The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Original Cast [Cast Recording]

Carol Hall, Robert Billig | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B000002P7P
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,801 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXA
Title: ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST
Street Release Date: 10/07/1997
Domestic
Genre: MUSICAL

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but the music seems uncreative after a while!, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Original Cast (Audio CD)

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ran for well over three years on Broadway and this recording shows why.

Plot- First to respond to those who have said that the plot is tasteless and vulgar. I really do not adhere to that belief. To summarize, this is about a Whorehouse that have been in business since the 1800's and now some TV evangelist makes it his mission to shut it down. I think the plot is considered vulgar by some just because of the connotation, whore. Look past that and in the end we find the real charm in the show is that the girls do not pretend to be anything by call girls. Moreover nowhere in the show do we see anything that we wouldn't let are child see.

Music- Well here is the criticism, the music might be good, but the melody for many of the songs are the same. This is most evident in "Girl your a woman," and "Bus From Amarillo," and to some extent, "Good Ole Girl" and Hard Candy Christmas."

Actors: I would have to say there are two highlights to the cast. A wonderful preformance by Jay Garner as the Govenor of Texas and the song "Sidestep" is done to perfection. And then in the lead role of Miss Mona, "Carol Gylinn." Truly somebody who could sing and produce a great performance.

Overall, buy it and listen to theater from a simpler time. True it cannot compete with the flowing rhythms of Phantom or Les Misrables, but that was never a goal. it was meant to be theater that was fun to attend and one where you could learn the melodies on the first viewing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glad that the Cast Recording finally arrived..., March 27, 1999

By 

Jeffrey (KC MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Original Cast (Audio CD)

I've always liked the musical better than the movie, so I was thrilled to find that the Cast recording has finally been released on CD.

From the fun and lively "24 Hours of Loving", "Aggie Song", and "Lil' Old Bitty Pissant Country Place", to the moving "Girl, You're a Woman" and "Doatsy Mae", to the heartwrenching (if you've seen it performed well, then you know) "Hard Candy Christmas", this is a nice score, far superior to the completely modified and edited movie soundtrack (which also has its good points; don't get me wrong, I'm not intending to completely slam the movie.) I would definitely recommend this CD to musical theatre lovers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, March 10, 2002

By 

burghtenor (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Original Cast (Audio CD)

Those of you who have read some of my other reviews probably think I'm a prude: I've complained about shows that throw in sexual material just for effect, and I've praised shows for omitting sexual innuendo. Well, you'll be surprised to learn that I enjoy listening to THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, which I'll call `BLWT' for short.

Why the apparent change of heart? From its title, you should expect this show to have the capability to offend. When you consider the potential coarseness of the subject matter, BLWT handles it quite tastefully. (Although there are plenty of scantily clad men and women in a few scenes, don't confuse the staged version with the more vulgar movie!) As long as you can suspend your objections to prostitution, and you don't mind rooting for the girls to keep their jobs, it really isn't that difficult of a show to digest.

That said, here are some more specifics on the show.

THE STORY:
The Chicken Ranch of Gilbert is a beloved institution in Texas. With a history harking back 80 years, it has served as a homey "pleasure palace" for the men of the Lone Star State, and is currently run by the no-nonsense Miss (not `Madam') Mona Stangley. Miss Mona runs a class act: the grounds are well-tended, her `Ladies' live under strict regulations, and the `Guests' are treated with the utmost respect and are expected to reciprocate.

Everything's fine until TV moralist `Watchdog' Melvin P. Thorpe declares a personal crusade against the Chicken Ranch. Despite the fact that "one-half of the police officers and two-thirds of the lawyers in the state of Texas grew up in this house," the political pressure mounts and the Ranch is eventually shut down. While others object, Mona just takes the bitter with the sweet and moves on.

THE MUSIC:
Carol Hall (best known for her music on SESAME STREET) has written a fun-loving score reflecting her Texas roots. Her lyrics reflect the low-key lifestyle of the citizens of Gilbert, from extolling the virtues of the Chicken Ranch ("20 Fans"), to Miss Mona's assistance to a lost girl ("Girl, You're a Woman"), to a town waitress wishing she were less respectable ("Doatsy Mae"). Two great upbeat numbers are "A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place," in which Mona explains the rules of the Ranch to her newest Ladies, and "The Sidestep," the governor's dance for the media. Perhaps best of all are three songs of the Chicken Ranch residents as they see the writing on the wall: "No Lies," "Hard Candy Christmas," and by far the best song of the show, Mona's reflection on how she ended up in her present situation, "The Bus From Amarillo."

The only song that's a real let-down is "Good Old Girl," the sheriff's paean to Miss Mona. It doesn't help that that Sheriff Ed (Henderson Forsythe) has a terrible voice.

THE RECORDING:
While none of the voices on the original cast are standouts, everyone's voice (except Forsythe's) is pleasant enough to listen to, and their acting abilities are fine. As Miss Mona, Carlin Glynn does an admirable job being a tough Texan while still showing compassion.