The audacity of Theatre Three serving up a musical stage adaptation of a late ’70s adult film should be appreciated for all time. Staged in the Theatre Too space downstairs, Debbie Does Dallas was a 90-minute escape into the campy world of teenage cheerleaders, horny men and a girl with a dream. Directed by James Chandler, the production brought nostalgic vibes mixed with a sly story of female empowerment.
Debbie centers on midwest teenage Beaver cheerleader Debbie Benton determined to make it as a Texas Cowgirls cheerleader in Dallas. When her letter comes in inviting her to audition, she has to get to the Big D in two weeks and she needs cash to do it. A pow-wow with her fellow cheerleaders led them to starting a side hustle of helping people out, advertising it as “Teen Services.” As jobs began to go beyond the job description, the young women discover that there’s a way to raise money fast. But Debbie’s boyfriend Rick isn’t too happy about her leaving, nevermind his attention to Debbie’s friend Lisa.
The intimate space of T2 was ideal for this production. Despite a lot of action onstage and actors often in and out, the tighter stage gave the story allowed for a naughtier vibe. Watching all these interactions in such small quarters felt a bit discreet but with the characters so up close, the stakes felt higher.
What made Debbie work wonders was its cast and direction. The actors latched onto those vibes that recalled old teen horror movies, a bit of Brady Bunch and a dash of bad porn acting. As the heroine, Lily Gast was impressive as the impressionable but smart Debbie. She balanced her character’s naivety well with her sexual awakening. But she never dumbed her down. Gast’s Debbie was clever and shrewd too but always likeable and loyal.
As Debbie’s cheerleader sister/nemesis Lisa, Jayden Russell shined with an uninhibited two-faced performance. Russell smiled up the friendly parts, but when vying for Rick’s attention they served up telenovela realness with dramatic facial expressions and posturing. Their physical humor was top notch as Russell displayed the ability to slink seductively or get down and dirty.
Jocelyn Hanson gave a strong comic portrayal as the slow-witted Roberta mixed with a sultry side when her character was turned on. As the Angelic and (not so) innocent Tammy, Ania Lyons delivered a fully-realized performance that served as the heart of the show, but also gave hilarious contrast when Tammy was in a number of compromising positions. And then there was Madeleine Norton who ate the stage with such comedic force as Donna. Norton held a big presence onstage particularly through her schizophrenic performance that might make one wonder if Donna was possessed by a demon.
Complementing the cheer squad was the trio of jocks who also doubled as the adult men all paying for a servicing. As Rick, the de facto leader of the football bros, Seth Paden’s brazen performance was giving high energy, alpha dude tossing footballs and getting into snap position with his equally excited teammates Kevin and Johnny. Paden’s switch into other parts was done with ease from horny teen to suave and colorful characters.
Luke Weber’s versatility was on point with an impressively huge range of character portrayals. He gave zany, subtle, cringe and hapless throughout each of his parts. Andrew Briseno played Kevin at last Sunday’s performance and like Weber, gave a low-key approach to his variety of roles which was an amusing contrast as his comic timing was smartly unassuming, but he also knew how to take a paddling. The three of the jocks together were always a loud bundle of grunts resulting in a quick three-way of positions. Hey now!
Nicholas Thornburg’s football field set brought a brightness to the space and story and Ryan Matthieu Smith’s costuming was all perfectly cut and flattering for each actor.
As the cast understood the assignment, so did Chandler. He tapped them all into channeling that just-right campy vibe without it feeling like a wink to the audience — even when the audience participated. Instead, like he said in our interview, he tapped into the environment of the ’70s with a 2025 perspective. While at times raunchy and racy, Debbie Does Dallas never felt exploitative or crass. With its over-the-top approach, the sexy bits were like fun bonuses to a well-crafted show.
The show runs through Feb. 23.
–Rich Lopez