Darlings, Today We Celebrate An Anniversary Of Sorts!!!!!!!!!!!

As we know, girls, there is just something magical about that number, 50, or, at least, there seems to be, as more and more things pertinent to our lives0--including ourselves, darling--reach that chronological milestone. Now, I reached that milestone awhile back (though my PROFESSIONAL age, hons, is still 24!!!!!) but I want to call attention to something that reaches this point today.

I am talking about the original 1960 Broadway production of "Camelot!!!!!"

I mean, what a cast--Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet, Roddy McDowall--honey, today, you could not get this kind of talent in one place for an Actor's Benefit. You couldn't get this kind of talent anywhere near a Broadway stage today, because it happens to be lacking in this very kind of talent. But fifty years ago, was a different story.

"Camelot", as my girls, know, defined, the Kennedy years!!!!!!!! JFK, in repose, used to listen to the cast album, which calls into question many things about that august individual. Maybe he was a closet Theater Queen. I mean, he WAS married to Jackie, who was a graduate of Miss Porter's, a fashion doyenne (maybe Jack was jealous of Jackie's wardrobe, maybe he was a cross dresser that we never knew about), and by, marriage, this President was the distant cousin of the one and only Little Edie, who knew a thing or two about fashion and theatrics herself!!!!!!
And how many U.S. Presidents do you know having the sophistication to appreciate American Musical Theater. As one book once phrased it, "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye!!!!!!!"

But more importantly, girls, "Camelot" helped define MOI. When Julie Andrews, before she took that "Mary Poppins" flight or did her "Sound of Music" opening twirl, trilled "The Lusty Month of May," it established a ritual I have never let go--playing that song on May 1 right when I get up. Robert Goulet's iconic "If Ever I Would Leave You," proved there WAS a place for men in musical theater, and oh, my God! "The Joys Of Maidenhood" (Julie, again, of course!) which told all us girls the importance of maintaining our virtue, which some of us, including your truly, still do, without ending up like prune faced spinsters. Then there was the sheer melancholy of "I Loved You Once In Silence," emblematic of gay youth's quest for love and romance!!!!!!!!! Darlings, "Camelot" carried me through just about every life stage. And how about Roddy McDowall with "Those Seven Deadly Virtues?" What a nasty piece he is!!!!!! Just like some queens I know!!!!!!!!!!!!

So let us honor "Camelot" on its 50th anniversary! Consider, as you listen tonight, appropriately in December, considering one of its lyrics, how things might have fared differently if it had opened BEFORE "My Fair Lady." It may have turned out to be a bigger hit than it was!!!!!!!!!!

So curl up in your dressing gown, dolls with a hot toddy and commemorate the 50th anniversary of this musical theater classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And hit those notes like Julie, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!