This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Robert Peterson as Sir Lancelot in "Camelot," above, and as Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha."
Robert Peterson, the namesake for the Robert Peterson Legacy Memorial Theater, was a well-known performer whose 50-year career included opera, musical theater, television, recordings and concerts.
Peterson graduated from Granite High School, then went to the University of Utah and received a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music in New York City. He got his start in the 1961 Broadway production of "Camelot" when he filled in and later replaced the ailing Robert Goulet in the role of Lancelot. He is best known to audiences for his portrayal of Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha," including a "do not miss" performance at the Utah Shakespearean Festival in 2002.
His career included more than 2,000 coast-to-coast performances of Camelot, more than 90 productions at the Pioneer Theatre and hundreds of other productions in Utah and throughout the country.
Peterson died of a heart attack in December 2003 at the age of 71.
- Close-Up Staff Writer
Patty Day