Gary Sandy and the cast of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opened their tour in Connecticut, headed to St. Louis and are due in Philadelphia next week before traveling to Indianapolis.

"Go figure. They have us going all over the place," Sandy said in a telephone conversation from St. Louis.

Sandy, though, isn't complaining about the trips back and forth between East Coast and Midwest cities.

True, he's looking forward to the time when the show plays continuously in four Texas cities, then six cities in Florida.

But he's mostly delighted to be playing the role of Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd.

"The part of Ed Earl is too much," he said of the blustery, cussin' law enforcement official.

Whorehouse, a musical comedy, will play at the Merriam Theater from March 6 to 11.

Though Sandy has a major role, the show belongs to the glamorous Ann-Margret.

The Swedish-born superstar, 59, is best known for her television and film roles, having been nominated for Academy Awards in Carnal Knowledge and Tommy.

She's used to entertaining sold-out audiences in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Radio City Music Hall.

But Whorehouse marks her theatrical debut. She had resisted offers from Broadway producers for years.

Sandy, 55, said he was looking forward to working with the legendary actress/entertainer, adding that she is the dominant presence in the show.

"She comes out and takes over," he said. "Having the chance to work with Ann-Margret is fantastic."

The production features a company of 32, lavish costumes and new music written for Ann-Margret, who's been an American favorite since her roles in Bye, Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas in the 1960s.

In Whorehouse, Ann-Margret plays the tough, loving brothel madam Mona Stangley. The show is the tale of Miss Mona's Chicken Ranch brothel -- a "lil' ole bitty pissant country place."

The brothel has been a welcome neighbor in tiny Gilbert, Texas, for more than a century.

But puritanical TV reporter Melvin P. Thorpe discovers the Chicken Ranch and demands its closing. The state's hypocritical politicians (and frequent Chicken Ranch customers) are pitted against Miss Mona and her girls.

The sheriff, played by Sandy, is an upstanding, military-like official who is overwhelmed by the national media spotlight.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opened off Broadway in 1978. Two months later, after receiving tremendous acclaim, it moved to Broadway.

In 1983, Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds starred in a movie version of the show.

The show's co-writer, Peter Masterson, has said he's sought Ann-Margret for the Mona role since 1983.

The show is based on the true story of Edna Milton and the closing of her Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, Texas, in 1973. It was inspired by a 1974 Playboy magazine story on the brothel's demise.

Sandy said there's a good-natured, harmless sexuality to the show.

The cast, he said, is top-notch and gets along well.

"Everybody is fantastic," he said. "We're really having a great time."

Sandy is an Ohio native who now lives on a Kentucky farm after selling his California home last year. The actor is best known for his role of Andy Travis in WKRP in Cincinnati and for playing villains on soap operas.

He also has appeared in more than 70 theatrical productions. His r?sum? includes starring roles in The Pirates of Penzance, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Goodbye Girl.

"I prefer theater," Sandy said. "You put it out there, and you get the audience response back."

Sandy has performed in Philadelphia twice before during national tours. He teamed with Jean Stapleton and Marion Ross in Arsenic and Old Lace.

He also starred in Breaking Legs, though that production was marred by the death of actor Vincent Gardenia while the show was in Philadelphia.

Sandy said he enjoys his trips to Philadelphia because the people are nice.

"I like Philly a lot," he said. "I like the big-city atmosphere."

Philadelphia is only one city on a national coast-to-coast tour that won't wrap up until mid-2002.

Sandy said audiences will enjoy everything from attractive scenery to rousing dance numbers. They'll also have plenty to laugh about.

So far, according to Sandy, Whorehouse audiences have demanded curtain calls at the end of each two-hour-plus show.

"We're getting a very, very good response," he said. "Everybody is stomping."

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas will play at the Merriam Theater, at 250 S. Broad St., from March 6 to 11. Tickets range in price from $69.50 to $39.50. They are available at the Merriam Theater box office, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 215-336-1234.