Singing and dancing ladies in lingerie will surely get the audience’s attention Friday at the Baton Rouge Little Theater’s production of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
The musical will wrap up BRLT’s 2007-2008 Season of the Southern Experience.
“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” began as a musical in the late 1970s. Although the production was popular, it was the 1982 film adaptation starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds that brought the production its fame, director Philip Mann said.
“The movie popularized it and brought it to a wider audience,” he said. “A lot of people know the movie.”
Mann said people who like the movie will also enjoy the musical.
“If you have never seen the show, but seen the movie, you will probably like the musical a hell of a lot more because it is live,” he said.
The play, which is based on a true story, revolves around the Chicken Ranch, a whorehouse that had been a staple of a Texas community since the mid-1800s.
After nearly a century of running successfully, the whorehouse’s survival is threatened when a television reporter comes to town and exposes the whorehouse’s perversities to the public.
“The town has always accepted the whorehouse and has not been bothered by it,” said Tim Callais, cast member and BRLT employee. “Then in the 1970s, a television personality, the antagonist of the show, tries to broadcast how filthy it is and tries to close it down.”
Callais said the show does not just offer an entertaining experience but also a learning experience.
“Besides it being an example of history turned to art, it is a really good thing to expose people to,” he said. “It is a story about the connection between people and what’s acceptable.”
Marion Bienvenu, theatre freshman who portrays Durla, one of the whores, said the production is a hit for many reasons.
“The music is so catchy,” she said. “It’s music you can snap your fingers to, and the dancing is entertaining. It is a classic love story about one person who loves the other more than the other one does.”
Mann said the show’s novelty has made it stand out among other Broadway productions for three decades.
“It appeals to so many people because it is funny, and it’s a human story about love and loss,” he said. “People had not been subjected to much music like this. There is something extremely unique about it. It is musical snapshot of a time and place that really hadn’t been exploited for Broadway yet.”
The visuals of the production also contribute to its popularity, Bienvenu said.
“It is an interesting show for costumes,” she said. “All the girls are in lingerie, except when we are wearing God-awful ’80s prom dresses. It is a very costume-oriented show.”
Mann said the whores and choreography are the most entertaining aspects of the play.
“[The whore’s] costumes are fantastic. The girls are extremely hot,” he said. “And the choreography is phenomenal. The dancing and girls are particularly fun to watch.”
Theater buffs will not be the only people that enjoy the show, Bienvenu said.
“Even if they don’t like musicals or love stories, guys can see girls dance in their underwear, and girls can see guys dance in their underwear,” she said. “It is a fun show, and it’s fast paced. People will enjoy it.”
Mann said the show will appeal to college students, especially because there are several University students in it.
“[The students] are wonderful,” he said. “And college students will absolutely get a kick out of it. It has a rocking score, and the dancing is awesome.”
The show’s short running time also adds to its appeal, Mann said.
“Actually, what I love most about it is that it is short,” he said. “It is two hours, so people will be in and out of there. There is nothing heavy about it, but there is still a story to it that is rocking and fun.”
“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” will premiere Friday and will continue every Thursday through Sunday until May 11. It will show on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for students with a student ID. General admission is $23.
—-Contact Drew Belle Zerby at [email protected]