Goulet dulls Camelot

There comes a time in every personís life when he or she must decide to quit their profession and enjoy a retired life before age and senility set in. While the American government has set the standard age at 65, some workers earn early retirements and start collecting their pensions long before age becomes an issue. Robert Goulet should of considered this option more than a few years ago.

In last Tuesday's opening of "Camelot," Goulet sang off-key and flubbed lines left and right. The once-great Lancelot has now matured into a pitiful King Arthur. While it would be easy to dismiss the whole farce upon the fact that Goulet is a presence, and that his voice is unparalleled anywhere in the world - well, he's no longer the swanky baritone that made the women of the '60s swoon. And he can no longer carry a tune.

Goulet's most recent project was a series of basketball commercials recorded for ESPN. His first Broadway appearance was 1960's original cast of Lerner & Loewe's "Camelot," in which he portrayed Lancelot opposite Julie Andrews as Guenevere. That production made him famous. Now, many years and a few wrinkles later, Goulet dons the crown each night as King Arthur, bringing shame to the role so respectfully created by Richard Burton.

"Camelot's" failure cannot be put entirely upon Goulet's shoulders. With a weak and unsupporting ensemble cast of less-than-mediocre players, the principal cast had much to overcome. Patricia Kies, as Guenevere, became an irritating caricature of Julie Andrew's famous persona. She tried to immitate not only Andrews' voice, but her tone and inflection as well. The fact that she looked a good 50 years old doesn't help either.

Cancelling out the flawed performances of Goulet and Kies, Daniel Narducci and James Valentine as Lancelot and Merlyn, respectively, made the production bearable. Narducci's baritone voice is very pure - much more so than Goulet, who seems to be forcing himself to cough. Valentine proved himself as a true improvisational actor, as he had to cover most of Goulet's flubbed lines and quick surprises. At one point, Valentine stopped the show when his character's dog refused to follow him while crossing the stage. The dog gave a hearty resistance, and Valentine's leash-tugging eventually pulled the collar right off. Once freed, the dog lazily lumbered offstage while Valentine looked on in disbelief. "I guess you know the way better than I do," he quipped to the dog's hind end.

With a set and costumes that gives many community theaters a run for their money, "Camelot" obviously hasn't any big-name investors.

Nepotism alert: Portraying the villain role of Mordred was Michael Goulet, son to Robert. Michael's knack for acting is much like his father's - that is, it shouldn't be attempted. With a very phony Scottish accent that drifted in and out of Michael's character, it became hard to decipher what his purpose was toward the rest of the show.

Capping off the evening, the Detroit area chapter of the American Cancer Society presented Goulet with an appreciation award for taking the time to record television commercials that urged viewers to have themselves tested for prostate cancer. Goulet, a survivor of the sickness, urged again the importance of taking the initiative to see a physician regularly. Going into too much detail about his hospital stay, Goulet began describing his catheter and the bag that remained strapped to his leg for some time. Even though Goulet's performance as King Arthur was lacking, something must be said for anyone who can still go out onto stage and perform after suffering through any such illness.

"Camelot" runs through Sunday at Detroitís Fox Theater. Tickets can be ordered by calling (248) 645-6666.

09-21-98