'Trailer Park' is sooooooooooo trashy, in a good way

Huffing wildman Duke, played by Jerard-James Craven, driving east to claim his woman, and find out something about himself as well. (Harrison Thorp photo)

Get there early for the mac and cheese. Stay till the end to laugh your guts out.

The Great American Trailer Park Musical set up shop at the Rochester Opera House for its two-week run on Thursday night, and I’ll tell ya one thing: Those folks know how to sing and dance and make jokes about making whoopie better than a coon hound eating a hot dog.

Just one word to describe it: Eeeeeeeeaahhhhhh!

It was an evening of pure unadulterated - and adulterous - fun. Director Merrill Peiffer kept the action nonstop as her seven-member cast delivered trailer trash quips and quality musical numbers with amazing deftness and confidence for an opening night.

There are no weak links in this magnificent seven. The vocals and dialogue are spot on, the dance numbers are a joy to watch and if you don’t fall out of your chair laughing you get the cost of your Cheetos refunded at the end of the show.

Heidi Gagne as Pippy, the voluptuous, husband stealing, lovable slut gets special kudos for her husky, powerful vocals and sensuous and sensitive portrayal of the play’s “bad girl.”

The quirky Greek Chorus of Pickles, Linoleum and Betty are a delight and Duke, played by Jerard-James Craven, is flat-out-over-the-top-brilliant.

Meanwhile, Shay Willard as Norbert, the philandering, toll-both attendant, will surprise with his masterful, high-tenor vocals.

While the play has its roots in racy, raucous trailer park repartee, there are some tender moments as well, especially a vocals threesome (read: VOCALS) of Norbert, his agoraphobic wife, played by Danica Carlson, and Pippi, his hard-luck stripper mistress.

Peiffer was asked earlier this week by The Lebanon Voice what her favorite part of the play was and said she couldn’t, because it would be a spoiler.

Let’s just say we now know what she was talking about, but she could be referring to actually a handful of times we almost choked on our Cheetos while falling out of our chair. Don’t worry, we’re OK.

But this play isn’t. It’s don’t-miss-it-fantastic!