TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

It may come as no surprise that"Whorehouse" is the most Bakersfield play that I have ever seen in Bakersfield. Maybe it was the musical number "A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place." That seems to have struck a nerve (as well as lots of amusement) in this theatre addict. Or perhaps it's the way common sense conservatives are overshadowed by the impressionable masses whipped into a hysterical frenzy by an unscrupulous ratings whore who is capitalizing on their good nature. But wait, that's not just Bakersfield, it's the whole country. It's the ass-backwards state of the media and politics we currently have in this country. We don't have a national dialogue or good debates about controvercial issues like prostitution or...ahem...immigration. We have loud mouths and sensationalism with media men & politicians both using the people to get ratings, publicity, and reactions.

This is what "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" is all about. It throws it right in the audience's face with lots of sarcasm, emotional reasonance, and great singing and dancing. It is fun, relevant, and damn sexy. What more can you ask for in a musical?

Bakersfield's "Whorehouse," playing for three weekends in May at Bakersfield Community Theatre, was brought to life by local director Roger Mathey. I don't know how he did it but the 3 piece band is dead-on with lots of energy, the musical numbers are tight, and the cast of over two dozen local actors is brimming with unmistakable talent.

Cast highlights include Sheila McClure as Miss Mona, who calls herself a "research nazi" in this week's podcast and clearly brings all of that acquired emotional history to the role. Charlie Gamble is Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, who loves Mona and her girls but mistakenly lets his temper contribute to their downfall. I have enjoyed Charlie's trademark dead-pan humor in a few shows now, and he is in rare form as the Sheriff. Mithkah Reid and Amy Hall bring us into the Whorehouse as new girls. Through their characters we get to see the bonds of sisterhood in the house and the motherly ways of Miss Mona as she takes them in. Another standout is Mychael Phillips as Jewell. Her rendition of "Twenty-Four Hours of Lovin" blew me out of my seat. I could have sworn Etta James had come back to life and was serenading me at BCT. Last but not least is Jeremiah Lowry who plays Melvin P. Thorpe with believable bravado. Too bad Lowry is such a nice guy, he really makes you want to wring his neck as Melvin! The rest of the cast is rounded out by lots more talented guys and gals who play the rest of the whores, Melvin's holier-than-thou posse, townsfolks, and various government officials who get caught in the shit-storm when the fuss about the whorehouse is made.

The bottom line: "Whorehouse" is top-notch when it comes to community theatre musicals. Even though it opened on Broadway in 1978, it is shocking, timely, and a hell of a lot of fun. Bakersfield needs to see it and I hope you do.

Enjoy all of the photos we took by going to the Whorehouse Photo Gallery here, and don't miss Episode 9 of Bakersfield Theatre Radio as we talk to the cast backstage after their opening weekend. Now go see this show!