THE HOUSTON BROADWAY SERIES

Presents

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS

Starring


ANN-MARGRET Stars in the brand new, multi-million dollar production featuring new music written especially for her and lavish new costumes designed by Bob Mackie. THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS is presented from June 19th - 24th, 2001 at The Wortham Center.



ANN-MARGRET

and

GARY SANDY

GARY SANDY (who played Andy Travis in WKRP in Cincinnati) takes the role of Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS.



from June 19th through June 24th, 2001

at The Wortham Center


ANN MARGRET does a solo as MISS MONA singing "A FRIEND TO ME." Photo by Joan Marcus.


ANN-MARGRET, legendary star of film, television, recordings and concerts, makes her theatre debut opposite GARY SANDY in a spectacular new touring production of THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOSUE IN TEXAS, playing June 19th through June 24th as part of the Houston Broadway Series. Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone 713-629-3700 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

THE CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST!


Some Dance Sequences were choreographed by Truly Texan Tommy Tune. Photo by Joan Marcus.


Originally premiered in Houston in 1979 at the Tower Theatre, where it ran for a full year, the show returned for another six months in 1980 and again in 1986. Now THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS is coming home to Houston, where it belongs!

A Texas triumph, start to finish, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS is based on a Playboy article by Texas author LARRY L. KING about the closing of The Chicken Ranch - a brothel that had operated just outside La Grange, Texas for 130 years until Houston television crusader Marvin Zindler focused his TV news camera on the Ranch’s madam, her girls and the county’s sympathetic sheriff.

KING co-penned the musical’s book with fellow Texan PETER MASTERSON. Another Texan, CAROL HALL, provided the music and lyrics. And yet another Lone Star native, Tony Award-winner TOMMY TUNE, was tapped to co-direct with MASTERSON and to choreograph such gems as the now-legendary Aggie boot dance. Their Texas-size talents made THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS an award-winning 1978 Broadway hit that played to sold-out houses for nearly four years.


GARY SANDY as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Photo by Joan Marcus.



Theatre veteran (and star of WKRP in Cincinnati) GARY SANDY takes the role of Sheriff Ed Early Dodd in this brand new, multi-million dollar production featuring new music written for Ann-Margret and lavish new costumes designed by Bob Mackie. Two-time Tony winner THOMMIE WALSH, the show’s original co-choreographer, now directs and choreographs.

Frequently courted by Broadway producers, ANN-MARGRET had searched for years for the right vehicle as her theatre debut before choosing the role of the tough, loving brothel madam MONA STANGLEY in the Tony-winning THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. One of the world’s most glamorous stars, ANN-MARGRET is also one of the most honored - with two of the Academy Award nominations (Mike Nichols’ Carnal Knowledge and Tommy), six Emmy nominations (including Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles and A Streetcar Named Desire), five Golden Globe awards and three “Female of the Year” awards from the United Motion Picture Association. Among her many other credits are the films Bye, Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, Grumpy Old Men and Any Given Sunday and the TV films Scarlett, Showtime’s The Happy Face Murders and NBC’s mini-series The Tenth Kingdom. Her latest film is The Last Producer co-starring Burt Reynolds.

ANN-MARGRET has long been sought for the role of Miss Mona by the show’s writers. Master said of the casting coup, “I have wanted Ann-Margert to do Whorehouse since 1983; that’s how long I’ve been thinking about her playing Miss Mona.”

ANN MARGRET and GARY SANDY and the Cast in the Finale of THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Photo by Joan Marcus.



THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS is produced by Manny Kladitis, Magic Arts and Entertainment, Mitch Leigh and Houston-based SFX Theatrical Group in association with Jon B. Platt.

The new production promises to retain the ingeniously inventive staging hailed by The New York Times as “Brilliant,” and the good-natured sexuality of the show, while bringing a franker, contemporary sensibility. It features Marjorie Bradley Kellogg’s (Da, Steaming) acclaimed original set design and lighting by Ken Billington (Chicago, On the 20th Century, Sweeney Todd) and Jason Kantrowitz. Costume designer BOB MACKIE has created eight new costumes for Ann-Margret, while Dona Granata (the Robert Altman films DR. T and the Women and The Gingerbread Man) handles the early ‘70s deisgns for all the other costumes. Keith Levenson is musical director.

ANN MARGRET in a BOB MACKIE Creation in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Photo by Joan Marcus.



ROB DONOHOE plays zealous reporter Melivn P. Thorpe. ED DIXON is the smooth-talking, sidestepping Texas Governor. Avery Sommers is Mona’s trusted confidante Jewel, and Houston native Roxie Lucas is waitress Doatsy Mae. MATT LANDERS (Senator Wingwoah and Mayor Poindexter), Hal Davis (Edsel), Terri Dixon (Angel) and Jen Celene Little (Shy) round out the featured performers in this company of 32.

Performances for this limited engagement are Tuesday - Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 7:30pm with matinees at 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets for Ann-Margret in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, priced from $30 to $55, may be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or charged by phone at 713-629-3700. Groups of 20 or more may call 713-693-2692 or toll free at 1-800-889-8457. Please note: the 2:00pm matinee on Saturday June 23rd, 2001 will be captioned for the hearing impaired. The TDD# for tickets to that performance is 1-800-755-6244.

The Houston Broadway Series is presented by Society for the Performing Arts. For more information about the current or coming seasons, go online to:

WWW.HOUSTONBROADWAYSERIES.COM

-o-

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

ONE WEEK ONLY (2001)
Tuesday................ June 19........8pm
Wednesday.............June 20....... 8pm
Thursday................June 21........8pm
Friday.....................June 22....... 8pm
Saturday.................June 23....... 2pm* and 8pm
(*Captioned for the hearing impaired)
Sunday....................June 24...... 2pm and 7:30pm

CALENDAR LISTING:

June 19 - 24, 2001

ANN MARGRET in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS,
a Houston Broadway Series musical presented by Society for the Performing Arts, at the Wortham Center, 8pm Tue-Fri.; 2pm and 8pm Saturday; 2pm and 7:30pm Sunday. Captioned for the hearing impaired at 2pm June 23, 2001.

Tickets ($30-$55) on sale May 7th, 2001 at all Ticketmaster outlets, 713-629-3700, online at www.ticketmaster.com. Wheelchair accessible.