A major part of the appeal of theatre is its ability to transport us to unforgettable locations. Shakespeare placed us along the canals with his Merchant of Venice; Rodgers and Hammerstein stranded us on an island with their South Pacific; and now Betsy Kelso and David Nehls are dumping us in Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Starke, Fla., with their uproariously uncouth The Great American Trailer Park Musical, back by popular demand at West Michigan's newest theatre in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo.

This gut-busting, knee-slapping smash-hit of a musical, pegged as "'South Park' meets 'Desperate Housewives'" by the New York Sun, chronicles the woes of the residents of a hyperbolically stereotypical trailer park.

Agoraphobic housewife Jeannie hasn't been outside their doublewide in almost 20 years, inducing her brewski-draining husband Norbert with a severe case of cabin fever. Norbert needs relief, and finds it in the new neighbor, a luscious "dancer" named Pippi. The romantic conflict (and hilarity) that follows is more than enough to embarrass the King of Trailer Park Conflicts himself, Jerry Springer.

Besides agoraphobics, alcoholics, and adultery, in this blue-collar microcosm one will also encounter Ted Nugent fanatics and unabashed '80s nostalgia, strippers and spray cheese, F-bombs and flan, disco, Daisy Dukes, John Deere machinery, teenage pregnancy, Tina Turner hair, and kleptomaniacs.

"There's even a song about roadkill," says Gina Maria Chimner, a Kalamazoo native who plays Betty, the owner/manager of Armadillo Acres. "And the wigs alone are worth the price. There are definitely some caricatures, and we include every stereotype imaginable, but then we kick it up about 20,000 watts. But they're not hurtful. We're all on the same planet. There's good and bad in all of us. Just some of us are a little misguided."

The Great American Trailer Park Musical Farmers Alley Theatre 221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo Through Aug. 8 $25 general admission, $23 seniors/students, $10 student rush also available farmersalleytheatre.com (269) 343-2727

But the lovably misguided characters of scorching Starke, Fla., along with their smorgasbord of a musical score, including R & B, rockabilly, and, of course, some country balladry, are what make this the perfect summer show, according to director and member of the artistic board at Farmers Alley, Laurel Scheidt, who is also from Kalamazoo.

"This is summer escapist theatre at its best," says Scheidt. "If you have problems, you'll forget 'em for the next two hours."

TGATPM found its way back on the summer season schedule at Farmers Alley Theatre after a slew of sold-out performances in June 2009.

"People who came once before were coming back a second time with two, four, eight friends," Chimner said. "It's just that funny. From onstage I saw people take hankies to wipe their eyes out they were laughing so hard - real gut laughter."

"And the not-frequent theater goers are the ones coming," says Scheidt. "The material is sharp and witty, satirical. It pokes fun of America. It's such a sassy, irreverent, cheeky show. It really appeals to the first-time theatre-goer."

All things considered, it's bound to be better than a gargantuan bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 

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