Ann-Margret returns to Branson

It's only a voice coming through the telephone, but the sound of it -- throaty, sexy and at the same time, friendly -- is unmistakable.

Ann-Margret is returning to Branson for a six-week engagement at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre, and she's eager to talk about Branson, Williams and his theater, her husband Roger Smith, their three cats and their one dog, Missy. "She thinks she's a cat," she said of the latter. Missy is really a Maltese.

"I'm so excited about coming back to Branson," she said. "It's been three years." Ann-Margret first joined Williams onstage at his theater in 2004. This will be her third season in Branson, where she'll stay for six weeks, accompanied by Smith, Missy, the cats, her hairdressers and her wardrobe manager.

Ann-Margret, who began her career in the early 1960s, has a long list of films, recordings, television appearances, awards and nominations to her credit.

From "Bye Bye Birdie" to "Viva Las Vegas" to "Carnal Knowledge" to "Grumpy Old Men," she's performed opposite a host of stars including Dick Van Dyke, Elvis Presley, Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

Last year, Ann-Margret won an Emmy for her appearance on TV's "Law and Order: SVU."

"I was thrilled," she said. "It was my sixth nomination. Roger, my husband, he always wants to protect me -- we've been married 44 years. Well, Roger said on the way there, 'You know you're not going to get it,' and I said, 'I know.'

"I was ready to hear another named called, then when they announced it I was like, 'Oh, my goodness!' "

At one point while we're talking, I mention to Ann-Margret that when I was growing up near Memphis, my girlfriends and I loved her movies, but we also hated her because she got to perform with our local hero, Elvis.

She grew quiet for a few moments, then simply said, "I knew him for 14 years."

In case you don't remember what it was like to watch them perform together, pull up some clips on YouTube. It won't take long to see the chemistry they shared.

Back to the present: Ann-Margret's friendship with Williams has been a long one.

"I met him when I was 18," she said. "He was best friends with (television, Las Vegas and Broadway producer) Pierre Cossette, who talked Andy into having me as a guest on his show.

"I have so much fun with him," she added. "Three years ago, we had a big storm. The roof of the theater was leaking, and we had to put towels on the floor.

"When Andy came out, I took him over to the side of the stage and said, 'See this leak? You own this theater, don't you? Are you going to have this fixed?'

"I love to tease him."

The storms that year also tested the theater's electricity. "At one point, I was doing a ballad, and the lights went out," Ann-Margret said. "I told the audience, 'I'm glad you're here!' "

Williams and Ann-Margret will each perform solo for half the show, then the two will appear together for 15 minutes of each segment.

"The last 15 minutes, we'll close with 'New York, New York,' " she said.

New this year will be a gospel segment, featuring songs from Ann-Margret's new CD "God is Love II." Her first gospel CD, recorded in 2001 and titled "God is Love," was nominated for both Grammy and Dove awards.

One track from "God is Love II" that Branson crowds can look forward to is "Crying in the Chapel."

"On my album, I did it with the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Choir," she said. "I recorded it in Dallas, and the choir is a 140-voice ensemble from a Dallas suburb. I've made it into a new part of my show."

Also on the CD is the gospel song "Operator," which Ann-Margret and Williams performed together last time she was in Branson. She liked the number so much, she said, that she included it on her new album.

Other songs Branson audiences can look forward to hearing include "Rescue Me," "Higher and Higher," "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You," "I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Viva Las Vegas."

Ann-Margret is also excited about her costumes for the show, "for the ladies in the audience," she said, although the men will likely enjoy them as well.

"I have two brand-new outfits," she said. "When Andy first introduces me, I'm going to be wearing a long black dress with poet sleeves.

"The second is a bright yellow dress with beads, and later I'll add a chiffon vest that's just impossible to describe."

It doesn't end there, though. "When I first come out in the yellow dress, I have a feather coat with a 16-foot train.

"I'm crossing my fingers I don't trip."

As she talks about Williams, their work together and her experiences in Branson, it's obvious she enjoys performing in the Ozarks. Could area fans look forward to a fourth visit in the future?

Ann-Margret doesn't hesitate to answer. "In Branson, I feel so very welcome," she said. "If I'm invited again, I'd love to come."

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by Camille Dautrich, The News-leader.com

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