Robert Goulet (November 26, 1933 – October 30, 2007) was an American singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry….who was cast as Sir Lancelot in the original role in the 1960 Broadway musical Camelot….while starring opposite established Broadway stars Richard Burton and Julie Andrews….when he achieved instant recognition with his performance and interpretation of the song “If Ever I Would Leave You”….which became his signature song….as his debut in Camelot marked the beginning of a stage, screen, and recording career that spanned almost six decades…..while winning a Grammy Award and Tony Award.
In this video seen herewith….impressionist / impersonator extraordinaire Bob Anderson does Robert Goulet singing his signature song “If Ever I Would Leave You”….which he sang in the original 1960 stage production of Camelot…..when he played the role of Sir Lancealot….and sang this song to Gwenivere in this musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music)….which is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White novel The Once and Future King.
The original 1960 production, directed by Moss Hart with orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang….while running on Broadway for 873 performances….and winning four Tony Awards….and spawning several revivals, foreign productions and the 1967 Warner Bros. film Camelot. The musical has become associated with the Kennedy Administration, which is sometimes called the “Camelot Era”.
