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‘Debbie’ does Dad’s Garage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. Through Oct.. 23
“Debbie Does Dallas” will never be confused with a feminist manifesto, but the Dad’s Garage production of the new musical-comedy version does the improbable.
It trims the sex, if not the bawdiness, from the pathetically plotted porn film (1978) and turns it into a hilarious — and still plenty naughty — romp that parodies the XXX genre while pointing fingers at other libertines: macho football players and the sugar daddies of Main Street.
Director Kate Warner and her shamelessly funny cast even manage to squeeze an extra smidgen of social commentary into Erica Schmidt’s adaptation of the otherwise lame script about the high school cheerleader (an ideal Kristie KrabeCQboth) who, with the help of her friends, works to finance a trip to Big D for her tryout with the Texas Cowgirls, aka the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Consider Tammy (Tim Stoltenberg). The fact that the most virtuous cheerleader on the squad, the one with all the political ambition, is cast against type (well, gender) is just one indication that there’s more at stake here than a bunch of groping and salacious innuendoes.
But not much more.
Even as “Debbie Does Dallas” airbrushes the hard-core moments — the lustier encounters are silhouetted behind a row of screens; the only nudity is a male posterior — the show still looks to score with its promise of cheap fantasy fulfillment, forbidden temptations and wink-wink outrage.
And, boy, does it succeed. After its gleeful, mock-sensual opening (fans blowing, temptress posing), “Debbie” takes off on a 90-minute ride and hardly comes up for air. (There’s no intermission.) From the dead-on dim-bulb cheerleaders to the horny hopelessness of the merchants who buy their services — that giant sucking sound you hear is the convulsive Doyle Reynolds as Mr. GreenfeltCQ — this fast, fabulously timed show zips along and spares no one.
The 10 songs by Andrew Sherman, Tom Kitt and Jonathan CallicutCQ/all are sweetly subversive and mostly forgettable, with the exception of one production number that employs a chorus line and their sex toys. When you’re not laughing and/or cringing, you’ll find yourself wondering, ”Are they allowed to do that in public?”
Apparently, they are. And they do. After all, this is fringe comedy unabashedly served with attitude and nerve. It also travels far beyond the borders of good taste. So note the big red-flag warning: If you’re offended by just about any kind of sexual-oriented material, please don’t go.
The rest of you fall in line. You know you want it..
THE VERDICT: Funny stuff. A porno musical, with tongue in cheek, among other places.
8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 5 p.m. Oct. 3. Through Oct. 23. Dad’s Garage Theatre Company, 280 Elizabeth St., Atlanta. 404-523-3141. www.dadsgarage.com.
Comments
By E.K.
October 1, 2004 12:59 PM | Link to this
This show is Hysterical
I got to see this show last night (I read the review and was intrigued)and I have to say that I loved this show. It was campy, fun, fast paced and you always felt like you were “in” on the joke.
I think special mention needs to go to the cast of Debbie. Each one of them had a chance to stand in their own spotlight and shine. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Kristie Krabe as Debbie and Doyle Reynolds as Mr. Greenfelt. The amazing accomplishment of the cast was that they knew when they were being absurd and really pushed the limits, but yet, managed to keep it grounded and real.
A great and hilarious night out!
By B. Williams
October 18, 2004 01:59 PM | Link to this
This is a fun, outrageous, campy good time!
I have been a fan of Kate Warner’s direction for a while now, so of course I had to go see this show. I needed to see the feminist take on this classic adult fim. I was really blown away by the amount of fun that I had.
From the opening number, the energy was up, and I knew that there was no porn cliche that wouldn’t be mocked. From the first blow of the slow mo fan to the hysterical banana ballet, I was in tears from laughing so hard.
Another thing you get at Debbie that you may not expect from Dad’s Garage is the range of talent in the cast. Kristie Krabe as Debbie posesses a powerful voice, great dance moves and meaty acting chops. Although some of the characters are uber-stereotypical, the actors commit to every minute of it.
Kudos to Miss Warner and her outrageous crew for turning the porn industry on its ear!
By nume
October 19, 2004 02:19 PM | Link to this
aaa asdfsad