Reviewed by Judy Richter
With a title like "The
Great American Trailer Park Musical," one might rightly expect to see a hokey show
focusing on poor white trash. That's not quite the case with the show being
presented by San Jose Stage Company. True, the characters are hardly rich, and they're
white, but they're not trash. They're just people trying to make the best of
what life has dealt them. Along the way, they deliver lots of laughs in this
bouncy show by composer-lyricist David Nehls and author Betsy Kelso.
The
action is set in the Armadillo Acres trailer park in Florida. A chorus of three
women, all residents, narrates part of the story and helps to propel it.
Besides their leader, Betty (Diana Torres Koss), the park's owner, they include
Lin (Keite Davis),
whose husband is on death row awaiting the electric chair; and 17-year-old
Pickles (Halsey Varady), who apparently has a hysterical pregnancy.
The
story focuses on Norbert (Kevin Blackton) and Jeannie (Lydia Lyons), high school sweethearts who
have been married nearly 20 years. He's a toll taker, but she suffers from
agoraphobia and hasn't stepped out of their home in years -- not since their
infant son was kidnapped. Complications set in with the arrival of Pippi (Allison
F. Rich), an
attractive stripper who's running away from a possessive boyfriend, Duke (Robert
Brewer). The
inevitable happens: Norbert and Pippi have an affair, but of course Jeannie
finds out. And of course the crazy Duke, sniffing Magic Markers and Pam and
toting a gun, arrives in search of Pippi.
Directed
by Rick Singleton with
musical direction by Spencer Williams and choreography by Dottie Lester-White, the seven-person cast is
terrific. The chorus keeps the action bubbling along, assuming various persona
along the way. Varady is fun as the not-too-bright Pickles, and she dances
well. Blackton's singing isn't all that great, but he's convincing as the
conflicted Norbert is torn between the appeal of Pippi and his longtime love of
Jeannie. Lyons shows the difficulty of trying to overcome her agoraphobia, and
she sure can belt out a song. Rich is a very sexy Pippi, but she also reveals
the young woman's vulnerability as well as her determination to keep going no
matter what. Brewer has the show's smallest role as Duke. Unfortunately, it's a
fairly one-dimensional role, and his frenzied performance does little to deepen
it.
The
set by Adam Puglielli features three rundown trailers. Pippi's revolves to show the
dressing room at the strip club where she works, while Norbert and Jeannie's
revolves into their living room. Lighting is by Selina B Young with costumes by Jean
Cardinale and
sound by Grant Huberty.
With
its clever lyrics, varied musical styles and involving plot, "The Great
American Trailer Park Musical" treats its characters respectfully yet
humorously, adding up to a fun-filled show.
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