The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a
musical with a book by Texas author
Larry L. King and
Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by
Carol Hall. It is based on a story by King that was inspired by the real-life
Chicken Ranch in
La Grange, Texas.
Production history
The original
Broadway production was directed by
Peter Masterson and
Tommy Tune and
choreographed by Tune and
Thommie Walsh. It opened on June 19, 1978 at the
46th Street Theatre and ran for 1,584 performances. The opening night cast included
Carlin Glynn,
Henderson Forsythe,
Joan Ellis,
Delores Hall, and
Pamela Blair. Glynn was replaced by
Fannie Flagg and
Anita Morris later in the run.
Alexis Smith starred as Miss Mona in the
National Company, which toured major cities for more than a year, ending with a seven-month run in
Los Angeles.
In 1982, Glynn and Hall were cast in what was described as "a return engagement." After nine previews, it opened on May 31 at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre and ran for 63 performances.
A short-lived sequel entitled
The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public was staged on Broadway in 1994.
"The Aggie Song" was performed on the
Tony Awards broadcast, but was heavily censored because of the nature of the lyrics and choreography.
A U.S. National Tour production starring
Ann-Margret opened on February 14, 2001.
Synopsis
It is the late 1970s, a
brothel that has been operating outside of fictional Gilbert,
Texas for more than a century. It is under the proprietorship of...
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