints... But the squeeky wheel gets the grease. No one will write a letter to an artistic director saying "I trust your vision."

More should!

Updated On: 9/9/05 at 09:55 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:04am

I'm far from a prude, but I just don't see why there was any need to have nudity in Camelot to begin with. It's a 40 year old musical that never called for nudity in the first place. It just seems gratuitous to put it in there.

If people were protesting nudity in a show like The Fill Monty, Hair, or Take Me Out, that'd be a different story since nudity is an integral part of all of those shows. But in Camelot, it just sounds like a gimmick.
Updated On: 9/9/05 at 10:04 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:06am

I may be way off on this but a distant memory tells me that it is possible that Mary Sue Berry (sorry for spelling, I don't have the recording with me at the moment) might have been in a see through type costume in the original production. True?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:16am

If you have complete belief that this is the way this production should be played, then why is it such an issue? If your production can't hold up against a tongue lashing from the morality police, then it's really not worth producing is it?

[NSMTpublicity]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:30am

When you license a show.. you get a script and a score. How that is interpreted is up to the director. Were we wrong when we produced MAME and had same sex couples at Mame's party? It is not in the script.. but it worked beautifully, because it made sense that that is who Mame would have at parties.

Let the director have his vision.

See it before you complain. This show is about desire, passion and sex .. isn't it?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:51am

When you license a show you also agree not to make radical changes to the production. The contract specifically stipulates you can't make changes to the show. I'm assuming NSMT got special permission from Tams Whitmark to add this nude scene, however.

As a subscriber house, don't you feel some obgligation to do what the subscribers (who keep the place afloat) want? If the subscribers don't want a nude scene, then isn't in the best interest of the theater to listen to them, regardless of the director's vision?

I always thought the show was more about Arthur's desire for honor and justice in the kingdom of Camelot than about sex, but all right.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 11:01am

"I always thought the show was more about Arthur's desire for honor and justice in the kingdom of Camelot than about sex, but all right."

My sentiment exactly.

Interesting that right after Camelot, NSMT is doing The Full Monty.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 11:08am

I have absolutely no problem with the nudity that is being added into CAMELOT. I've done this show and I've seen this show numerous times and I for one feel that the show works best when approached truer to the time period and fantasy of it all as opposed to the cartoon fairy tale look. It's not a show for kids. It is a very heavy show and I cannot imagine a child sitting through 3 hours of intense dialogue and high emotion. However, I think the fact that it's not any of the three leads but a dancer as a topless unicorn sounds a bit too Vegas and pointless for my taste.

[NSMTpublicity]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 11:15am

Trust me, we have permission for what we do.

As a subscriber, you make a statement of support for NSMT and what we do by buying your subscription. Should we have not done Pacific Overtures because it scored low on audience surveys? We did it, people walked out at intermission by the heard, we won every award to be won that season and recieved lots of funding because we make bold artistic choices balanced with traditional offerings.

It is a balancing act.. Pleasing the audience while not being artistically bankrupt. We could do seasons that are GREASE, MY FAIR LADY, ANNIE, SOUND OF MUSIC and CRAZY FOR YOU ... wouldnt that be loverly!?

[Jon]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 11:36am

To the person above who asked whether they had permission to add the nude scene:

It's a costume design decision! There is NOTHING in a contract that says, for example, "Cassie in A Chorus Line MUST wear a red leotard with a wraparound skirt", or "Dolly MUST wear a red dress the Harmonia Gardens scene".

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 12:19pm

"It's a costume design decision!"

Actually the actor must give their permission to appear in the nude, and Actor's Equity is supposed to be notified.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 12:26pm

I once had an audition for a regional production of Camelot and was asked to come to a callback where all the men would be required to take off their shirts because it was going to be an "earthy" production and there would be fight scenes where the men would all be shirtless. At that time (many years ago) I wasn't working out and wasn't comfortable in that situation, so I didn't go to the callback. The more I thought about it, the more I disliked the idea (not for me, but for the show) it really changes the feel of the piece, if you ask me, and not in a good way. And I've been in two productions of it, playing both Merlin and Lance, over the years, so I have a good idea of what the show is all about.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 1:53pm

I'm no expert when it comes to camelot as I just bought the London revival cast recording in light of all this "hoopla" but having listened to if for the first time last night I can very easily see why a director could sense that there is more to the sexual nature of the piece that he want's to explore. it's a very lusty, sexual show for sure. it seems like it's been that way from the start with those lyrics so I don't see why every time a production is reimagined people have to lash out and try to protect the original vision. there will always be some hick theatre company doing the show exactly the way it was on Broadway. If that's what you want go see that. Personally, I prefer to see something that, even if I don't agree with, will challenge my perspective and cause me to look at a piece in a different light then before.

Also I would like to comment on the fact that adding nudity to a production does not, in my opinion, of course, constitute radical changes to the script. One could do the entire show in the nude and probably get away with it because you haven't altered a word of text. Also nudity being added to classic works has been around for years as many companies have produced nude Shakespeare and other such classics all over the country. As I remember "Naked Macbeth" or whatever it's called is being mounted in NY this year. the naked human form has been admired for centuries by artists and sculptors. it's nothing to be ashamed of and only in America is nudity something that is even an issue. Most everywhere else in the world will have no problems featuring couples having sex in a commercial to advertise breath mints... so calm down. it's just nudity...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 2:53pm

Well, I can see there being a realistic and gritty approach to the original story, but the musical Camelot is a pretty wholesome approach to tale. The term "lust" is bantered about in song, but the book and score, while at times dramatic, are practically G-rated Disney material. I could see nudity if the show had a revised book and score that gave a more realistic and adult approach to the material, but not as originally written. To me, it would seem quite out of place. But personally, I think it's Lerner and Loewe's weakest show. The book grinds to a halt for each musical number, of which only one or two are interesting. "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" not only is dull and unfunny, but it just keeps going on and on and on. Perhaps some nudity would keep me from falling asleep, at least.

[Mythus]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 3:11pm

So there is nudity? While I'm all for the director's vision, nudity does make me uncomfortable. Oh no, I'm a terrible person.

I wonder if NSMT knows that their publicity department is shoving opinions about artistic liberty down our throats.

[musicnmath]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 3:20pm

Most everywhere else in the world will have no problems featuring couples having sex in a commercial to advertise breath mints... so calm down. it's just nudity...

that made me laugh out loud -- for the truth of it. I've spent my life living between Europe and the US and that is certainly true!!!

I, for one, and not the hugest fan of this show -- but I think that's largely because of its traditional Disney image. I'm just bored by it. But to hear that this shall be reimagined to be something provacative and challenging (another of CAT's points I agree with), I shall hope student discounts exist and make my way to the Shubert.

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 4:34pm

I have been completely naked onstage and all joking aside, it's not a big deal. After you do it once, it's much easier (god, i'm digging a hole here). And if nudity is a possiblity, of course actors should be told. It would never deter me from auditioning for something I wanted to do.

People do nudity all the time without express consent from the script or playwright. You could do Equus without the nudity or you can add it to Ophelia (as Lillian Gish was thrilled to do).

It's absolutely fine to follow another concept.

How many times have you heard professionals mention that they don't read the stage directions?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:01pm

hmmm... I'm going to need some more information on this... when was lildogs completely naked on-stage???

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:29pm

new playbill article...

Audience members could catch a glimpse of a naked body part, and we all know that seeing an exposed breast or buttock automatically leads one to a life of debauchery.

I LOVE IT!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/95017.html
Updated On: 9/9/05 at 05:29 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:32pm

College...Song Liling in M Butterfly..believe it or not...i was REALLY little then...bout 110 lbs...

[roquat]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:36pm

It's nice to know art still has the power to provoke these kinds of emotions. It's not so nice that censorship is alive and well in this country.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:40pm

Like I said before. I have no problem with nudity on stage. If Lance, Jenny or Arthur were nude in one of the bed chamber scenes it would be fine but having a topless dancer dressed as a unicorn sounds like a bad Vegas costume and there is no justification for it. I am so not up tight about nudity but this does seem a bit ridiculous to me. It sounds like a publicity ploy and God knows they got it. Brilliant!

I know a person in this show and I must get the skinny from them to see what's really going down.

PS: Having a kid play Merlin is an interesting choice (since he ages backwards) and then having him play Tom of Warwick.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 5:47pm

well, if it's during the enchanted forest of morgan le fey scene as Dollypop suggested then it seems completely valid as some kind of fantasy sequence...

[NSMTpublicity]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 6:56pm

NEVER ones to shove anything down anyone's throat... without dinner first. Please enjoy the statement from NSMT's Executive Producer and Artistic Director.
From the TOP.. I hope no one get offended by the term "Top"

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 9:15pm

Can I be the first to say that the snotty attitude of both you (NSMTPublicity) and the Artistic Director have completely turned me off both to this production and the company. The snide remarks about the people who happen to disagree, and the Artistic Director's sarcasm have left a very sour taste in my mouth.

I know that's probably an unpopular opinion, but I had to say it.