Customer Reviews

Camelot (Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The original cast of "Camelot", Richard Burton as Arthur, Julie Andrews as Guinevere, Robert Goulet as Lancelot, is one of those rare coming togethers of great talent in a Broadway show that all you can do is wonder why in God's name (a) the show wasn't recorded in its entirety back then on film or tape and (b) none of these participants reprised their roles in the dreadful 1967 movie version. What was Joshua Logan smoking when he insisted on Richard Harris instead of Burton? It remains one of the most baffling stories in the history of Broadway musicals mucked up by Hollywood.

This CD of the original cast is therefore all the more precious because its your only chance to sample this wonderful assemblage of talent performing the best Lerner-Loewe score next to "My Fair Lady". The remastered CD is a must, putting the songs back in their right order and sounding much better than the earlier CD pressing did.

Ultimately, the CD gets only four stars from me not because of its presentation, but because of the manner in which this recording was first produced back in 1960. Goddard Lieberson, the head of Columbia Records who produced cast recordings back then was notorious for damaging the essence of what a cast recording was supposed to be, i.e. a document of the show and its music and instead often made some very bad tamperings with the material in order to achieve a supposedly "purer" musical listening experience. This meant (a) always eliminating all dialogue snippets that led into a song or was spoken between verses (b) sometimes eliminating whole musical sections that didn't sound "musical" enough and were more stage bound. In the case of "Camelot" this supposedly more "artistic" decision results in the loss of Julie Andrews lines and contributions in the title song so that it's a Burton solo. We also lose Burton's angry prelude to "How To Handle A Woman" where he rails against Merlin, and finally the ending which reprises the title song has been tampered into something it wasn't and never was on stage. Goddard Lieberson's aversion to dialogue from the play in this case not only harmed the integrity of this recording as a document of the play, but also robs us the ability to hear how really good Burton, Andrews etc were in their performances as well as their singing. The end result is still magnificent in the form its presented, but should have been more definitive than it turned out to be.

Ah, the magical metaphors! Lerner & Lowe's wonderous Broadway musical of the Days of King Arthur and the Round Table has since become forever linked to the JFK presidency. Here we have the joyous voices of Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet and Roddy McDowall. The rapture! And then the fall. Contrast King Arthur's/Richard Burton's uplifting version of the "Camelot" song (#5) with his Finale Ultimo (Camelot Reprise - #18)

So there you are, cruising along, with the CD cranked up, reveling, and the last song comes on. Unless you are in a particularly buoyant mood, that last song can produce a profound wave of melancholy and the people next to you at the stop light will wonder why you are crying.

"... Ask every person if he's heard the story

& tell it strong & clear if he has not -

That once there was a fleeting wisp of Glory

called Camelot.

... Don't let it be forgot

That once there was a spot

For one brief shining moment

That was known as Camelot."

Goosepimple stuff.

Though I never saw this show on Broadway, this cast album gives me a very good impression. The words and music really are perfectly entwined, and the songs are really good, much more memorable than they were when sung in the film, (though the film, IMHO, is still pretty good). What's really great about this recording is the great voices you hear singing these songs. Julie Andrews is surprisingly operetic as Guenevere, but nevertheless is by turns, vibrant, lusty, and sad, and is always good. Robert Goulet as Lancelot has a robust voice that comes in handy during "C'est Moi" and makes "If Ever I Would Leave You," a beautiful song anyway, a joy to listen to. Roddy McDowell as Mordred sparks the album with his one song, "The Seven Deadly Virtues." You even get to hear John Cullum; he's one of the knights in "Then You May Take Me to the Fair." As for Richard Burton's Arthur, he does struggle a bit at first, talk-singing "I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight" and the first part of "Camelot" a bit shakily. However, he pulls himself together to give a great performance of "How to Handle a Woman" and, though he goes right back to talking, is still powerful in the final reprise of "Camelot."

We truly shouldn't let this show be forgot, or this cast album. It was one brief shining moment of many in Broadway's history.

"Camelot" is one of my 3 favorite musicals & the definitive version is this one, the 1960 Original Broadway Cast w/Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, & Robert Goulet. However, the old CD version of this was so poor(filled w/hiss & highly-compressed)that I held on to my LP copy. So this digitally-remastered version is a welcome find!(no hiss or compression; I even hear instrum- ents in the background I've not heard before). And what more can be sd about Lerner & Loewe's most glorious & varied score or about this moving show about idealism brought down by the baser elements of human nature? A MUST-have!!!

Although comparatively young to other lovers of this sort of music, I found this recording of Camelot to be excellent. Since I first heard it on LP from my parents' collection I have loved it. The performance of Richard Burton is remarkable (much like Rex Harrison in MY FAIR LADY), for he combines his excellent diction with a regal character, and he pounds out the songs beautifully. Robert Goulet is impressive as Lancelot and gives an unbeatable impression of "If Ever I Would Leave You". Although not a fan of Julie Andrews and her "sugary" voice, she sounds beautiful in this recording, and deserves plenty of praise.

This CD is a must have for anyone who is a lover of Camelot and for anyone interested - it is THE recording.

When I was ten year old, I received the LP version of this album for my birthday. I didn't know the plot, so I made up my own as I listened to the album. Needless to say, "Camelot" blew me away!! In 1960, many critics felt that "CAMELOT" couldn't hold a candle to Lerner & Loewe's previous masterpiece MY FAIR LADY. True, the show had troubles; director Moss Hart suffered a heart attack; Alan Lerner suffered an ulcer, and Lerner and Loewe were not speaking to each other by the time the show reached Broadway. Forty years later, "CAMELOT" holds its own quite well, thanks to Loewe's melodious score, and the absolutely perfect, dream casting of Richard Burton and Julie Andrews as Arthur and Guenevere. Burton is a commanding King Arthur (and he's much better at "talk-singing" than Rex Harrison in MY FAIR LADY). Julie Andrews is beguiling and, finally, world-wise and world weary as Queen Guenevere. I've never liked Robert Goulet. He's too stiff and wooden, but the lyrics to his "C'est Moi" are exceptionally clever and witty. Roddy McDowall is also heard as Arthur's illegitimate son, Mordred, singing mean-spiritedly of "The Seven Deadly Virtues." You'll also hear two songs cut by director Moss Hart after the Broadway opening. They are "Take Me To The Fair", sung by Julie Andrews as Guenevere tries to turn a group of Knights against the insufferably arrogant Lancelot (Goulet), and "Fie On Goodness!" sung by the Knights as they tire of Arthur's peaceful kingdom. All 18 tracks are heard on the CD in their original show order. On the original LP, the order of some songs was "mixed;" out of their proper place. I've never understood why. When you hear the thrilling opening notes of the Overture, you'll be transported to another world-- the enchanted kingdom of Camelot

I think that this must be one of the most underrated gems in the history of Broadway. The book might be rather corny and the characterisation rather wooden, but it features Julie Andrews at her peak, outstanding performances from Richard Burton and Robert Goulet and a lovely Lerner and Loewe score.

My highlights are 'The Simple Joys of Maidenhood' which I think has some of the funniest lyrics ever written- "Shall I not be on the pedestal, worshipped and competed for? Not be carried off or better still cause a little war?" sung to perfection by Dame Julie hitting all the hight notes perfectly and "I Loved You Once in Silence" which is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and heartrendering. While Julie Andrews is most definitely the true star, both her leading men have their moments to shine, including Goulet's highly egocentric 'C'est Moi' and the unforgettable 'If Ever I Would Leave You.' I also have to admit that Burton's rendition of the title song leaves me a little teary eyed every time!

Please don't bother with the horrible, tacky film. I think you can get so much more out of listening to the CD. It isn't a 'perfect' musical like 'My Fair Lady' but nevertheless it's undoubtedly one of Lerner and Loewe's best scores and a delight for anyone who loves musicals and Julie Andrews.

I held off on buying the CD of this much-loved album until it had been remastered. I'd heard the earlier CD version, and found the sound quality to be no better than the LPs. But this remastered recording absolutely glistens! This is what CDs were made for!

The only disappointment is the insert. While the photos of Burton and Andrews during the recording sessions are nice additions, most of the photos inside the insert are extremely dark, blurred, black and white versions of photos that appeared on the original (1960) gatefold album jacket larger and in color. I know that B&W publicity photos were done for this show. But, the editors of the insert took the easy route, and it shows. So, I'm saving my orginal gatefold album for the pictures and original commentary, but these days the version I'm listening to is the remastered CD.

Incidentally, others have mentioned that John Cullum appears on this album as one of the knights. This was his first Broadway show, and he was understudy to Richard Burton and Roddy McDowell. He reportedly went on four times for Burton, and accounted himself well. He later took over the role of Mordred when Roddy McDowell left the show.

Listen for Cullum (with Andrews) on the third verse of "You May Take Me To the Fair" and in the chorus to that song. He can also be heard in "Fie on Goodness" lamenting that "virgins may wander unmolested!" He'd later do two more shows with Burton (Hamlet and Private Lives) and a movie with Andrews (Hawaii). By 1965 he was in his first starring role on Broadway (On a Clear Day...), and in the 1970s he'd earn two Tonys (Shenandoah, On the Twentieth Century) before going on to TV stardom in the '90s in Northern Exposure.

Now with improved sound, the original Broadway version blows away the competition. Richard Burton, a remarkably good singer considering that he had never taken a singing part before, is the definitive King Arthur, Julie Andrews is unsurpassed as Guinnevere, and Robert Goulet is wonderful as the self infatuated Sir Lancelot. After his "C'est Moi" (featuring the title line of this review), why would anyone else bother to perform it? The musical itself is of course one of the greatest of all time, with the title number, How to Handle a Woman (sounds a bit sexist, no? but it really is a beautiful love song), and What Do the Simple Folk Do? being my personal favorites. Even if you are not nostalgiac, this is great, great music.

CAMELOT features a beautiful score with some of the most beloved songs in the musical repertoire, written by the team of Lerner & Loewe. They include "If Ever I Would Leave You," a ballad recounting the timelessness of a love affair, though forbidden, that knows no season. The Original Broadway Cast recording features a young Julie Andrews, as Guinevere, Richard Burton, as King Arthur, and Robert Goulet, as Lancelot. The whole cast does a great job recreating the golden time of the mystical world of Camelot, filled with romantic intrigue and scheming sorcery. It's a shame that the original players couldn't have been brought to the big screen when the film version was made. This is the only remnant we have of this amazing show, at its best.