By Katherine Beeson
“Lord, have mercy on my soul…”
Bombshell Theater showcases the infamous Chicken Ranch in its latest production “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at the side theater of Sunset Playhouse. The show is a bit bawdy, a bit rowdy and a really good time. Director Eric Welch has done a nice job.
Most people know the popular 1982 movie with Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, Dom Deluise and Charles Durning. The musical opened in 1978 and is a bit different. (The film was modified as a showcase for Parton and Reynolds.) The stage version centers on the ranch and the relationship between Miss Mona and Sheriff Ed Earl is more friendship than an ongoing romance.
Everyone does a great job, but there are real standouts. Eric Nelson is funny as TV watchdog Melvin P. Thorpe and Tim Albrechtson is great as the Governor. Both Kathryn Perry (Jewel) and Jennifer Larson (Doatsy Mae) have beautiful voices and the opportunity to show them off. The tender ballad between Robbyn Wilks (Miss Mona) and Bob Benson (Sheriff Ed Earl) pulled at the heartstrings.
Bombshell’s dance numbers are filled with real energy; choreographer Saralynn Evenson gives us boot-stompin’ precision as the Aggie boys get ready to visit the ranch. My favorite number was the combination of the Governor’s “Sidestep” with Melvin’s “Texas Has a Whorehouse in it.”
There are a few technical issues. It’s a smaller space and the actors do not have microphones. There is a lack of projection at times and coupled with Southern accents, makes dialogue among the girls a bit hard to understand.
According to an announcement at the theater, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” is sold out for its entire run. Bombshell’s next production is “Sunset Boulevard” in April.