Marshall Barer

Marshall Louis Barer (born February 19, 1923, in Astoria, Queens, New York — died August 25, 1998, in Santa Fe, New Mexico) was a lyricist, librettist, songwriter, cabaret performer, and director whose witty, elegant voice earned him recognition among aficionados of musical theatre and cabaret.

Barer’s early career was not in theatre but in visual arts. He studied at the Cavanagh Art School in New York and worked as a commercial artist and designer, writing songs in his spare moments. By the late 1940s, he had begun to publish lyrics and songs, gradually transitioning from graphic arts to musical writing. Over time he contributed material for supper-club performers, collaborated with composers such as Alec Wilder, and became staff lyricist at Golden Records, writing over 100 songs.

Barer’s most enduring theatrical achievement came in 1959 with Once Upon a Mattress, for which he was both lyricist and co-book writer (sharing the book duties with Dean Fuller and Jay Thompson). In Mattress, his lyrics blend internal rhyme, subtle wordplay, humor, and romantic lyricism—qualities that critics have likened to those of Lorenz Hart. The show proved a breakout vehicle for Carol Burnett and has had enduring popularity in regional, educational, and amateur theatre.

After* Once Upon a Mattress*, Barer continued writing for theatre and cabaret, though few of his later stage projects reached wide production. He partnered with composers such as Duke Ellington, Michel Legrand, Hoagy Carmichael, Hugh Martin, David Raksin, and others—yet many of their collaborations remained unproduced or obscure. He also developed a cabaret persona, performing his songs in clubs in New York and Los Angeles, often interpreting his own work with precision of phrasing and nuance. Barer was known for his fastidiousness: he often supplied not just lyrics but detailed rhythmic accentuation and phrasing instructions to composers.

In his later years, Barer became a somewhat cult figure—a lyricist admired by a circle of performers and connoisseurs. He suffered declining health later in life and eventually moved to Santa Fe, where he passed away in 1998. Though he never achieved widespread popular fame beyond Mattress, his work remains respected in musical-theatre and cabaret circles. Many singers, especially in cabaret and recital settings, still perform his songs such as “On Such a Night as This” and “Normandy”, keeping alive the refined wit and craftsmanship that characterized his voice.