“One Brief Shining Moment:” A Study of the Genesis and Development of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot (1960)

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Broadway musical Camelot (1960) has an enduring
cultural significance, yet it remains largely overlooked by musical theatre scholars and
subsequent revivals are often met with a luke-warm response. By presenting a critical edition,
alongside a thesis that documents the creation and genesis of Camelot, this project accounts for
the musical’s precarious position within the Broadway canon, whilst providing new knowledge
to the field and new apparatus with which to approach contemporary productions. The critical
edition presents Camelot as it was when it achieved ‘hit’ status, an editorial decision supported
by the thesis's exploration of the musical’s development, which aims to demystify Camelot’s
complex performance history. An in-depth examination of materials preserved in the
edition then demonstrates how during its try-out period Camelot was streamlined to
centre King Arthur and his idealism to the detriment of Guenevere’s character development.
Whereas previous scholarship has tended to focus on the musical’s political associations, I
argue that by approaching its development through a feminist lens we discover that earlier
versions of the musical represented a more progressive and liberal approach to Guenevere and
the famous love affair than that which is usually staged today. Drawing on historical and
reception studies, alongside critical analysis, the critical edition and accompanying thesis
advocate for a new approach to Camelot, illuminating its potential to be re-imagined for a
modern-day audience.