Whorehouse Goes Public had pre-recorded applause?

[morosco]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 5:52pm

Just reading the fascinating Variety review (fascinating because the show was so unbelievably bad) of THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC and it seems to suggest that audience applause during the show may have been sweetened with prerecorded enthusiasm. Now that's desperate!

"The physical production is assaultive from the first moment to the last, as the Lunt Fontanne (handsomely refurbished at long last) has been outfitted with speakers spitting out casino clatter (as well, one suspects, as sweetened applause)".

The full jaw-dropping review is linked here. What were they thinking??
The last new show of the Broadway season is also the worst.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:03pm

I actually enjoy parts of the score, especially "Picture Show"

[morosco]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:07pm

I enjoy parts of the score too. Especially the infectious "Call Me". And the Peter Matz orchestrations are HOT!!!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:10pm

Yes, the orchestrations are good.

Didn't Dee Hoty get a Tony nom?

[morosco]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:16pm

She did.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:18pm

...over a more deserving Sally Murphy in Carousel. But that's just me promoting Carousel, again.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:20pm

Not being a fan of Sally Murphy, I am ok with Dee Hoty's nomination.

[DCS]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:27pm

I saw the show and enjoyed quite a bit of it...I understood what Tommy Tune was aiming for (not entirely successfully)...in Will Rogers Follies, he used the Ziegfeld Follies as a setting to tell the story and in Whorehouse Goes Public, he was using the big Vegas spectacular as a setting for this story -- thus the canned casino noises and applause along the neon and glitzy Bob Mackie costumes....was it the right choice? No, not really -- it didnt really add to the story or the characters, but it sure was interesting to watch....Dee Hoty did her level best to keep the show afloat (and earned that Tony nomination) but, in the end, the concept just didnt work and the book was creaky to say the least (some of the score was quite fun and I'm glad a cast recording was made)

[Pgenre]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:32pm

DAMN is that opening number catchy! And long (13 mins?!)!

The phone sex number really only works in the theatre... if what it did was "work"... I think there's a different word for it...

I'll take a hundred WHOREHOUSES (either) over the dreck on Bway the last few years.

P

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:33pm

Doesn't Phantom have prerecorded applause?

[morosco]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:34pm

I'll take a hundred WHOREHOUSES (either) over the dreck on Bway the last few years.

I agree. Yesteryears flops are starting to look like masterpieces compared to some of the current offerings.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:35pm

FOLLIES did.

"Ghostly applause" according to james goldman.

P

[morosco]

Posted: 6/11/09 at 6:43pm

But the prerecorded applause of those shows (Phantom and Follies) was obviously a part of the show. In the WHOREHOUSE case it appears that it may have been a surreptitious effort to subconsciously drum up enthusiasm amongst the audience members.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 12:55am

Opening Doors Theatre Company did a production of this at the Duplex last summer and it was an absolute hoot. The score has many gems, and I'll admit I listen to the cast recording more often than not.

The highlight of this production was "Call Me" where the girls made a maypole with telephone cords around the guys. They performed the entire score, but used an abbreviated book, which was campy to the hilt.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 9:36am

I want to be very specific because I will speak in absolutes.

I have been going to the theatre since 1960 (a national tour of My Fair Lady) and probably have sat through a minimum of 1500 professional productions over the years. Granted I have missed some of the legendary flops like 1600 Penna Ave and Got Tu Go Disco, but I have seen my fair share of disasters.

The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public still has my vote as the worst thing I have ever seen on a professional stage in 49 years.

Not only was the material badly done and poorly staged, The premise of the show itself was offensive.

Tommy Tune hasn't done a show in town since.

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 11:03am

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Call Me number of broadway have the girls in plexiglass cubes while the guys were pantsless on top of the cubes? I'm desperately trying to recall that image, but it is so elusive.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 11:42am

You described the number correctly kyleorlando. Probably the most talked about number from the show. Typically described as "tasteless".

[Jon]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 11:44am

Yes, a chorus of mostly fat, balding men dancing with their pants around their ankles while the girls posed in plexiglass cubes.

I was there for the memorable closing night.

The best part of the actual show was the fashion parade of the girls in their black and white "Going to testify before congress" suits. Those suits were sexier than any of the nearly-naked outfits they wore elsewhere inthe show.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 12:06pm

I've been searching online for production photographs and I haven't had much luck. Interesting though that Goodspeed acquired all of the costumes and they are available for rental just in case anyone wants to produce a production!
Whorehouse Goes Public costume rental

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 6/12/09 at 12:07pm

Was this one of Mona's?

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 6/13/09 at 2:46pm

This Goodspeed costume link is an amazing document regarding the work of Bob Mackie in the Performing Arts.Thank you !

[morosco]

Posted: 6/13/09 at 6:08pm

Interesting...I just realized that WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC opened the day after Sondheim's PASSION and then the Tommy Tune/Rosie O'Donnell GREASE opened the day after WHOREHOUSE.