Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Andy Schick · Post by **Andy Schick** » 1 Mar 2006 12:30 pm

Has anyone ever played in the theatre production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?

This is my 2nd weekend. So far so good.

FYI, We are at the Capital theatre in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada.
Thanks Andy

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 1 Mar 2006 1:52 pm

I was asked twice to do it... once for a road production, another time for a company doing a two week run at a college here in NY... I was forced to decline both times as i was in steadily working local bands and didn't think it fair to bail on them. I referred other steelers to both gigs... I have ALWAYS regretted it... bob

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 1 Mar 2006 1:58 pm

It is a really great show. I've done it 4 or 5 times, all at different theatres -- everything from professional equity to college and community theatre. They were all fun. Excellent score with a lot of ad lib sections. I was fortunate to work with music directors who didn't require a sight reading 'music box' approach for the parts.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Joe Savage · Post by **Joe Savage** » 1 Mar 2006 2:12 pm

I was offered, but had to refuse because of previous gigs on the books. Sounded like fun.

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 1 Mar 2006 3:16 pm

I could be wrong, but didn't Roger Rettig do this show?

Lynn Stafford · Post by **Lynn Stafford** » 1 Mar 2006 3:18 pm

I played in it on two seperate occasions about five years apart, several years ago. They both were at the Civic Theater in Portland, Oregon. They both ran for several weeks and were both fun and pretty challenging for me. No margin for error when you have to stick strictly with the charts. I was able to adlib a little bit on the first go around but there was a different band leader (and fiddle player) who was a lot more strict on the second. Not as much fun but I'm so glad I did it, as I'll probably never again get an opportunity like that! No comparison to playing in a bar band...

Lynn

Hal Higgins · Post by **Hal Higgins** » 1 Mar 2006 3:25 pm

I did 4 nights of it last year in Westwego, LA and Biloxi, MS filling in for a friend, Dave Easley, who had some prior obligations. Had a great time doing it. HAL

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Be Blessed........HAL
'85 Emmons LeGrande D-10,(8 & 5) 95 Carter 9 & 7 Hilton Vol. Pedal, BJS Birthstone bar, 2 Racks w/Evans Pre-amps, Lexicon MPX500 & MPX550; (2)1501-4 BW's in custom built cabs by T.A. Gibson, & Sound Tech PL802 Digital Power Amp; Nashville 400. Steelers Choice seat with back rest and side-kick.

Roger Miller · Post by **Roger Miller** » 1 Mar 2006 4:13 pm

I did it at the Theatre at the University of Northern Iowa. This was my second production with dancers, That was tough, getting tempo correct. Anyway it was a big success and Two weeks of sitting below in the pit. Good luck and don't break a leg.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 1 Mar 2006 6:50 pm

I have heard that Susan Alcorn had done a Houston production along with Keith Junot on Fiddle many years ago.

Gordy Hall · Post by **Gordy Hall** » 1 Mar 2006 7:11 pm

Just wondering..did you read the music, or was it sorta tabbed out for the steel parts?

It would be interesting to hear how different people have played it.

Gordy

hack player, Dekley 'build it yourself' D-10

John Ciano · Post by **John Ciano** » 1 Mar 2006 7:16 pm

I have done 4 different productions of the show and it is one of the highlights of my career. I got to know Lynn Fraser around '79 when he was doing the Broadway production and I became a huge fan of his.
He is one of those incredable Texas players with a wild on the edge of disaster playing style. Because of this and because I listened to the Orignal Cast album so many times I found myself eventually learning the
parts as close to the record as I could. Last month I was so exicted when asked to do the show again but sorry to say this company wanted to pay next to nothing and as much as it broke my heart I turned it down.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 1 Mar 2006 7:23 pm

About four or five years ago, I did the show here in my home town with the San Angelo Civic Theatre. We did three shows a week for five weeks. We had charts, and a tape of the original Broadway production to listen to. Lynn Frazier was playing steel on the tape. I thought it was a lot of fun and would love to do something like that again sometime.

P Perry · Post by **P Perry** » 1 Mar 2006 8:01 pm

Yes I have done it a couple of times at LaComedia Dinner Theater. I had a great time both times. The scenery is great too.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 1 Mar 2006 8:57 pm

Yes, Charles - I did it in 1981 in the West End of London (at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - a six-month run with the Broadway 'principals'), and a short run at the North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, NC in 2000.

I also did a six-month US national tour in 2004-2005.

It's a great show for the steel player! The tunes are good, and there are plenty of places where you can improvise. Of course, the 'ensemble' parts with the violin need to be 'as written', but they're not very hard to read, and easily committed to memory.

It's my favourite musical - well, of the ones with a steel part, anyway....

RR

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 1 Mar 2006 9:06 pm

To answer Gordy's question....

There's no 'tab' - it's all proper notation. The original steel-player's parts from the NY production were written out note-for-note, and some of it looks a bit scary at first sight! You soon get to know which parts have to be 'exact' and which can be approximated (see my other post).

It's the same with any show. There are recurring themes and melodies that are quoted in the dance sequences, and you learn to recognize them when they appear.

I'd strongly advise that anyone who gets the chance to play this show doesn't let themselves be intimidated by the reading aspect - it's not as tough as you may think, and you'll learn a lot from the experience.

RR
PS: I finish a ten-week run of 'Cats' this coming Saturday (on electric) - that one IS a tough 'read'!

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 1 Mar 2006 9:38 pm

Joe Wright played in a touring company production of it in the 90s. He said they played Theater Aquarius in Hamilton.

Congrats on the gig, Andy.

Vernon Hester · Post by **Vernon Hester** » 1 Mar 2006 11:37 pm

I Played it in 89, had a wonderful time with it. They gave me complete freedom after we did the live run thru.One run thru and we were off and running.(3 wks).
Vern[This message was edited by Vernon Hester on 01 March 2006 at 11:39 PM.]

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 2 Mar 2006 1:08 am

I did the Melbourne run for about 3 months and loved it . I took over from Mike Tyne who had all the parts worked out and spent a week with me teaching the me the parts.I doubt if I could have done it without him ,by the way this was about 20 years ago
Brendan

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 2 Mar 2006 4:30 am

I heard that Josh Dubin played in the BLWHIT for a while. Haven't heard from him in a long time..Josh , Are you out there?

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 2 Mar 2006 7:40 am

Jimmy Powell from Wichita Ks played at the production in Dallas for over ten years if memory serves me. Just remembering....What a great player I miss him>>>>

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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 2 Mar 2006 11:59 am

Bo:Josh did the Broadway production after Lynn,and they also had Harvey Shapiro.Josh is in Nashville slling computer systems.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 2 Mar 2006 9:03 pm

Stu, thanks for the info ..Josh & I went to jr high together, last i saw him was a country bar in Philly.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 2 Mar 2006 11:13 pm

Josh, one of my best buddies, is also one of the most under-recognized steel players of the 70's and 80's. I learned a lot from him back in the day.

I think Harvey Shapiro, who moved to Vegas under the name Harvey Sharp, also was a fine player. I remember some of the New York boys used to sing "Harvey Shapiro, Harvey Shapiro, Harvey Shapiro, pedal steel guitar" to the tune of "Hava Nagila."

Oh yeah, back in '86 I did a two week run of Whorehouse here in Austin. Kind of pissed off Lynn Frazier, but he got over it. It was a Union gig so I got the call. One of those things.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 02 March 2006 at 11:14 PM.]

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 3 Mar 2006 1:27 am

Bo:E-mail me and I'll send you 411 on Groovin Dubin,he's got the coolest kid in the world.

John Lockney · Post by **John Lockney** » 3 Mar 2006 4:15 am

Is the movie worth a rental ?

(I would sit through it if there was plenty of pedal steel in the soundtrack)