Yesterday I listened to the Evita cast recording, from 1970-whatever. There’s one line that puzzles me. Midway through Act I, while discussing the reaction of the aristocracy to Eva Duarte, Mandy Patinkin sings:
What are the shooting sticks fo the upper class?
I know that there exists a type of cane or forked stick which a person can use to balance their rifle while shooting. More simple than a tripod or bipod.
That said, I do not know if that is what is meant in context.
Shooting sticks are what DrFidelius mentioned, a stick on which to balance your rifle. Picture here.
I think the librettist just messed up and assumed they supported asses instead of rifles. Or he was taking a little liberty to fit everything in the rhyme scheme.
Tim Rice was the librettist, as my needlessly elaborate quote tag may have implied. Anyway, I think you meant “meter,” not “rhyme scheme.”
Well, “ass” rhymes with “upper class.” If Mr. Rice were being technical about it, asses need not enter it at all. That’s why I said rhyme scheme, although I do bow to someone with “rhyme” in their username! 
Yes, but shooting sticks doesn’t. It’s clear that phrase was chosen largely to to make the meter of that line parallel to that of the first line of the long.
(I misquoted in the OP, by the way; the shooting sticks line does not have a the at the beginning.)
It’s also good as an impromtu seat, as generally, it’s a cane with a Y on it. That said, ass does not have to mean ‘posterior’ in that phrase, but rather ‘upperclass twit’.
Note the man sitting on his shooting stick.
I think this is more the type of thing the song refers to…the one listed as a “Traditional Shooting Stick”. It’s basically a leather seat atop a pointed metal stick, that folds up to be used as a walking stick. My dad used to have one that he liked to take hiking, so he could sit and rest without haven’t to sit on the ground.
Having, not haven’t…missed the edit window!
Right, dual use sort of stick. Evolved from the traditional shooting stick. I’d have gotten a better picture, but my image search at work is a bit restricted on anything involving guns.
Psst, E-Sabbath, your first link was to corkscrews, not shooting sticks.
I might have to buy one, just for the thrill of shopping at a place called “Country Shooting Sticks of Cheltenham”!
I think that the figure bottom left is supposed to represent an stuffy, old gent resting on his shooting stick while fishing with glass of wine in his hand.
No, not the fisherman one, the middle, fifth row down. See how he’s sitting on it? Item # 19433 is the one I was referring to.
http://www.walking-canes-sticks.co.uk/index1.html
Try this, go to Shooting Sticks on the left, then down to the Tirion Ascot Sling Seat Shooting Stick for the sort of thing I’m talking about. Technically useful for either resting a gun on, or sitting one’s fat buttocks.