Laura Michelle Kelly, Brian Stokes Mitchell & Ryan Silverman to Lead Kennedy Center's CAMELOT Concert on 5/4

For its 22nd annual Spring Gala, the Kennedy Center will salute the more than 13 year tenure of Kennedy Center president Michael M. Kaiser with Camelot in Concert on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall. The famed 1960 musical features book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner with music by Frederick Loewe and this semi-staged concert version will be adapted, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The concert staging will be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director James Moore. With this concert, Camelot makes its Kennedy Center debut. One of the co-chairs of the 2014 Spring Gala will be Laysha Ward, President, Target Community Relations.

Casting for this one-time-only event includes Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly as Guenevere, Brian Stokes Mitchell as King Arthur, Ryan Silverman as Lancelot, Josh Grisetti as Mordred, and Tony Sheldon as Pellinore and Merlyn. This performance is made possible through special arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.

Since arriving in 2001, Kennedy Center president Michael M. Kaiser has expanded the educational and artistic programming for the nation's center for the performing arts, has overseen a major renovation effort of most of the Center's theaters, and has led the country in arts management training. Signature artistic programs during his tenure have included an unprecedented celebration of the works of Stephen Sondheim; major festivals of the arts of China, Japan, India, the Nordic countries, and the 22 countries in the Arab World; long-term relationships with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet and Opera, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; festivals of gospel, country, a cappella, hip-hop music, and street arts; a celebration of August Wilson's ten plays presented in repertory; as well as major revival productions of Ragtime and Follies, both of which transferred to Broadway. Mr. Kaiser also works closely with the Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra Music Director Christoph Eschenbach as well as its Board of Directors on the Orchestra's performances and outreach programs. He oversaw the Kennedy Center's affiliation with Washington National Opera in 2011 and continues to work with the company's leadership on the Opera's performance and educational programs. Mr. Kaiser will step down as Kennedy Center president on August 31, 2014 to lead the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland.

The Spring Gala's black-tie evening begins with a reception on the River Terrace at 5 p.m. followed by an elegant dinner on the Roof Terrace at 6 p.m. The Gala performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall and the evening concludes with the 'Til Midnight Party, featuring cocktails and dancing, on the Roof Terrace. As one of Washington's leading benefit engagements, the annual Kennedy Center Spring Gala provides critical funding to support the Center's performances, education programs, and outreach initiatives.

Camelot is based on the 1958 T. H. White novel The Once and Future King. It was directed and staged by Moss Hart and opened at the Majestic Theater on December 3, 1960, where it ran for 873 performances. It starred Julie Andrews as Guenevere, Richard Burton as King Arthur and Robert Goulet as Lancelot, winning four Tony Awards® in 1961. The original cast recording became an instant success, becoming the country's top-selling record for 60 weeks. A film adaptation premiered in 1967, with Richard Harris as King Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guenevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot.

Concert-only tickets for the 2014 Spring Gala A Salute to Michael Kaiser with Camelot in Concert start at $45 and go on sale to the general public on February 12. Tickets may be purchased at the Kennedy Center Box Office or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600; patrons living outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan calling area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324 or visit kennedy-center.org. To inquire about Spring Gala VIP packages and other events surrounding this performance, patrons may e-mail springgala@kennedy-center.org or call (202) 416-8338 for additional information.

The Kennedy Center Spring Gala Premier Sponsor is The Boeing Company, whose contributions play a crucial leadership role in supporting the presentation of the Kennedy Center's artistic and educational programs throughout the year.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos