The Whorehouse is Back in Texas and CTD Has It!

The Contemporary Theatre of Dallas' production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a 14 carat, five-star, hundred proof smash hit.  A musical with a toe-tappin' score, foot-stomping dancing, some bawdy humor and a little sentiment has been given a rousing production.  From the opening twang of "20 Fans" to the plaintive end of "The Bus From Amarillo," The Best Little Whorehouse delivers.  It is nothing less than exceptional entertainment.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was brought to Broadway in 1978 by a team of Texans—Larry L. King (co-author of Book), Peter Masterson (co-director and co-author of Book), Carol Hall (Music and Lyrics), and Tommy Tune (co-director and choreographer.)  The musical is a fictionalized account of The Chicken Ranch in LaGrange, Texas, a rural bordello that was tolerated by the local community until Houston TV reporter Marvin Zindler denounced it and forced its closure in 1973.  The show enjoyed a run of nearly four years on Broadway and was filmed.

As Miss Mona, the proprietress of The Chicken Ranch, Jenny Thurman was magnificent.  Her superior vocal ability was displayed in the moving "Girl, You're a Woman" and the sage "No Lies."  She was equally impressive when she displayed levity in "A Lil'

Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place

."  Miss Thurman also had a wry manner with the spicy dialogue and did fine work in the musical's dramatic moments as well.

Charles Ryan Roach scored as the local Sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd.  His comic delivery was first-rate and displayed the character's warm and tender side when he interacted with Miss Mona.  His only song, "Good Old Girl," is placed at a critical junction in the show, and he performed it in a caring and credible manner.

Standout vocalizing was delivered by Natalie King as Jewel.  During her one solo, "Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin'," her singing displayed a range as deep and wide as the Grand Canyon.  Megan Elizabeth Kelly was a comic delight as Shy and Jennifer Green revealed a fine voice when she sang "Hard Candy Christmas" as Angel.

Ted Wold's portrayal of Melvin P. Thorpe, the reporter who has The Chicken Ranch shut down, was hilarious poetry in motion.  Mr. Wold not only delivered dialogue and song lyrics in a humorous manner—his dancing and movement was even funnier!  In the brief but showy role of The Governor, Brian Loncar made an auspicious stage debut.

James Paul Lemons' direction was admirable.  The plot is a satire, and Mr. Lemons ensured that the broad characters such as Thorpe and The Governor provided farcical commentary on the proceedings without overpowering the genuine situations of the story.

Paula Morelan's choreography was remarkable.  The high energy Country and Western dancing that she devised for the Aggie Football players almost brought the cheering audience to their feet.  Sexual innuendo reached a peak with the exotic dance that Miss Mona's girls perform during "Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin'."  Miss Morelan also displayed a flair for comedy in "The Angelette March."

The Best Little Whorehouse is stuffed with so much goodness it is literally bursting at the seams.  A funny and touching story, marvelous performances and top notch staging make for a spectacular evening.  I recommend that you get to this Whorehouse as soon as possible—after all, you never know when Melvin Thorpe will appear and shut it down again.

The Best Little Whorehouse runs through October 29.  For more information, select the link for The Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.

Please note:  This production includes crude language, dirty jokes, dorsal nudity, borderline blasphemy and gunfire.  The Contemporary Theatre of Dallas rates it:  "R".

 

Photo Credit:  George Wada