BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE Revival

[Wicked63]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 10:40am

Does anyone have a ny idea what happened to the revival of 'Whorehouse' that toured awile back. It was optioned for a NY run but suddenly nothing happened?

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 10:50am

wasn't that about 5 years ago? Doesn't seem likely at this point. Too bad.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 11:54am

Though it was a nice bland recreation of the original Broadway staging, it didn't merit being on Broadway.

Ann-Margret was the sole draw to the tour, which gave the production a somewhat Branson, Missouri/cruise ship feel to it, thanks to Bob Mackie's glitzy and tacky costumes for Miss Mona. It just wasn't a Broadway-level production.

Per Kenneth Jones: In this revised revival of the 1978 Broadway hit, Ann-Margret not only gets a new Carol Hall song ("A Friend to Me") at the end of Act Two, she wears Bob Mackie costumes (while the rest of the company retains a 1970s Texas look).

Whorehouse rehearsals with Ann-Margret and co-star Gary Sandy began Jan. 8, 2001, in Manhattan. Thommie Walsh, the show's associate choreographer in 1978, directs and choreographs the tour. Hall told Playbill On-Line the book by King and Masterson was trimmed and the show now has more dancing — and the curtain-call hoedown is bigger than it was 22 years ago. She said the musical is still set in the 1970s and still maintains the rueful, satiric tone of its original production (co-directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune).

It's hard to believe after seeing her sing and dance in the film of "Bye Bye Birdie," but this is indeed the legit theatrical debut for Ann-Margret. The legendary actress and singer has appeared in film ("Carnal Knowledge," "Grumpy Old Men"), acted on TV ("Who Will Love My Children?"), sung on records ("Beauty and the Beard") and performed in nightclubs (Las Vegas).

Now, she plays the no-nonsense madam of the legendary Texas bordello known as The Chicken Ranch.

Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune co-directed the original 1978 Broadway production, which ran 1,578 performances and is remembered for its satiric edge, bare-chested male dancers in football gear and a handful of surprisingly humane, bittersweet country numbers such as "The Bus From Amarillo," "Doatsy Mae," "Girl, You're a Woman" and "Hard Candy Christmas." All the songs remain, Hall told Playbill On-Line. The Whorehouse cast numbers 32, with Sandy (perhaps best known for TV's "WKRP in Cincinnati") playing the love interest of Miss Mona. Sandy's Broadway credits include Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Pirates of Penzance and Arsenic and Old Lace.

Marjorie Kellog's acclaimed, two-tiered original set design is part of the production. Lighting is by Ken Billington and Jason Kantrowitz. Costumes are by Bob Mackie (famed for "The Carol Burnett Show") and Donna Granata. Keith Levenson is musical director.

The musical comedy's rueful tone ("Girl, You're a Woman," "Good Old Girl," "Bus From Amarillo") is enlivened by zesty comic satire ("Watchdog"/"Texas Has a Whorehouse in It," "The Sidestep") and slices of both beefcake ("The Aggie Song") and cheesecake ("20 Fans," "A Lil Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place").

"Bus From Amarillo," which was shifted from Act One to Act Two during the original Broadway run, l plays Act One on tour, leaving room for the new song at the end of the show.

At least it did get recorded and I do enjoy listening to it now and then.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 12:24pm

Interestingly though, on it's Dallas stop she was out for all but one performance because a relative died.

Re: Bus From Amarillo- The script's song list and OCR list it as being the Act 1 finale, but in the physical script it's in Act 2, and ends the show. Why the switch? Personally, I think it works better in Act 2, whereas "Friend to Me" would be a better close to Act 1.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 12:34pm

i luv that Ann-Margret!!!!

[Wicked63]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 1:22pm

I saw the London production at Drury Lane and absolutly loved it. It had the two Broadway stars and a great UK back up company. It only ran 7 months and that was it. I also saw the dreadful 'Whorehouse Goes Public" at the Lunt-Fontanne. One of the very few shows in 35 years of theatre going i nearly walked out of. Still, my memories of the original were not tarnished and i still love listening to the CD. The Anne-Margaret CD isnt too bad either. Cant remember if i even opened my CD of 'Goes Public' its proberbly unopened on the shelf.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 1:30pm

...her name is ANN-MARGRET, not: Anne-Margaret.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 1:35pm

Wicked: That should have been a lesson to ALlW (along with Bring Back Birdie): MUSICAL SEQUELS DON'T WORK!

[Wicked63]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 1:47pm

im so so very sorry to the leading lady for misspelling her name! As i wrote it i knew it was kinda wrong! Again another CD i cant play is 'Bring Back Birdie'! Poor Chita!
Updated On: 6/24/07 at 01:47 PM

[Rypm25]

Posted: 6/24/07 at 3:27pm

I was living in Albany at the time, and the production came through Proctor's Theater in Schenectady. My friends and I had our tickets to go, and we had to be refunded our money back because of the passing in her family. The performances were cancelled. So I missed out.