The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas In Texas?

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 7:25am

Did any of the national tours of the show, or indeed any production, ever play Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas?

[LoveSpiralsDownward]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 9:43am

The Ann-Margret tour came through Texas back in 2001.

I believe it played either Austin or San Antonio, plus Houston and Dallas, but before that, not sure.
Updated On: 7/27/09 at 09:43 AM

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 10:08am

I was just wondering the reaction of the locals to such a controversial subject passing thru town again.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 10:08am

I was just wondering the reaction of the locals to such a controversial subject passing thru town again.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 2:00pm

It's always been popular here. In fact, there was a sit-down in Houston in the 80s.

And, it toured through Texas a lot in the 80s, I have 3 or 4 playbills from different companies in different cities, and my parents went to see the tour at one point. And, it's done every 3-4 years by at least one company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Ann-Margret tour I know came to Dallas, and I want to say they even got Marvin Zindler to play himself during the Houston run (although, that could have been a separate production).

The show really isn't controversial, and most people, when you mention the Chicken Ranch, know at least the story.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 2:08pm

In fact, the show was CREATED by Texans:
Larry L. King, Peter Marshall, Carol Hall and Tommy Tune were all from Texas, and so was Carlin Glynn (I beleive).

In fact, the real-life Miss Mona, Edna Milton played Miss Wulla Jean and a Townsperson in the original production.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 2:20pm

We were lucky enough to have the two Broadway leads come to London with the original Broadway production. It played a decent 6 months at the huge Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The theatre was wrong for it, seating over 2500.
I had the luck to see it twice.
I was rather unlucky to see 'Goes Public' on Broadway- I left in the interval.

Thanks for your info!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 3:40pm

I saw the London production as well even though I was quite young: I think my parents' attitude was if-the-theatre-gives-him-a-sex-eduction-then-it-saves-us-a-job.

Carlin Glynn's performance stays in my mind as being very powerful and moving. I'm surprised she hasn't done more since.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 3:45pm

Scripps, I love that. It's a time-honored tradition.

"Son, it's time you became a man. I'm taking you to 'Best Little Whorehouse' to lose your virginity."

[Scripps2]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 3:59pm

LMAO Reggie!

If only it had been a bathhouse and not a whorehouse!

[sally1112]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 5:06pm

^^ MAybe that's why my parents took me to see The Ritz instead...they must have known!

Updated On: 7/27/09 at 05:06 PM

[HollyGolightly2]

Posted: 7/27/09 at 6:55pm

I'm not sure about productions, but I live in Houston and knew Marvin Zindler, whom Melvin P. Thorpe is based on, personally, and I can say the show's not controversial here. For whatever reason, Texas is prone to stupid/controversial/embarrassing stuff happening within its borders. We're used to it.
Updated On: 7/29/09 at 06:55 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 10:57am

Actually, the show originated in Houston at the Tower Theatre in 1979 (one of the original whores directed and choreographed a couple of shows I performed) and ran for a year. The show then returned to the Tower in 1980 and 1986 (the next long-running hit would be Shear Madness before the beloved old movie/legit theatre house was sold as retail space).

I saw the tour with Ann Margret (dull, lifeless and dated production featuring a star visibly unsteady allegedly from painkillers) in Houston and sat directly in front of Marvin Zindler, who adores the show and was signing autographs in the lobby (and could be heard snoring through the second act, though with that particular production, I can only assume he was one of many). The show is a favorite amongst community, amateur and regional theatre companies. Audiences love it and it is almost always a guaranteed cash cow.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 11:54am

^Tommy Tune would have still opened the Houston company. It also didn't originate in Houston, though, it started out at The Actor's Studio, moved to the Entermedia and then to the 46th Street Theatre.

The weird/funny thing about the Houston run was the people of the area didn't get the concept of "open-ended run," so to sell tickets they would release them a month or two at a time and keep putting "By Popular Demand, extended to ________"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 12:00pm

I was always under the impression it originated in Houston. Not sure where I got that from, but it's not like I haven't been wrong before. My bad.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/28/09 at 2:25pm

I wanna say that Carol Hall discussed the fact that the Houston production was the first one outside of NY, so it may have been there...and I feel like that was around the time of the AFA Concert.

Anyone who hasn't, I urge you to read "The Whorehouse Papers" by Larry L. King it's a fantastic read.

Posted: 7/29/09 at 1:31am

My parents saw the first national tour in the late seventies in Dallas an my grandparents saw it in Austin so, yes, it came to Texas. The tour with Anne Margaret also came to Dallas.