Debbie Does Dallas
Run Time: 80 minutes, no intermission
Accessible Seating: Available
Hearing Devices: Not available
Sensory Friendly Performance: Not available
Production Sound Level: Comfortable Volume
Noises or Visuals to Prepare for: It’s a musical based on a porno.
With Theatre Three’s 40th season comes a revival of a musical last performed in the space in 2005. Debbie Does Dallas is a show about the eponymous Debbie, a high school senior cheerleader for the BJHS Beavers with big dreams: to move to Texas and become a Dallas Cowgirl. After receiving a letter offering her to audition on her own dime, Debbie has 2 weeks to raise the cash for travel to Texas and a hotel! Stakes couldn’t be higher. She and her girlfriends decide to raise the money for their fearless leader to achieve her dream—and the community pitches in, too! And the musical is based on a 1978 hardcore porno. But instead of hardcore sex, the musical goes for a much more stylized approach.
Comedy is often rooted in something darker (like, say, the objectification of barely legal adults still in their formative years and just stepping out into the world, or how much sex pays better than many other career paths, or how Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders only get paid a meager salary that pays for gas for a job as athletic as the football players), yet this stellar ensemble cast sells the joke. And it cannot be emphasized enough: IT’S A MUSICAL ADAPTED FROM A 1978 PORNO. It’s dumb. And beautifully so.
The ensemble earns all of the praise. For this review, I will go through some of the highlights.
Lily Gast’s Debbie is bright-eyed and eager, earnestly yearning to achieve her dream. Jayden Russell as Debbie’s foil Lisa had some of the best side eye and snark that elevated the palpable tension—sexual or otherwise—to excellent degree. Jocelyn Hansen as Roberta had a wonderful scene involving candles and another washing a car in the rain. Madeleine Norton’s Donna was wonderfully goofy, making sure to get her isometric stretches in. Ania Lyons as Tammy was endearingly innocent and steadfast in her ethics—is sex work good for my dream to become a senator? And why haven’t we done a bake sale?
The boys were equally adept and hilarious, playing multiple roles including the high school footballers and business owners within the community. Seth Paden owned the dumb jock that was Debbie’s boyfriend Rick. Luke Weber shines in his song in the aforementioned candle scene. A special highlight should go to Rudy Lopez for his mastery of snorts and snarls. It was gross. And dumb. And beautiful.
From the production team, shoutouts should also go to director James Chandler, choreographer Ani Vera (throwing in some Cardi B among many other hilarious dances!) for great use of space within the thrust staging. Mark Mullino’s music direction found a way to root the characters in their innocence in a truly hilarious way. Thank you, also, production team, for including Claire Fountain as intimacy and fight choreographer—which is not only important for this show (a musical based on a porno), but should be used much more broadly within the craft of theatre.
During the show, an audience member shouted “I. Can. Not,”—which is a compliment I can’t better. Except that you can. And you should.
Debbie Does Dallas plays until February 23—and I will absolutely come again.
Enjoy the show!
Bradford Reilly
Photo Credit: Jeffrey Schmidt
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