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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1981)
Page 4 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1981 Local ‘Whorehouse' is best little musical in Texas , i By NANCY FLOECK Battalion Staff With a lively cast and a jazzy musical score, Monday night’s presentation of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” was, as one song said, “even better than an Aggie football game.” From the opening scene, a brief musical history of the Chicken Ranch, to its last, the closing of the legendary brothel, the cast de lighted a packed Rudder Audi torium with its quick one-liners. energetic dances and animated characters. The musical is based on the La Grange Chicken Ranch, a Texas brothel, and Marvin Zindler’s suc cessful crusade to close it. Francie Mendenhall played Miss Mona, the sophisticated yet kind madam. She quickly capti vated the audience while admit ting two new girls to her “boarding house” and, singing in a clear strong voice, acquainted them with the rules: clean language. join Rabbi Neal Borovitz from U.T. Hillel at Sukkot Service Tuesday, Oct. 13 7 p.m. followed by a Jewish-Arab Dialog with two Israeli students from Hebrew Univ. 7:30 p.m. Hillel Jewish Student Center 800 Jersey 696-7313 clean bedrooms and no tattoos. But other characters stole the show. Shy, a dowdy girl in plaid shorts, a striped shirt and cowboy boots, had the audience howling with laughter at her transforma tion from a naive dud to “a work ing girl.” The loud-talking, pistol packing sheriff — a virile, balding John Wayne-type — spat obsceni ties every other sentence, but cap tured the audience with his philo sophical reflections — “I can tell when someone is pissing on my boots and saying it’s a rainstorm” — and his intimidation of Melvin P. Thorpe, an caricature of Marvin Zindler. Wearing a red, white and blue tie, Thorpe is introduced to the audience on “Watchdog News” as he energetically tells the world what every Texan already knows: “Texas has a whorehouse in it!” Thorpe’s sidekicks, the Watchdog Strutters, and a group of women wearing yellow chiffon dresses, bouffant hair-dos and looking like a tacky version of the Andrew Sis ters immediately respond with “God have Mercy on our souls.” I r FRENCH’S HAPPY DAY — child care center The cast sang beautifully, espe cially Susan Beaubian. She played Jewel, the Ranch’s maid, and awed the audience with a clear, soulful voice that ranged several octaves as she sang “Twenty-four Hours of Loving. ” But the crowd's favorite scenes involved Aggies. After beating the University of Texas in their traditional Thank sgiving game, the Aggie football team is treated to a night at the Chicken Ranch, compliments of Texas A&M alumni and Senator Wingwoah, a long-time Ranch customer (“It’s a fine institution and I’m proud to have it in my district”). They sang: “We gonna whomp, and stomp ... those little gals won’t ever be the same,” and at the end of the number, they thril led the audience again by ex changing several seconds of who ops with them. “I hope the Aggies don’t win,” one buxom blonde Ranch worker said. “They’re always saying things like ‘Howdy.’” But with the closing of the brothel, the musical became sen timental, though not mushy. The sheriff and Miss Mona seperately reflect on their feelings for each other, and the Ranch’s inhabitants try to convince themselves every thing will turn out alright. “Me, I’ll be just fine and dandy,” they sang. And after the performance they gave, the audience could believe it. Melvin P. Thorpe of “Watchdog News” member of crusades to have the Chicken Ranch closed. Whorehouse Steven Earl-Edward, playing Thorpe, is a Town Hall. Bring your child and visit our professional staff in our new Ultra Modem Facility!! Conveniently located in Southwood Valley off FM 2818. 1024 Balcones Drive Day Care — Infants — Pre-School 69G-9062 After School Care — Kindergarten Underwood Hall dedicated Music and Ballet ‘Almost better than Grandma’s!’ By LISA SURMAN Battalion Beporter Ammon Underwood, 94, was honored Saturday in a dedication ceremony for one of Texas A&M University’s two newest residence halls. Dr. John J. Koldus, vice presi dent for student services, pres ided over the dedication of II i NATIONAL BANK A First City Bancorpomtion Member 500 WEST TEXAS AVE. P.O. BOX 2097, MIDLAND, TX 79702 (915) 685-5000 NOTICE OF INTERVIEWS - PETROLEUM ENGINEERS October 13 & 14 The Midland National Bank, Midland, Texas, will conduct interviews for reservoir engineering positions in the bank’s Oil & Gas Division. Applicants should be eligible for a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering in December or May. Interviews will be conducted by E. H. Blackaller, Senior Vice President, Manager/Oil & Gas Division, and Pete Bauerlein, Vice President, in the W. T. Doherty Building on October 13 and 14. BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION Midland National’s petroleum engineers, working under experienced professionals, are immediately involved in evaluation of oil and gas leases, reservoir engineering, and the financial and banking aspects of oil and gas exploration and production. Job assignments are flexible, affording daily contact with independent producers, geologists, landmen, attorneys, and representatives of other banks. The area included in evaluation work covers the entire continental United States. In addition, engineering and financial evaluation includes such properties as refineries, gasoline plants, coal mines, gas gathering systems and other oilfield related facilities. There is ample opportunity for wide exposure to a variety of professional challenges immediately upon employment. This position offers a career with long range growth potential with a major bank within the network of statewide banks owned by the First City Bancorporation of Texas, Inc., the nations 2lst largest banking company. A descriptive brochure concerning the full scope of these positions will be available in the Petroleum Engineering Department, W.T. Doherty Building. The Midland National Bank is an equal opportunity employer. Ammon Underwood Hall, a 302- woman modular dormitory be hind the Commons complex. Underwood said that having the dorm named after him was a surprise. “I’ve had some great sur prises in my life, but none as great as this,” he said. Underwood, Class of 07, re ceived his degree in civil en gineering and has donated $1 mil lion of real estate to the Universi ty. Eventually, the University will receive the rest of his estate. Underwood Hall President Angie Kerr, a junior journalism major from Temple, said that although Underwood has no chil dren, “he has 302 terrific girls»i love him very much and apprf ate everything he has done.” Underwood, who now live Buchanan Dam, worked British East Africa Ltd. as ana gation engineer, the Federal!. Bank and the Farm Credit Ai nistration during his career. I credits his experiences at Ta A&M for his extensive traveb success. “This is a great school, he| "Tve loved it from the first4 entered the school and even no! Don’t forget it — the longer you: here, the more of an advantage can be to you.” Society of Petroleum Engineers MEETING Speaker: Mr. R. S. Hutton, Jr. from Cities Service Oil Co. “Professional Work 8c Job Hunting uesday^Oc^D^OiLriM^in^HL^achryJ| Cynt ■to soil I'nive Gaz. Stove £ Lantern &utane cartridge •for instant ignition Re^ -S^ 0 —-For both Will be 39 s - Watch for Our &iq lOtiJ Annual Odds £ Ends Sale - Coming- Oct 14 thru 17 if Our biqqe&t sale of the year, with jgq< fantastic buys in every department WHOLE LARTH PROVISION COMPANY i 105 Boyett 846-8794