Simi Valley Has a Whorehouse In It!

The Broadway Classic Turns Its Tricks at the Cultural Arts Center

Oct 10, 2009

Within the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas marches on, one garter behind the other, delivering plenty of banging for your buck.

Back when the little house first opened its doors to Broadway on June 19, 1978, who could have guessed that a musical about religious zealotry, a brothel madam with a heart of gold, a bevy of scantily clad singing and dancing prostitutes, and the sheriff, football team and town who loved them was ever going to become a timeless fixture of the performing arts scene? But in all honesty, how could they not?

That 1978 run lasted an impressive 1,584 performances. On October 18th of 2009, a local troupe of actors, singers, dancers, and volunteer musicians will be rounding the final leg of a much shorter, but no less engaging, run of 17 near sold-out shows at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Over a month after opening night, one would assume that some of the luster and passion would have seeped out of this cast, but every night they keep the audiences smiling, the sex appeal thriving, and those twenty fans a-turning.

Directed by Fred Helsel, with musical direction by Gary Poirot, the theatre is brought to life by those that walk its stage. Leading the charge for backwater decadence is Susan Grozier, who imbues her Miss Mona, the more-mother-than-madam of the house, with an air of confidence Dolly Parton would have struggled to find. It's no easy task to upstage a gaggle of half-dressed school girls, and this Mona does it with style to spare. Always at her side, yet so out on her own cloud of awesome it's almost bewildering, Carolyn Freeman Champ, in the role of Jewel, holds down the fort when not tearing down the house with her range defying rendition of 24 Hours of Lovin'.

Also clearing out their own piece of Texas real estate are sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Kenneth Bruce), who brings all the temperamental heat of the angry arm of the law to his vendetta with watchdog televangelist Melvin P. Thorpe (Robert Dantona in a stand out comedic role). Rounding out the pack, what can really be said about John McCool Bowers: the man, the myth, the gazelle, as the governor of Texas? He stands as an enigma of unrupturable nonchalance.

Top billings aside, the real stars are, without a doubt, the leading ladies of the night themselves. Whether slinking around a stripper pole, taking a chair as a dance partner, or getting wardrobe malfunctioned by those crazy Aggie boys, these young women are the life of the show and bring a sultry energy so prevalent that any time they are not on stage is a moment spent waiting for more. Miss Mona did herself proud taking in such a talent rich group of gals, molding them into the kind of ladies who can not only enthrall each and every onlooker with a shimmy and a shake, but continue their hold on the enraptured gentlemen in the audience for long after.

Choreographed by Becky Castells and appropriately attired by Lori Lee Gordon & Marina Arrazola in a colorful array of silk and lace, there's enough skin and swiveled hip on display to fall in line with a PG-13 burlesque routine without crossing over into a full-blown peep show. That's not to say there's nothing dirty going on.

The profanity is more FX than Fox, innuendo gets tossed around like a slutty beach ball, sex is simulated (in decency-law abiding fashion, mind you) and the idea that fun loving prostitutes are more righteous pillars of the community than the pillars of the community themselves isn't going to sit comfortably with all attendees. Then again, it is called The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Anyone who shows up with small children expecting to spend a quiet night in Mayberry is going to be sorely disappointed.

Fair warning to those who are on the cusp of fear when it comes to exposed flesh. There may be a moment of panic. Just remember to avert your eyes when those Aggie boys avert their fronts. If you should choose not to, by all means, enjoy the show.

Easily the best local production going, this final weekend with be a hard ticket to come by as Whorehouse caps finishes its run on Sunday, October 18, 2009. All remaining tickets can still be purchased online or in person at the box office, located outside the theatre at 2050 E Los Angeles Ave. Reservations can be made by calling (805) 583-7900.

The copyright of the article Simi Valley Has a Whorehouse In It! in Musical Theatre is owned by Sean Costa. Permission to republish Simi Valley Has a Whorehouse In It! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.