Heating up the Center

Young Chang

Move over Don Giovanni, Miss Mona has arrived.

As the madam of a Texas whorehouse known as the Chicken Ranch brothel,

she’ll be incarnated in the form of Ann-Margret for the Orange County

Performing Art Center’s run of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”

Tuesday through Feb. 10.

She’ll sing and dance with her entourage of “girls,” warming up a show

that has been called controversial in the past.

“In the context of the world in which we live today, the show itself

is not a racy show. It’s a lot of fun,” said Center President Jerry

Mandel. “It just so happens to take place in the only entertainment area

of the town.”

The town Mandel refers to is La Grange, Texas, where the real brothel

of the same name made headlines in the ‘70s when a consumer-affairs

reporter published an expose on the business, which eventually led to the

local governor ordering the brothel to close.

The character of Miss Mona is based on real-life madam Edna Milton,

who ran the Chicken Ranch. First opened in 1844, it received the title of

“Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” after a previous madam offered sex in

exchange for poultry during the Depression.

The story of “Texas” tells of the risky position Miss Mona’s Chicken

Ranch, under the protection of the local sheriff, is put in when a

television reporter does an expose on the business.

Gary Sandy, best known as Andy Travis on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” will

sing and dance alongside Ann-Margret as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd.

“It just has everything,” Sandy said of his role. “It’s funny, it’s

sexy, it’s romantic and it can also be very heavy. I talked to some

people in Texas who knew the original guy -- the real guy -- and they all

said the same thing. That he was very fair but very dangerous.”

Sandy, whose theater credits include the roles of Harold Hill in “The

Music Man” and Stanley in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” said he’s grateful

for the opportunities that have led him to play unexpected roles.

“I’m out to make people say ‘that can’t possibly be him,”’ he said.

“Texas” also presents local star Doug Hodge, a graduate of UC Irvine.

He portrays a football player in the show who’s “just a college kid

who’s excited because he wins a football game and gets to go to the

whorehouse.”

For Hodge, the experience of working with Ann-Margret was exciting

enough.

“I did the show in 1995 with Barbara Eden,” the New York resident

said. “And I guess it’s just different because Ann-Margret has just much

more of a sultry quality to her acting.”

Echoing Mandel’s words, Sandy said the show’s music and choreography

-- done by original co-choreographer Thommie Walsh -- makes for a good

time.

“It’s a crowd-pleaser,” Sandy said. “And I don’t care if I’ve done

this part 1,000 times. The ticket prices these days aren’t cheap. I

perform 110% each time because these people haven’t seen the show and I’m

out there to make sure they get their money’s worth.”

FYI

* What: “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”

* When: Tuesday through Feb. 10. Performances will be held at 8 p.m.

Tuesday to Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive,

Costa Mesa

* Cost: $27.50-$64.50

* Call: (714) 556-2787