Lyric Stage presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Music and Lyrics by David Nehls

Book by Betsy Kelso

Director/Choreographer Brandon Mason

Music Director Hans Grim

Asst Dir/Choreographer Megan Kelly Bates

Lighting Designer Scott Guenther

Sound Design Bill Eickenloff

Scenic Designer/Props Spencer Meador

Costume Design Breianna Bairrington

Wig Design Michael B. Moore

Stage Manager Davvi Solomon

Asst Stage Manager Alexis Moorer

The Band

Music Director and Piano Hans Grim

Harmonica, Guest MD and Piano Vicky Nooe

Guitar, Bass Guitar, and Harmonica Lincoln Apeland

Guitar Sam Walker

Bass Guitar Gannon Philips

Percussion Wes Griffin

Cast

Greg Hullett

Mary Gilbreath Grim

Alena Cardenez

Pamela Anglero

Samantha Padilla

Cara Statham Serber

Ben Ashcraft

Understudies

Keith J Warren

Briana Berk

Megan Kelly Bates

My thoughts on The Great American Trailer Park Musical or… better than peanuts and a Pepsi after your shift at the poultry packing plant.

Lyric Stage hits a down homer inaugurating its new studio performance space. Trailer Park is a trashy, sassy, rude, crude, and lewd blast of a musical that you are going to enjoy immensely. It’s tuneful, toe tapping, spirited silliness taken to a whole other level by an incredible cast.

There’s trouble in Armadillo Acres, a trailer park in Starke, Florida. High school sweethearts Norbert (Greg Hullett) and Jeannie (Mary Gilbreath Grim) are in a passionless marriage that’s complicated by Jeannie’s agoraphobia. She’s been trailer bound since the abduction of their son two decades ago. Norbert gives into temptation when a stripper named Pippi (Alena Cardenez) on the run from her magic marker sniffing boyfriend Duke (Ben Ashcraft) moves to the park. The story unfolds with the help of Betty (Samantha Padilla), Linoleum (Cara Statham Serber), and Pickles (Pamela Anglero). These three women are the Walmart version of a Greek chorus and each one has a story of her own.

Director/Choreographer Brandon Mason keeps the laughs, songs, bumps, grinds, and thrusts moving faster than a souped up Trans Am. Music Director Hans Grim and the band sound like they are straight out of Nashville and my foot would not stay still. The production values are just as strong in this intimate space as they are at the Majestic. Scott Guenther’s lighting, Bill Eickenloff’s sound, and Breianna Bairrington’s costumes are all top notch and Scenic Desgner Spencer Meador’s two trailer set with a stripper pole in the middle is colorful and clever.

But, OMG, it’s the FANTASTIC cast that’s the reason you should be clicking that ticket button right now. Going into the show I was already aware of the enormous talents of Mary Gilbreath Grim, Samantha Padilla, Cara Statham Serber, and Pamela Anglero. After all, when you see credits like Ragtime, Mamma Mia, Next to Normal, Gypsy, In the Heights, and Heathers, you know you are dealing with formidable performers. The big thrill here is getting to see these stage goddesses all together, singing gloriously just a few feet in front of you making those faux country tunes soar, and having the time of their lives playing zany, trash talking characters.

As Norbert, Greg Hullet is good old boy perfection in his sleeveless shirt and always on hat. Hullett makes the philandering, flawed character appealing and what a gorgeous, soulful voice he has. I would love to hear Hullett and Grim do some old Kenny and Dolly songs.

The lithe and lean Ben Ashcraft storms the stage as the marker sniffing bad boy Duke. Ashcraft has a great rock star voice and is kinetic energy personified. Elvis couldn’t come close to Ashcraft’s sexy gyrations. Expect to see this young man popping up all over DFW stages.

Alena Cardenez as the stripper Pippi was a revelation to me. I’d only seen Cardenez in supporting roles prior to Trailer Park.To say she “kills” this part is an understatement. She not only kills it, she embalms it, buries it, and sends it to redneck heaven. She’s a Trailer Park Barbie, part woman, part little girl gone astray. Cardenez’s Pippi is both comic and touching simultaneously. Whether belting out a country flavored tune or slithering around the stripper pole, Cardenez is a stunner.

You don’t want to miss Lyric Stage’s The Great American Trailer Park Musical. It’s R rated, racy, right in your face fun with an unforgettable cast.

*check out a few brief cast interviews and see the set on dfwcenterstage TikTok

Photos by Paris Marie Productions