"At the time, before reviews were published, Robert Goulet was entirely unknown in New York," Kreuger told The Times. "When he appeared early in the show to sing 'C'est Moi' and swept his huge cape with a glorious flourish, the entire audience, male and female, gasped at the presence of this striking young man with a powerful, beautifully modulated baritone.
"In seconds, he went from unknown to a star. Two days later, when the reviews appeared, he was the talk of the town."
Goulet, who won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1962, went on to win a Tony Award as best actor in a musical for his portrayal of Jacques Bonnard in Kander and Ebb's "The Happy Time" in 1968.
During his 1960s and early `70s heyday, Goulet turned out a string of hit record albums, appeared frequently on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other popular TV variety shows, and starred in his own TV specials, as well as TV productions of "Brigadoon," "Carousel" and "Kiss Me, Kate."
Goulet segued into movies in 1962 when he and Garland provided the lead feline vocal characterizations for the animated film "Gay Purr-ee."
He went on to star in several films, including the 1964 comedies "Honeymoon Hotel" (with Nancy Kwan) and "I'd Rather Be Rich" (with Sandra Dee). He also guest-starred on TV series such as "The Bell Telephone Hour" and "The Patty Duke Show" and starred in a short-lived spy drama series "Blue Light" in 1966.
Goulet also sang at the White House for Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon and headlined in Las Vegas. He even earned a footnote in the saga of Elvis Presley: Goulet was performing on television when Elvis famously blasted his TV screen with a handgun.
Goulet returned to the Broadway stage a number of times over the years, including playing King Arthur in a brief 1993 revival of "Camelot," and taking over the lead in a revival of the musical comedy "La Cage aux Folles" in 2005.
He also performed frequently in regional theaters and touring companies in "Man of La Mancha," "South Pacific," "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" and other shows.
The man who had hosted "The Bob Goulet Special Starring Robert Goulet" on television in 1970 also continued to draw audiences to his concert performances across the country. And he appeared in films such as "Atlantic City," "Scrooged," "Beetlejuice," "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear" and "Mr. Wrong."
