WaterTower Theater welcomed back set designer Rodney Dobbs, who designed a delightful eye-candy set for the production of The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. The visuals are further enhanced by Hannah Law's kitschy props and Derek Whitener's whimsical costumes.
James Paul Lemons ably stages six very talented actors. Especially outstanding is Megan Kelly Bates who also doubles as co-choreographer. Her comic antics and timing can't be taught in a classroom; either an actor has it or s/he doesn't, and Bates has it in spades. The acting and singing of all the cast members is superb. What a pity the script doesn't match. If I were in junior high, I would have laughed uproariously at the continual use of the "f" word and the scatological sandbox humor, but David Nehls' lyrics display a thorough lack of talent; his music fares better, but then it could hardly be worse.
The play is set in Armadillo Acres, a trailer park in Florida. One trailer is all decked out for Christmas, and the denizens of that side of the mobile home community have gone all out with their decorations including their side of a giant Christmas tree.
Darlene's (Amanda Pasanante) trailer and her side of the tree are bare, because she thinks all the fuss over Christmas is silly. Through a freak accident, she contracts amnesia and suddenly loves everything Christmas, and all is beautiful and chummy at Armadillo Acres - at least for a while. Passanante has a beautiful lyrical singing voice which stands out in her solo numbers.
We learn a little about the residents from Betty (Sara Shelby-Martin) who has three bail bondsmen on her speed dial, and the folks in 23 are cooking meth instead of ham. Lin/aka Linoleum (Cara Statham Serber) is so named because she was born on the kitchen floor. She is a death-row widow due to her husband's "transgressions," and she wears his ashes in a container around her neck.
Pickles (Megan Kelly Bates) got her name due to her cravings during pregnancy. She is a single mom, because her husband divorced her when their baby turned out to be of a darker hue than her ex-husband.
This show could have been a hit with a decent script, but with so much good theater in Dallas this holiday season, The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical is a waste of time and money which no amount of acting, singing, or technical talent can redeem. This is unfortunate, as these actors are so gifted they deserve a better vehicle in which to exhibit their exceptional talents.
