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NEWS
Starke is the setting for Trailer Park
musical
By Cliff Smelley, "Bradford County Telegraph"
They took a wrong turn off of U.S. 301. It sounds
like the premise to a horror story, but in actuality
it's the setting for a comedy.
That wrong turn off of 301 lands you in Armadillo
Acres, the fictional trailer park in Starke that is
the setting for The Great American Trailer Park
Musical, which is currently playing at the
Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville.
The musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso,
is billed as the first and only musical set in
Starke. Its cast includes a stripper named Pippi,
who's on the run from her wild boyfriend, Duke, a
woman named Lin (short for Linoleum, because her
mother gave birth on the floor), whose husband is on
Death Row, Norbert, who works as a toll collector,
and his wife, Jeannie, who has not set foot outside
of their trailer in 20 years after their son was
kidnapped.
Upon first hearing about it, a Starke resident may
assume his or her town is being lampooned. However,
aside from the scenery, which includes the Starke
water tower, the white Brahman bull and the old
Dempsey Motel sign, and a reference to Death Row,
there is not anything that ties the musical
specifically to Starke.
Starke Mayor Steve Futch said the type of culture
portrayed in the musical can be found in almost any
city in the state. Michelle Almand, who saw the
musical on its opening night with her American Dream
Realty coworkers, agreed.
"Florida is the trailer park capital of the world, I
think," she said.
Futch, who attended the show's opening with his
wife, Cindy, said he wished a fictitious name had
been chosen for the city, or that it had remained
anonymous, but he said sometimes you just have to
laugh at yourself.
"It was still enjoyable and entertaining. I'm glad
we saw it," Futch said.
Director Lauren Caldwell said she's never had any
concerns that the musical would offend anyone who
lives in Starke. She sat among the opening-night
crowd, which consisted of approximately 50 people
from Starke. They all seemed to enjoy it, she said.
"I knew deep in my heart it was funny and it was a
good story with a happy ending," Caldwell said.
Caldwell was in New York when she heard about The
Great American Trailer Park Musical, which was
playing off Broadway. She was, of course, curious,
she said, when she heard about this musical set in
Starke. She saw it, saying it was "an incredibly fun
night."
She fought hard to find a way to bring the
production to the Hippodrome, realizing the natural
appeal of presenting the musical in this area.
It was not an easy show to cast, but Caldwell said
she was "blessed" to get all of her first picks on
board for the production. "I can't say enough about
this cast," she said. "It's a great, great company
of actors that I have."
The cast is made up of Jennifer Anderson (Lin),
Kelly Atkins (Pippi), Mark Chambers (Norbert),
Mackenzie Curran (Pickles), Ted Stephens III (Duke),
Cindy Thrall (Betty) and Catherine Fries Vaughn
(Jeannie).
Chambers, who is no stranger to the Hippodrome,
having appeared in such productions as The Rocky
Horror Picture Show, A Tuna Christmas and
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, said the role of
Norbert appealed to him because it afforded him the
chance to sing in his natural bass baritone.
"Plus, I just liked it," he said of the musical,
which he credited with having sophisticated lyrics
despite the fact they're centered around trailer
park life.
Chambers' challenge is to make Norbert a likable
character despite the fact he commits adultery and
gets away with it pretty easy. From what he's seen,
the audience seems to realize Norbert's not a bad
person-he doesn't set out to have an affair. In
fact, Chambers said audience members seem to want
Norbert to have the affair.
"He's a good man," Chambers said. "I think he's a
sweet guy in his heart. I don't think it ever
would've occurred to him to have an affair before."
That's what lies at the heart of the musical-the
relationships we have and the choices we make in
life. Sure, there are plenty of funny moments along
the way, including a song called "Flushed Down the
Pipes," which features the backup singers
brandishing various toilet-cleaning items, but
there's a seriousness there one might not expect.
"The whole play is deeper than it appears," Chambers
said.
Caldwell cites a lyric from the show's finale as an
example of that. "I've got to make like a nail and
press on" is the funniest lyric in the show as far
as Caldwell is concerned, but she said it also sums
up what the musical is about-how we make mistakes in
our lives, how we try to learn from those mistakes
and how we must "pick ourselves by our bootstraps
and go on."
"Life is always going to turn you upside down,"
Caldwell said.
For Chambers, the lyric he most enjoys is sung by
his character, Norbert: "Nothing's easy, nothing's
safe."
"I think that's a beautiful, beautiful line about
life in general," Chambers said.
So if you're in the mood to enjoy yourself, The
Great American Trailer Park Musical might fit
the bill. Just keep in mind that it's only for fun
and not meant to denigrate the people of Starke.
Futch compares it to the HBO series "Six Feet
Under." That show does not accurately portray the
funeral home business, but that did not stop it from
being entertaining and earning numerous awards, he
said.
He sees The Great American Trailer Park Musical
in the same light. Sure, there is no tollbooth in
the real Starke and no strip club called the
Litterbox Showpalace, but that doesn't take away
from the show's entertainment value, he said.
Almand, who admits she grew up in a trailer park,
was plenty entertained. "It was just great," she
said. "It was hilarious."
The show, which is scheduled to run through the
summer, is scheduled for every day of the week
except Monday. Show times are 8:15 p.m.
Tuesdays-Fridays, 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays
and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets range
in price from $12-$32, but Starke residents may
purchase tickets for any show for just $10. For more
information, call (352) 375-4477 or visit the
Hippodrome's Web site at
www.thehipp.org.
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