Some may think that “Camelot” belongs to another time, but like all classic works of art, the Lerner and Lowe musical is timeless.
The play – which Central Florida Lyric Opera brings to Savannah Center on Jan. 3 and 4 – tells about the legend and love of King Arthur. Broadway veteran Patrick Ryan Sullivan plays King Arthur and Laurie Arnold stars as Lady Guinevere.
“Camelot” opened on Broadway in 1960 and starred Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet.
The musical, written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe, became a symbol for President Kennedy as he took office in 1961.
The story of a young king growing and maturing in a land of unlimited and magical possibilities was an ideal metaphor for the new administration.
After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, the “Camelot” myth turned bittersweet, darkened by tragedy. Fair or not, “Camelot” became the buzzword to describe the Kennedy White House years.
“But Lerner and Lowe weren’t writing this musical about JFK,” said Sullivan, who has appeared on Broadway in such shows as “42nd Street,” “Titanic” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Camelot was written after Korea and before Vietnam,” Sullivan added. “Lerner and Lowe were trying to figure out what was going on.
“It was about a young king maturing and trying to figure things out. It’s about the use of power and understanding people. It’s about knowing that might doesn’t always mean right.”
The musical focuses on the relationship among King Arthur, Lady Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. It’s a love triangle that has captivated audiences from the Elizabethan time to the present.
Sullivan describes King Arthur as “a juvenile character who has a genuine loving naiveté. He meets Guinevere and I love the line when he tells her: ‘I never wanted to be king until I saw you.’ He falls in love and everything collapses.”
Laurie Arnold sees similarities between Arthur and Guinevere.
“She is young, childlike and what you might now call hot. She’s looking for adventure. At the end, she finds out that people die, and she wonders how this can happen and why it happens. She grows up.
“Guinevere has to make a lot of tough choices. She goes through a lot of pain.”
The score includes “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight,” “How to Handle a Woman” “What Do Simple Folk Do,” “Before I Gaze At You Again” and also title song. Here’s a brief clip from the original Broadway cast:
Maestro Bill Doherty heads the opera company and is producing the production. He believes the music sends a powerful message.
“It’s not about opera or Broadway music; it’s about how music can get inside of you and grab your soul. Music is how we communicate with each other. “
Doherty is a big fan of “classic Broadway shows.” He mentioned that Lerner and Lowe, along with Rodgers and Hammerstein have a way of capturing the human experience.
“These scores are classics because they are so well written and so meaningful to peoples’ lives. Young people today, know these songs. Those songs will live forever because that’s happens to great artistic works.”
For the performers, it’s a challenge to bring such well known roles to life and make them fresh and original.
“Richard Burton was phenomenal, but I’m not trying to be Richard Burton,” Sullivan said. “All I can do is be myself. In this musical, the message of love is so strong. I think all people can relate to it; and how it has changed their lives. The music is a beautiful expression of love.”
Arnold wants to bring “honesty” to the role of Guinevere. “You have to open yourself up and give everything you have,” she said. ‘It’s a wonderful place out there on that stage, the best place to be. But it’s tough. You’re putting yourself out there and people can reject you. But I love it.”
Sullivan shares that feeling.
“I was classically trained as a singer but I’m an actor; I focus on the words to the songs and I try to give them meaning. We rehearse and practice hard, but I want to get to a place where I go on stage and forget everything else, and just be Arthur. That’s all that matters.”
“Camelot” also matters to Doherty.
“We’re not trying to redo the Broadway play or the movie; this is going to be something new and special,” he said. “I think this is the kind of musical that makes people examine their lives and what they’re feeling inside.”
And that’s what art, music and theater is all about — in this or any other time.