The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Book by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson
Music and Lyrics by Carol Hall
Amateur production by special arrangement with Dominie Pty Ltd.
Season 12-27 November 2010
Venue The Q
ProductionTeam
| Director | Kelda McManus |
| Musical Director | Wyana Etherington |
| Choreographer | Nikole Sklavos |
| Production Manager | Jennie Norberry |
| Stage Manager | John Cooper |
| Costume Design | Christine Pawlicki |
| Props | Jessica Cooke |
Cast
| Miss Mona | Megan Baran |
| Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd | Jon Garland |
| Melvin P Thorpe | Dave Smith |
| Jewel | Liz de Totth |
| Doatsey Mae | Aleisha Stevens |
| Governor | Pat Gallagher |
| Senator Wingwoah | Peter Rodda |
| Angel | Jacinta Le |
| Shy | Erin Gough |
| Ensemble | Richard Block |
| Kerrie Brown | |
| Anita Davenport | |
| Beth Deer | |
| Alex de Totth | |
| Rodwell Faulkner | |
| Rebecca Franks | |
| Steve Galinec | |
| Sarah Golding | |
| Allison Haese | |
| Andrew Haese | |
| Kirsten Haussmann | |
| Jessica Holmick | |
| Will Huang | |
| Pierce Jackson | |
| Jordan Kelly | |
| Mariella Knaus | |
| Dorothy Kocsi | |
| Dahlia Kruyer | |
| Hannah McFadden | |
| Susan Miller | |
| Michelle Norris | |
| Pete Ricardo | |
| Jodie Sims | |
| John Skelton | |
| Greg Sollis | |
| Collette Spoor | |
| Tim Stiles |
TheStory
The show opens with a brief history of the Chicken Ranch, “the nicest little Whorehouse you ever saw” (Prologue/20 Fans) located just outside the fictional town of Gilbert, Texas. The Chicken Ranch got its name during the Depression when it was hard to come up with three dollars, so the girls started accepting poultry in trade. As the story begins it is the late 1970s and two new girls, Angel and Shy, have arrived looking for work. Miss Mona, the proprietor of the Chicken Ranch and a former prostitute herself, allows the girls to stay after laying out the rules (A lil’ ole bitty pissant country place) and giving the girls a makeover (Girl you’re a woman).
Meanwhile, crusading television reporter Melvin P. Thorpe (based on real-life Houston news personality Marvin Zindler) has set his sights on the Chicken Ranch. Thorpe proclaims to his audience the surprising revelation that Texas has a whorehouse in it. He declares that this evil must be brought to an end and calls on the local sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd, to shut the Chicken Ranch down. Sherriff Dodd, an old friend of Miss Mona's, pays her a visit and informs her of Thorpe’s efforts to shut down her establishment, but Miss Mona laughs it off. There have been moral crusaders before, but the Chicken Ranch has always survived.
Sheriff Dodd is uneasy, which proves to be well founded when he finds Melvin P. Thorpe setting up his cameras on the main street of Gilbert in preparation for continuing his attack on the little brothel. The Sheriff forces him to pack up his cameras and move out, giving Thorpe an earful as well, using language that is less than polite. He has unwittingly played into Thorpe’s hands with the Sherriff's performance caught on camera and almost immediately aired to Thorpe’s decidedly conservative TV audience. In spite of this, Ed Earl is unrepentant and swears he would do the same thing if "that sawed-off little shit" came around again.
Life goes on at the Chicken Ranch with preparations for a rush of business. An employee of the Chicken Ranch, Jewel, heads out for a night on the town (Twenty-four hours of lovin’). The Thanksgiving Day football match between Texas Aggie and Texas U is coming up, the prize for the winning team is an evening at the Chicken Ranch. The Aggie Boys win the match (Angelette march) and they head out to the Chicken Ranch (The Aggie Song) counting down the miles until they get to heaven "where history and Aggie Boys get made". Their evening doesn’t go to plan when Thorpe and his camera crews break into the Chicken Ranch and start taking pictures.
Although the Governor of Texas is a master of The Side Step, he can't silence the moral majority that Thorpe has galvanized into action, and soon has to admit that the legendary Texas brothel must be shut down. When the call comes from the governor, it is Ed Earl who must deliver the news to Miss Mona (Good old girl). The girls begin packing their suitcases and moving on (Hard candy Christmas). Miss Mona reminiscences about her life before she gathers up her belongings and leaves the Chicken Ranch to start her new life.
MusicalNumbers
ActOne
Prologue – Band Leader and Rio Grande Band 20 Fans – Mona, The Girls, the Cowboys, Farmer, Shy Kid, Miss Wulla Jean, Traveling Salesman, Slick Dude and Choir A lil’ ole bitty pissant country place – Mona and The Girls Girl you’re a woman – Mona, Shy, Jewel and The Girls Watch Dog theme – Melvin P. Thorpe and The Dogettes Texas has a whorehouse in it – Melvin P. Thorpe, the Melvin P. Thorpe Singers and Dogettes Twenty-four hours of lovin’ – Jewel, The Girls Reprise, Watch Dog theme – Dogettes Reprise, Texas has a whorehouse in it – Melvin P. Thorpe, Dogettes, Mayor, Scruggs, Edsel, Doatsey Mae, Church Lady, Lady Convent, Townspeople Doatsey Mae – Doatsey Mae Angelette march – Imogene Carlene and The Angelettes The Aggie Song – The Aggies
ActTwo
The Sidestep – The Governor, Governor’s Aide, Senator Wingwoah, Melvin P. Thorpe, Dogettes, Melvin P. Thorpe Singers No lies – Mona, Jewel, The Girls Good old girl – The Sheriff, The Aggies Hard candy Christmas – Amber, Linda Lou, Ginger, Dawn, Ruby Rae, Beatrice Reprise, Hard candy Christmas – The Girls Bus from Amarillo – Mona Finale – The Company