| The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | |
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Original cast album |
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| Music | Carol Hall |
| Lyrics | Carol Hall |
| Book | Larry L. King Peter Masterson |
| Basis | Story by Larry King |
| Productions | 1978 Broadway 1980 U.S. Tour 1982 Broadway 2001 U.S. Tour |
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.
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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.
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 Miss Mona Stangley, having been left to her by the original owner. While taking care of her girls, she is also on good terms with the local sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd. When crusading television reporter Melvin P. Thorpe (based on real-life Houston news personality Marvin Zindler) decides to make the illegal activity an issue, political ramifications cause the place to be closed down.
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| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Book of a Musical | Larry L. King and Peter Masterson | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Henderson Forsythe | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Carlin Glynn | Won | ||
| Joan Ellis | Nominated | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Tommy Tune and Thommie Walsh | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Henderson Forsythe | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Carlin Glynn | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Pamela Blair | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune | Won | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Tommy Tune and Thommie Walsh | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lyrics | Carol Hall | Won | ||
| Outstanding Music | Won | |||
| Theatre World Award | Carlin Glynn | Won | ||