#I just continue to spend my commute writing notes full of bullet points about Camelot as a very normal person would do

[mooremars]

Just thinking about how absolutely wild the structure of Camelot's songs are within the context of the show. I am sure people have been saying this for 60 years but I want to talk about it now. Like I do genuinely love it but what were they thinking????

The first scene has 3 songs and a reprise. And depending on the version, different amounts of Guenevere starting us off.

Arthur in fact has two songs in the first scene. At least using 2023 as an estimate for timing, he will not sing again for over 45 minutes. After that, over an hour (including intermission). He is the main character. I know a hallmark of most versions is that he can't sing for shit but still.

The way The Simple Joys of Maidenhood barrels straight into I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight like I don't think you're supposed to stack two songs immediately on top of each other in this way.

Genny also has two songs in the same scene later. And this time no one else is getting one in between. The middle of act 1 is for her.

Really all of act 1 is for her because more than half of the songs in it at least prominently feature her. And no one can catch up in act 2.

It's not even close. She has three full songs basically to herself, another one that's probably like 80%, a reprise that's mostly her, another solo reprise in 2023, except for 2023 another song with just her or with Lance, and one song with Arthur.

Iconic

Arthur has four major songs and then the tiny slices of Camelot reprises while Lance only has two or three. Even I can do this math, Genny wins by a landslide.

Depending on the version, the main couple either doesn't have a song together or has a song but it isn't even a love song. They all just sing about each other. Sometimes in front of each other. But together... nah.

There are no songs with the three leads and in fact there are like twice or three times the number of songs with one or two people singing than songs with more than that. I don't know the normal ratio but I feel like usually there's more ensemble stuff.

And like obviously act 1 ends with a monologue and that is brilliant and the best decision ever but also extremely weird that then the last song before intermission is sad Genny.

I am no musicals expert but literally none of this seems to make sense to me and yet it all somehow works and I'm obsessed with it.