Jordan Donica commands a room with his booming voice, but maintains a genuine, heartfelt energy as Lancelot Du Lac in the upcoming revival of Camelot. He stopped by to perform the impassioned love ballad, 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence,鈥� as part of 半岛体育鈥檚 Spring Preview video series (sponsored by Cadillac). Watch Donica's performance above, with accompaniment by Marco Paguia.
Camelot is currently in previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, with opening night set for April 13. The show is directed by Bartlett Sher, with a reimagined book by Aaron Sorkin, and original music and lyrics by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner.
鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� takes place toward the end of Act II, after Lancelot and Guenevere have fallen in love. For Lancelot, Donica says (with care to avoid spoilers), 鈥淚t鈥檚 just after he鈥檚 crossed a threshold, and made a choice to do something that he never imagined that he would do.鈥�
Camelot is adapted from The Once and Future King, T.H. White鈥檚 1958 novel. The show follows the story of King Arthur (Andrew Burnap) and his knights鈥攁s well as the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot, and Guenevere (Philippa Soo) that destroys Camelot. Donica told 半岛体育 earlier this month that Aaron Sorkin鈥檚 new book is very different from the original source material, with a greater emphasis on realism and humanity鈥攁s well as diversity.
Donica has found aspects of the original novel to draw from as he tells Lancelot鈥檚 story. 鈥淸Lancelot] has, in his mind, in theory, given up his closeness and his relationship to his God, and put his God in someone else,鈥� Donica says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a line in the book that says Lancelot gives his God to Guenevere, and she in turn gives him his freedom. That, to me, is what this whole song is about: the anguish of love.鈥�
In typical productions of Camelot, 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� is performed by Guenevere. Donica says the change had to do with the creative team trying to 鈥減ut a bow鈥� on Lancelot鈥檚 emotional journey.
鈥淚 think this song does a really good job of conveying the same thing [in Lancelot] that it conveys for Guenevere,鈥� Donica says. 鈥淵ou have this feeling towards someone that you don鈥檛 really know what to do with. And then you finally do something about it, finally act on it...after you realize all the potential for danger from that action." So how would he describe his rendition of the classic song? "It鈥檚 both romantic and devastating."
See behind-the-scenes photos of Donica鈥檚 performance below.
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
Behind the scenes of 鈥淚 Loved You Once In Silence鈥� from Camelot performed by Jordan Donica sponsored by Cadillac
