Climb the stairs backstage at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater and you'll find just two dressing rooms: one for men, the other for women. Fresno's Good Company Players might be a theater from which performers go on to become big stars – think Audra McDonald and Chris Colfer – but the company, true to its community-theater roots for the past 38 seasons, prides itself as a fiercely egalitarian experience. All cast members receive the same compensation: $6 a show for expenses.
That "no star" tradition will continue even when country-music star Louise Mandrell comes to Fresno to embark on an eight-week run as the title character in the musical comedy "Calamity Jane." The Good Company show will run July 19-Sept. 16.
The singer vaulted to fame in the early 1980s TV series "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters" and had a string of country hits in that decade, including the Top 5 song "I Wanna Say Yes."
Though she has logged thousands of hours of stage and TV experience – and headlined a theater bearing her name – this will be Mandrell's musical theater debut.
"I can't wait," Mandrell says, speaking Friday from her home outside Nashville as she took a walk with Bobbie Sue, her prized Chinese Crested puppy, named after her older sister, Barbara.
"I've always surrounded myself with very talented people, and I'm very excited to be a part of this production."
The musical, based on the popular 1953 movie, is loosely based on tales from the life of Martha Jane Cannary, an Old West sharpshooter who slowly sheds her "tomboy" image as she falls in love with the famed "Wild Bill" Hickok.
As an outdoors enthusiast and "country gal" herself, Mandrell notes that she has a lot in common with the character.
"I grew up around guns because of my dad, and I'm a really good shot," she says. "And the moment I got the call about the part, I went out and bought a whip. I love this character because she has so much fun."
Then, an abrupt pause.
"Oh my goodness, hang on. Bobbie Sue just ran away. She has a mind of her own, just like my sister."
Though Mandrell's upcoming commitment to "Calamity Jane" is unprecedented for Good Company, it doesn't mark a dramatic shift in the company's philosophy or business plan. Instead, it's a result of a series of special circumstances.
"This is a huge gift," says Dan Pessano, Good Company's managing director.
Mandrell's manager is Clint Higham, a proud Good Company alum originally from Reedley, who has become a stalwart supporter of the theater company. Higham went on to found a powerhouse artist management firm in Nashville, where he represents a roster of performers that includes Kenny Chesney, Barbara Mandrell, Jake Owen and Martina McBride.
Higham recently donated $250,000 in new state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment to Good Company.
Several years ago, Higham introduced Louise Mandrell to Pessano. Pessano went on to work as a coach for Mandrell, helping her develop a comic character for her stage show. Another of their projects was coaching Mandrell for a potential professional production of "Calamity Jane," which never came to fruition.
Through that project, Mandrell developed a strong desire to play a role that she describes as "perfect" – along with a keen admiration for Pessano's coaching prowess.
"I think the secret to a successful business is finding people who bring out the best in others, and Dan brings out the best in me," she says.
Pessano's wife, Laurie, will direct the Good Company production of "Calamity Jane," and though Mandrell hasn't yet met her in person, they've had several lengthy phone conversations about the character and show. Both Pessanos plan to travel to Nashville later this month to meet with Mandrell about the project.
The reporter can be reached at dmunro@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6373. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com/author/donald_munro.
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