Friendship
by Cole Porter (music & lyrics)
Original Sheet Music Cover
GenrePopular song from the 1939 musical Du Barry Was a Lady
PublisherWarner Chappell Music

"Friendship" is a song written by Cole Porter from his 1939 musical DuBarry Was a Lady where it was introduced by Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr. The song was once again performed in the 1943 film version starring Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly and Tommy Dorsey.

History

Cole Porter wrote "Friendship" for the finale to his 1939 musical DuBarry Was a Lady which opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on December 6, 1939.[1] It was premiered by Ethel Merman as Mme. La Comtesse du Barry and Bert Lahr as The King of France. In subsequent productions, Frances Day and Arthur Riscoe performed the song in the original 1942 London premiere; and Faith Prince and Robert Morse performed it in the 1996 Encores! revival.[2]

In 1943, Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Gene Kelly and Tommy Dorsey performed the song in the film version of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical. Lucille Ball's singing voice was dubbed by Martha Mears for most of the picture, but her real voice was used in "Friendship".[3][4] Ball and Kelly reunited in 1978 and performed the song on Kelly's television special, "An American in Pasadena", which aired on March 13, 1978.[5]

The 1962 Off-Broadway revival of Cole Porter's musical Anything Goes incorporate the song, along with other Porter songs such as "It's De-Lovely", "Red, Hot and Blue", "Let's Misbehave" and "Take Me Back to Manhattan". All subsequent revivals of the musical still incorporated "Friendship" into the score of Anything Goes. Notable performers who have performed the song in the musical are Sutton Foster, Chita Rivera, Patti Lupone, Leslie Uggams, Elaine Paige and Andrea McArdle.[6][7]

In episode 3, season 3 of I Love Lucy titled "Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress", Lucy and Ethel rehearse and then perform the song.

Recorded versions

References

  1. ^ "DuBarry Was a Lady,' One of the Season's Major Musical Items, Opens Tonight at the 46th St". The New York Times. December 6, 1939. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Bartley, Ben (February 17, 1969). "DuBarry Was No Lady, In 1939 or Even Today". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. ^ The Sondheim Guide. Du Barry Was a Lady - The Film Version. Michael H. Hutchins. April 15, 2014.
  4. ^ Hometowns to Hollywood. DuBarry was a Lady (1943). August 12, 2019. Annette Bochenek.
  5. ^ Shales, Tom (March 13, 1978). "Gene Kelly, An American In Pasadena". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Dan (September 14, 1989). "Revival of 'Anything Goes' Fails to Kick In 1930s energy". The Washington post. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Brantley, Ben (April 7, 2011). "A Glimpse of Stocking? Shocking!". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.

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