User Reviews

It's a shame that in spite of a terrific leading lady and some wise choices in the supporting cast that the production of this as a whole had to resort to stunt casting to make this worthy of PBS broadcast. I saw this musical live on the national tour in 1984 with Richard Harris (which had a Cameron McIntosh like Sensibility) and while I would love a Broadway revival of it, I hope that they rely on talent over names that have no place in being in this musical. Unfortunately, Gabriel Byrne seems very uncomfortable as King Arthur, and while I didn't expect him to talk/sing like Richard Burton, I didn't expect him to be singing Lerner and Lowe like he was reciting Shakespeare. Fortunately, the gorgeous Marin Mazzie is there as Guinevere, and she sings the part beautifully. While she seems to be enjoying everything she's doing on stage and at one point seems to be laughing at actor Christopher Lloyd's antics as King Pellinore, she remains in character and doesn't just treat this as if it were a concert. Byrne, at certain moments, seems to forget that and stands around like he should have a script in his hand to refer to.

One thing about this musical I have never gotten is the purpose of the character of King Pellinore, and while Christopher Lloyd does make him amusing, he's basically there as just a sounding voice for Arthur. His arrival following the very upbeat "Lusty Month of May" is appropriate mood wise, and that is followed by Mazzie with a group of Broadway veterans singing "Then You May Take me to the Fair", another highlight. Nathan Gunn is picture perfect as Lancelot, singing with a fine operatic voice and ruggedly handsome and heroic. Bobby Steggert plays Mordred like a punk rocker and seems out of place even though he is a fine performer in his one song and few minutes on stage. But what is Fran Drescher doing there other than to get applause and laughs over her consumption of food? Even as a fan of hers, I found her cameo to be distracting and her performance in general to be out of place.

Along side Mazzie and Gunn, the other highlight is the fabulously Lush New York Philharmonic, show lavish and sweet in its use of the fabulous orchestrations presenting this renowned score. This is still a show with Act 2 problems, what do you know about slowing beautifully in the first act at 83 minutes, but at under an hour in the second act, it seems to be messed up. Those expecting a repeat of the filmed Broadway production with Richard Harris from 1982 or the underrated movie has long as you will be disappointed because this is a concert with limited costumes and only a few set pieces, but some of the costumes seem more modern that they should be. The color scheme seems to be red for Merlin, played by Stacy Keach and the chorus girls, but dark for everyone else. It has its moments of greatness, but some people seem underwear Hurst or not fully sure of themselves, and as good of a musical as it is emotionally, the flaws are obvious, making this slightly disappointing. It is easy to see why this show rarely gets a large-scale revival because of those weaknesses, but when it is done right, the show overall can leave you with chills and in tears.