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THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL Dodger Stages, 340 W. 50th St. (212) 239-6200.
GIVE the creators of this new musical credit for tackling something other than urban yuppie angst.
A high-spirited musical comedy set in, yes, a trailer park in northern Florida, "The Great American Trailer Park Musical" gives us adultery, strippers and murderous ex-boyfriends, while referencing Costco and the Ice Capades.
Narrated by a Greek chorus of three - Betty (Linda Hart), Linoleum (Marya Grandy) and Pickles (Leslie Kritzer) - the soap-opera-style plot concerns the troubled marriage of burly tollbooth collector Norbert (Shuler Hensley) and his agoraphobic wife, Jeannie (Kaitlin Hopkins).
Fed up with her inability to leave their trailer, even to celebrate their 20th anniversary, Norbert's ripe for the picking when beautiful stripper Pippi (Orfeh), on the lam from her violent boyfriend, Duke (Wayne Wilcox), moves in next door.
Enter Duke, who shows up toting a gun and the Magic Markers he's addicted to sniffing.
Betsy Kelso's book and David Nehls' music and lyrics are fairly flimsy. But there's undeniable fun to be had in the fast-paced proceedings, which are performed with just the right mixture of energy and silliness by the highly talented, strong-voiced cast, who clearly relish their down-home characters.
Besides, how can one resist songs with such lyrics as "Just like clothes from Wal-Mart/My love life's falling apart"?
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