Camelot
, a musical based on the Arthurian legend, reunited most of the creative talent that produced
My Fair Lady
, including lyricist/librettist
Alan Jay Lerner
, composer
Frederick Loewe
, and leading lady
Julie Andrews
.
Lerner
had once again found a story that conformed to his favorite theme, a romantic triangle involving an older man, a younger woman, and an ardent suitor. As with
and his and
Loewe
's recent movie musical
Gigi
, the older man was played by a distinguished actor not known for his singing, in this case
Richard Burton
, who was making his musical comedy debut.
wrote some melodies of limited range for
Burton
, but he proved to be a much more accomplished singer than his predecessors,
Rex Harrison
and
Louis Jourdan
, and certainly
Harrison
's equal in his articulation and phrasing of the English language. This made his performances of such songs as
"I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight"
and the title song delights.
Andrews
brought her own beautiful English pronunciations and pure singing to light songs like
"The Lusty Month of May"
"Then You May Take Me to the Fair,"
but she didn't really have a big number.
Robert Goulet
, making his Broadway debut, did, the show's standout song,
"If Ever I Would Leave You,"
and he wrapped his powerful baritone voice around it. His was a career-making performance. Critics naturally compared
with
and often found it wanting. The criticisms had more to do with the stage production than the score, but it too is not up to the standards of the earlier work. In particular, it often seems that
intends the lyrics to be funnier than they come across as delivered. For example,
Goulet
as
Sir Lancelot
is introduced with
"C'Est Moi,"
a boastful song that might have made him more ridiculous than he should be, if the words weren't swamped by
's music. And songs like
"Then You May Take Me to the Fair"
recall similar and more impressive efforts by earlier Broadway lyricists such as
Oscar Hammerstein II
(
"June Is Bustin' Out All Over"
) and
Lorenz Hart
"To Keep My Love Alive"
), respectively. But the performers sell the songs effectively, particularly by the end, when
's melancholy reading of the reprise to the title song, with its evocation of "one brief, shining moment that was known as Camelot," moistens the eyes of every listener. [
was also released with a bonus track, a reprise of "Camelot Finale."] ~ William Ruhlmann