Destry Rides Again is a 1959 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Harold Rome and a book by Leonard Gershe. The play is based on the 1939 film of the same name.
Production history
The show opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on April 23, 1959, and closed on June 18, 1960, after 472 performances. Michael Kidd was the director and choreographer. The cast starred Andy Griffith as Destry and Dolores Gray as Frenchy. The national tour starred John Raitt and Anne Jeffreys, while Yvonne De Carlo appeared in the show in such venues as the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Dallas Summer Musicals.
The plot was loosely based on a story by Max Brand. The song sung by Marlene Dietrich in the film, "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have", was not used in the stage production.
Synopsis
Act 1
The opening song ("Bottleneck") shows the roughness and violence of the town Bottleneck. Then, at the Last Chance Saloon, Frenchy and her girls perform for the male patrons of The Last Chance ("Ladies"). After the song, Clagget stomps into the bar with Sheriff Keogh. Clagget accuses Frenchy and Kent of stealing his ranch in a crooked poker game last night. Kent strides out calmly, greeting the sheriff. Kent states that he won and Clagget lost. Sheriff Keogh asks for them to go into his office. Kent, Gyp and Bugs Watson, and the sheriff go into Kent's office. Clagget angrily storms out of the saloon while Rockwell and Frenchy reveal that she did steal one of his aces. But in the middle of their laughter, a gunshot is heard and the laughing grinds to a halt. Kent and his gang come out, explaining that Gyp Watson's pistol had accidentally gone off. Slade tells Kent that shooting Keogh was a mistake and they were moving too fast. One of Kent's gang hands Slade the sheriff badge and Kent tells Slade that it was up to him to appoint a new sheriff. Slade makes an announcement to the patrons of the saloon that Sheriff Keogh has left town on urgent business and Washington Dimsdale would be taking his place. Wash tells the town that he'll bring law and order to the town with the help of Tom Destry ("Hoop De Dingle").
Tom Destry arrives in Bottleneck with a parasol and a canary cage. The townsmen don't think very highly of him and tease him, especially Kent's gang. Destry sees it as hospitality and tells the townspeople how shocked he is by their welcome ("Tomorrow Morning"). Destry meets Kent and Kent asks Destry for his gun. Destry reveals he doesn't own a gun. Wash is surprised that Destry doesn't have a gun. Destry meets Frenchy and Destry quickly angers her and a fight ensues in which Destry and Frenchy are pulled apart by Wash and Kent.
Wash and Destry run out to a street and there, Wash confronts him about not owning a gun. Wash explains that the town had planned a big welcome party for him, but he didn't think Destry could face anyone now. Destry tells Wash that they won't need guns to bring law and order to Bottleneck. He tells Wash that guns will only bring death ("Ballad of the Gun"). Wash then swears Destry in as deputy and they head for the party. Meanwhile, Kent's gang are seen harassing two girls. They steal a banner they were carrying and see that there was to be a social in honor of Destry's arrival and they weren't invited. The gang then hurries off to tell Kent and Frenchy.
In a corral, it shows that the party has already started ("The Social"). The townsfolk are seen dancing with each other until Kent and his gang crash the party and threaten the people with whips until Destry shows up and takes down Kent's gang. The town then gratefully thanks Destry and finish the social. At the end of the social, Destry thanks everyone for the party, until he is interrupted by Clagget, who is armed with a rifle. He is followed by his wife, who pleads that he put the gun down. Clagget proclaims that he won't put the gun down until he's killed Kent and his gang. Destry interferes, taking Clagget's rifle while they shook hands. Clagget explains that Kent put him and his wife off their ranch this morning. He retells the story of how he was cheated in the poker game. He also says a little bit about the former sheriff. A few of the other townsmen tell Destry that Kent also took their ranches through similar means. Destry reluctantly tells Clagget that there's nothing that he could do until there was more evidence. Clagget's wife snaps at Destry and the two leave. A gleeful Kent thanks Destry and leaves as well with his gang. The townspeople, who now despise Destry turn away from him.