Video: Watch the Cast of CAMELOT Celebrate Opening Night

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Lerner and Lowe's classic musical, Camelot, is back in Lincoln Center Theater's glorious

new production, which features a new book by Aaron Sorkin and direction by Bartlett Sher

And we're here on opening night to celebrate with the company. Welcome home

Thank you so much. It's opening night. How do you feel? I feel grateful and exhausted

I'm so tired but full of love for all of these people, for this place, for this story

I mean, I think if I wasn't so tired, I would burst into tears

It is opening night, my friend. How do you feel tonight? I feel great. I feel like a big sigh of relief

Like we've made it. We had a long preview period. It's been a long four years for me with this show and developing it and growing it

And I'm excited to settle in and to let the show teach me and teach the rest of us what

it wants to really be over these next coming months. What's made this one so special with working on Camelot

The words, the world, the people. I mean, it's made my job very easy to show up and have this script as a roadmap and to

have Bartlett Sher at the helm of our direction and being our fearless captain and to have

an ensemble of actors that are always supporting each other, always motivating each other

It's just the most wonderful collaborative experience that I've had and I'm just so grateful

It is opening night, my friend. How does it feel tonight? It feels great to get it finally open

It's been a very long rehearsal and preview period. So trying to redo a classic musical takes a lot of time

It is opening night. How do you feel tonight? So full of gratitude. Every time I see you, I know something has gone good in my life and so I'm feeling full

of joy and gratitude. What a night. It is opening night, my friend

How do you feel? There are no words. This is my Broadway debut

My mom is here tonight in from Chicago. This has been a lifelong dream of mine

I'm over the moon. You know, there's no words. I mean, you've worked with some of the most amazing performers throughout your history

but what's made this so special for you with putting Camelot together and working with them

I think one of the things about this Camelot is to make an American Camelot

So in the case of Andrew Burnap, you have a great Arthur, a real American idea

His heart, his sensibility, his youthfulness. He's very young, Arthur. And you feel like he's an extraordinary, exquisite artist

And then you mix that with Pippa, who's so beautiful, so free, so creative in what she does

And it's just amazing. And then you add in Jordan, and you have in Jordan this powerhouse of a singer and performer

And then in the back of that is someone like Deacon Matthews, who is just the most exquisite

experienced, beautiful artist you could ever want to work with. I mean, this company of people is extraordinary

And everyone is up for taking risks in the room and supporting each other

The swings in our company, we've had a few people out here and there because of COVID

and health related things. I mean, it's amazing what is asked of them should not be asked of anybody

And yet they rise to the occasion every time and do it with grace and love and kindness

and joy. It's just it's it's remarkable to be a part of

Sharing the stage with this incredible company, but Andrew and Jordan, what's it like sharing

the stage with them? I could not ask for two better actors

I mean, it's a level of like, play and variety that you can only get when you have people

who are showing up to the space, bringing everything that they have with them, their

heart, their souls, and and honestly, just sharing their souls with you for three hours

And it's it's just I could not ask for a better group of people to be working with, especially

those two. It's just made my job so much easier. What's made this so special with working on Camelot

The people, I mean, across the board, it's the people. There's so much love and care and respect

We have formed a family and that family, because you have that safety and that trust, we have

been able to do things on stage that I don't think I don't think a cast that didn't have

this love and respect would be able to do. It's the love

It's the people. The first time I watched a full run through of the show, I cried from start to finish

I was like, am I OK? Should I check into a facility? The entire thing is so gripping and vital and urgent and dangerous

And the music is so beautiful. But this text is brand new and no one's ever heard this before

I just love every bit of it. When you took your bow tonight, opening night, do you remember what you were thinking

I was thinking, oh my God, I'm on Broadway again. And that's the thing

Somebody said to me, how's it being back on Broadway? And I was like, I didn't even think of it like that

I'm back on Broadway. In fact, I get to do it again. That's been the biggest gratitude perspective that I've been having, that I'm doing it again

Working with this creative team and Bart being our leader, he's demanding, but creative and

daring and bold and leaves room for exploration to try the craziest things out

I love that. And he's not afraid to say, OK, that didn't work

Let's try something else. And on the scale, we had very little set

And so we painted the story with the bodies, which was quite exciting

Singing this beautiful score, especially what you get to sing. Thank you

Yeah, it's a blessing. Like I said earlier, there are not many musicals that are written for this kind of voice anymore

So to bring this to modern audiences and to younger audiences who maybe didn't grow up

with this type of music, who are discovering a new avenue for themselves, is a blessing

And I don't take it lightly at all. And why do you think the time is so right right now for Camelot

Well, I think we're all worried. You know, we're all worried. We're all worried for our country

We're worried for a story that helps us believe that it's possible for it to be better

And I think Camelot is something that gives you a little bit of hope

That maybe if we listen to our stories and we believe in who we are, these things can

be better