King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and Sir Lancelot are one of the most famous love triangles in pop culture, and the upcoming revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's classic 1960 musical Camelot is bringing them back to the Broadway stage. With rehearsals underway for the Bartlett Sher-directed production, the leading stars Andrew Burnap, Phillipa Soo, and Jordan Donica gave a preview of what audiences can expect from this new revival by putting their own spin on Lerner and Loewe's classic songs.
They performed "If Ever I Would Leave You," "The Lusty Month of May," and the title song "Camelot." And Playbill was there to capture the footage. Watch Phillipa Soo and Andrew Burnap perform "Camelot" in the video above (with Soo sounding enchanting speaking French).
But, this isn't the same Camelot that so many know. The revival will feature a revised book by The West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin (which you can hear in the video above). Though known for his screenwriting, Sorkin also penned a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird and A Few Good Men. Theatregoers will get to find out the revival's new take on the musical when previews begin March 9 in Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. It is set to open April 13.
Watch Donica perform the swoon-worthy love song "If Ever I Would Leave You" in the video below.
The origins of this revival can be found in a one-night-only gala performance at Lincoln Center which Sher directed four years ago. Donica starred as Lancelot that evening, kicking off the actor's dive into the role. Burnap and Soo joined the cast last fall to complete the leading trio. It's a dreamy leading cast that has theatre fans calling the show "sexy Camelot" on Twitter.
We guarantee that after you watch these videos, you'll agree there's simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in Camelot on Broadway!
See Phillipa Soo and the cast of Camelot perform the rollicking "The Lusty Month of May" below.
Based on the novel The Once and Future King by T.H. White, Camelot is a story about the mission to improve a society, and the tragic struggles between love and loyalty which catalyzes the fall of the mythical kingdom. As Sorkin puts his spin on the book, Burnap, Soo, and Donica have turned to the musical's source material to delve further into their characters and the relationships between them. Of course, the classic score with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe remains.
The revival's diverse cast will also star Dakin Matthews as Merlyn/Pellinore, Taylor Trensch as Mordred, Marilee Talkington as Morgan Le Fey, Anthony Michael Lopez as Sir Dinadan, Camden McKinnon as Tom of Warwick, Fergie Philippe as Sir Sagramore, and Danny Wolohan as Sir Lionel.
Joining them in the ensemble are Delphi Borich, Matías De La Flor, Sola Fadiran, Rachel Fairbanks, Nkrumah Gatling, Christian Mark Gibbs, Holly Gould, Monte Greene, Edwin Joseph, Tesia Kwarteng, James Romney, Ann Sanders, Britney Nicole Simpson, Philip Stoddard, Valerie Torres-Rosario, Frank Viveros, and Paul Whitty.
Sher will lead a creative team that also includes choreographer Byron Easley, set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Jennifer Moeller, lighting designer Lap Chi Chu, and sound designers Marc Salzberg and Beth Lake, with projections by 59 Productions. Casting is by The Telsey Office's Adam Caldwell. B.H. Barry will serve as fight director, and Kate Wilson is the voice and dialect coach.
Music director Kimberly Grigsby will conduct a 30-piece orchestra performing Camelot's original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang and original dance and choral arrangements by Trude Rittman. Charles Means is the production stage manager.
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin and cast of Camelot
Aaron Sorkin and cast of Camelot
Bartlett Sher and cast of Camelot
Bartlett Sher
Bartlett Sher and cast of Camelot
Nkrumah Gatling, Phillipa Soo, Andrew Burnap, Jordan Donica, and Dakin Matthews
Cast of Camelot
Cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo, Andrew Burnap, and cast of Camelot
Andrew Burnap and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo, Andrew Burnap, and cast of Camelot
Andrew Burnap
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Delphi Borich, Ann Sanders, and Tesia Kwarteng
Frank Viveros, Danny Wolohan, Fergie Philippe, Anthony Michael Lopez, and Delphi Borich
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Phillipa Soo and cast of Camelot
Andrew Burnap, Jordan Donica, Dakin Matthews, Marilee Talkington, and Taylor Trensch
Jordan Donica and cast of Camelot
Jordan Donica and cast of Camelot
Jordan Donica and cast of Camelot
Jordan Donica
Jordan Donica and cast of Camelot
Cast of Camelot
Aaron Sorkin, Bartlett Sher, and cast of Camelot
Aaron Sorkin, Phillipa Soo, Jordan Donica, Andrew Burnap, and Bartlett Sher
Aaron Sorkin and Bartlett Sher
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