Du Barry Was a Lady
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Du Barry Was a Lady: A West End Whirl of Wit and Fantasy
"Du Barry Was a Lady" premiered at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End on October 22, 1942, running for 178 performances until March 1943. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Herbert Fields and B.G. DeSylva, this musical comedy adapted its Broadway hit originally starring Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr for wartime Britain. Directed by Richard Bird, it follows Louis Blore, a sweepstakes-winning washroom attendant who dreams himself into the court of Louis XV, chasing nightclub singer May Daly as Madame Du Barry. A frothy mix of 1930s New York sass and 18th-century French farce, the show offered a dazzling escape, its Cole Porter score and playful plot lighting up London amid the Blitz’s shadow.
Origins and Broadway Beginnings
The musical debuted on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on December 6, 1939, running 408 performances with Merman as May and Lahr as Louis, alongside Betty Grable. Porter’s racy tunes like "But in the Morning, No" and Fields and DeSylva’s book spun a tale of Louis’ unrequited love, spiked by a Mickey Finn that sends him dreaming of Versailles. Its success Stateside, fueled by hits like "Friendship," prompted a West End transfer. Tweaked for British sensibilities, the London version leaned on Porter’s melodic charm and the era’s appetite for light-hearted distraction, arriving three years later as a morale booster amid war.
The West End Production
At Her Majesty’s Theatre, "Du Barry Was a Lady" starred Arthur Riscoe as Louis Blore and Frances Day as May Daly, with Frances Marsden as Alice Barton, Jacky Hunter as Charley, Bruce Trent as Alex Barton, and Teddy Beaumont as Harry Norton. Bird’s direction kept the pacing brisk, spotlighting Louis’ nightclub-to-palace leap after a drugged drink mishap. The plot hinges on Louis’ fantasy: as King Louis XV, he pursues May, now Du Barry, only to wake penniless, ceding her to Alex. Opening during the Blitz, its 178-performance run modest by Broadway standards thrived on wartime audiences craving glamour, its lavish costumes and Porter’s wit a tonic against grim realities.
Musical and Theatrical Highlights
Porter’s score dazzles with "Friendship," a jaunty May-Louis duet, and "Do I Love You," a tender Alexandre-Du Barry moment, while "Give Him the Ooh-La-La" oozes seductive flair. "But in the Morning, No" delivers cheeky banter, its double entendres softened slightly for London. The West End staging leaned on dance Gavotte and Dance Erotique sequences choreographed to evoke French court excess, with Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane’s vocal arrangements adding polish. Riscoe’s comedic chops and Day’s vocal sparkle anchored the show, though its dream-heavy structure occasionally tested narrative flow, relying on Porter’s melodies to carry the night.
Revivals and Later Life
Post-1942, "Du Barry" returned to London via the Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust: a 1993 Barbican concert with Louise Gold as May and Barry Cryer as Louis, and a 2001 Her Majesty’s revival with Gold and Desmond Barrit, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2002. A 1943 MGM film swapped Porter’s score for new tunes, starring Lucille Ball and Red Skelton, while a 2014 San Francisco staging with Bruce Vilanch revived the original stage spirit. The West End saw no full-scale encore, but its concert iterations and a 1996 Encores! outing in New York kept its legacy alive, if niche.
Legacy and Wartime Resonance
"Du Barry Was a Lady" carved a unique West End niche, its 1942 run a beacon of levity during Britain’s darkest hours. Outshone by longer-lasting Porter hits like "Anything Goes," its 178 performances still drew crowds eager for escape, blending Broadway bravado with London grit. Critics found it bawdy yet buoyant Life magazine had praised its stars’ verve Stateside a vibe Riscoe and Day echoed. As of March 2025, its wartime glow endures through recordings and sporadic stagings, a testament to Porter’s knack for turning a washroom attendant’s dream into a transatlantic delight, however fleeting on the West End stage.