Almost every character, save the ensemble, in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” has appeared on Broadway - except the star, Ann-Margret.
The play opened Tuesday night at Wharton Center and continues through Sunday.
Reading the biographies in the program is like reading a Broadway playbill - the credits are impressive. Almost every major musical is represented including “Chicago,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Annie Get Your Gun.” Most of the cast has also made appearances or had recurring roles on network TV series.
As the madame of the Chicken Ranch brothel, Ann-Margret is perfectly cast. Unfortunately, she also has to sing. This is not her forté.
This play is Ann-Margret’s stage debut. She’s done loads of movies (about 50), including “Grumpy Old Men,” “Any Given Sunday” and “Viva Las Vegas.”
She’s not a bad actress, but musicals are not her bag. The rest of the audience didn’t seem to mind, though. They gave a standing ovation - twice.
The rest of the cast sings well, but it’s hard to tell because they’re all using heavy Texan accents. And it’s well choreographed, especially the scene with the dancing football players.
Fans of honky tonk music will love “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and may not even mind Ann-Margret’s hoarse voice. Those who aren’t big on country, present company included, will have to look for other merits.
The best little whorehouse in Texas is a well-kept house in the fictional town of Gilbert, Texas. It has a white picket fence and a vegetable garden. Under the strict eye of Miss Mona Stangley (Ann-Margret), the girls are well behaved and very ladylike. It’s not a whorehouse, Mona says, it’s a “pleasure palace.”
The people in Gilbert want to keep the place hush-hush because it’s been there so long and it’s tradition - it doesn’t cause any trouble.
But then radio watch dog Melvin P. Thorpe (Rob Donohoe) finds out about “the house of ill-repute” and publicizes it across the state. Gilbert Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd (Gary Sandy) tries to protect the Chicken Ranch, but he is torn between his duty to the law and his loyalty to Miss Mona.
There is plenty of comic relief, light as it is. Sandy does a good job with Sheriff Dodd, who is quite amusing. He is convinced television is to blame for all his problems.
The story moves along slowly, but musicals aren’t performed for their complex plots. The reason to see it is the spectacle of a major off-Broadway musical. You see it for the singing, the dancing and the excitement.
The story is predictable: a small quiet town gets put in the spotlight, like the play “Inherit the Wind” or the recent film “State and Main” (2000).
“Damned if I don’t feel like a country dog in the city,” Sheriff Dodd says in the second half.
In fact, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” is based on a true story, except for the parts where everybody breaks into song.
The town of Gilbert is truly La Grange, Texas, and Mona’s real-life name is Edna Milton, who came to the Chicken Ranch in 1952. The house of prostitution was founded in 1844 and came under fire in 1973.
For more information about the play, visit www.bestlittlemusical.com. For ticket information and show times, call (517)432-2000, (800)WHARTON or visit www.whartoncenter.com.
