Du Barry Was A Lady (1993 Production)
Louise Gold starred as May Daly/M’am Dubarry, on 9, 16,
23 and 30 May 1993. However, eight
years later she was to reprise the role in another
Lost Musicals production at Her Majesty’s Theatre. This page is about her
earlier performance of the show.
James Vaughan would go on to reprise his role of Charley/The
Dauphin in that same later Lost Musicals production.
Cast:
Jones/Choiseul - Jonathan
Ewart-Holmes
Harry/Capt of the Guard - Mark
Frederick
Florian/Zamore - David
Pendlebury
Reporter - Delianne Forget
May Daly/M'am DuBarry - Louise
Gold
Charley/Dauphin - James
Vaughan
Nurse To King - Jackie Harben
Kelly/French Doctor -
Alice/Alisande - Danielle
Carson
Louis Blore/King of France - Barry
Cryer
Vi/La Duchess -
Alex Barton/Alex - Clive
Walton
Ann - Sylvia Griffin
American Doctor - Johanne
Murdock
Production Team
Music/Lyrics - Cole Porter
Book - Herbert Fields and Buddy G De Sylva
Original Production – 6 December 1939,
Musical Director - Mark Warman
Director - Ian Marshall-Fisher
A description of the plot of Du Barry Was A Lady, can be gleaned from reading a review of the Lost Musicals second production in 2001. To read that review click here.
But In The Morning No suffered some problems when it was first written, due to its rather (for the time) dirty lyrics, for many yeas it could not be sung on air, and The Lord Chamberlain was particularly concerned with this song when the show originally played London. This may explain why there are so many variations of this song. For this production lyrics used were, according to The Complete Lyrics Of Cole Porter: Refrains 7, 9 and 10, namely the ones that begin “Are you good at figures, dear?”, “Are you fond of poker, dear?”, and, “Are you fond of Democrats?”.
Friendship is also a song that has undergone several variations. For this production all the lyrics given in The Complete Lyrics Of Cole Porter were used, including the often unused Refrain 2 (the one that begins “If you ever loose your way, come to May”). In this production, rather than use the original opening line to Refrain 6 “If they hang you, pard, send a card” they sang its more often used replacement “If you ever crack your spine trussle mine”. For more details on this see Anything Goes (Stage).
It has been said that King Louis XIV of France
(The Dauphan) may have been left-handed. If that is the case, then it is
perhaps particularly apt that in this production he was played by James Vaughan,
who is left-handed.
This was
the first Merman/Porter role Ms Gold did in a Lost Musical. She had previously
appeared in a revival of Anything Goes.
She subsequently appeared in Lost Musicals concert stagings of the other three
members of the Merman-Porter quintet of shows: Red Hot & Blue, Something For The Boys, and Panama
Hattie. She also went on to reprise
this show in: Du Barry Was A Lady
(2001 Production)
Part of
this performance overlapped with Ms Gold's work in Taming Of The Shrew at the Nuffield Theatre Southampton.
Myra Sands is one of the regulars in The Lost Musicals, having appeared with Louise Gold in: By Jupiter | One Touch of Venus (1992 Production) | New Girl In Town | Red Hot And Blue | Something For The Boys | Panama Hattie | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | One Touch of Venus (2000 Production) . They had previously appeared in a concert of highlights from Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado , and have also appeared together on the commercial stage in Follies
James Vaughan is also a regular Lost Musicals player, he and Louise Gold had previously appeared together in One Touch of Venus (1992 production), they went on to appear together in: Of Thee I Sing, Panama Hattie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Du Barry Was A Lady (2001 Production). They also went on to appear in the film Crush. James Vaughan also helped out on the film Muppet Treasure Island, on Louise Gold puppeteered.
Danielle Carson is another regular, having also appeared with Louise Gold in By Jupiter and Red Hot & Blue. They also appeared together in Anything Goes, and on the JAY/TER recording of Stop The World I Want To Get Off.
Jackie Harben (sometimes billed as Jacqueline Harben) and Louise Gold went on to appear together in another Lost Musicals production, New Girl In Town.
Barry Cryer went on to appear on the BBC
Radio quiz Let’s Do The Show Right Here, for
which Louise Gold was a Team Captain.
Louise Gold, Barry Cryer and Johanne Murdock
may have gone on to appear in Comedy Tonight.
David Pendlebury has gone on to chair the charity Theatrecares, for one of their shows featuring The Company Of Mary Poppins, Louise Gold took a starring role. Theatrecares has since transformed into
TheatreMAD, with David Pendlebury as their chair, and Louise Gold has appeared in their show Flaunt It 2008
Danielle Carson’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes,
Blushing Maidens, Magic Of The Musicals,
and, 100 Hits Musicals.
Barry Cryer, and, Louise Gold took
part in A Celebration Of The Life And Work
Of Dick Vosburgh.
Myra Sands may have previously taken part in Thing A Thon.
Louise Gold has appeared in quite a number of Cole Porter musicals, besides the Ethel Merman quintet of shows, she has also appeared in Kiss Me Kate and Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It. However, she has made all too few recordings, the only albums of her singing Cole Porter are Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It (Recording), and the JAY/TER’s studio cast album of Anything Goes (recording) - Website Recommended Album
Louise Gold and Myra Sands have gone on to appear together in Oliver!. They can also be heard on the cast album Oliver! (Recording).
Critics Comments
“Louise Gold and Barry Cryer are May and Louis and
both play their parts well.” Carol Hughes, WORDS AND MUSIC, Issue 16,
Sept 1993
Links about Dubarry Was A Lady
Muppet Central/Tibby's Bowl Interview with Louise Gold http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/interviews/gold.shtml Although she does not give name them, Louise mentions playing the Ethel Merman parts in The Lost Musicals.
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