The Great American Trailer Park Musical
The Hilarious Off-Broadway Musical Hit
Final Extension! Must Close June 20th!
Music and lyrics by David Nehls
Book by Betsy Kelso
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Music Direction by Nick Connell
Choreography by David Connolly
Local raves:
The Great American Trailer Park Musical is "100 minutes of rowdy, silly, laugh-out-loud fun." –Boston Globe
"'Trailer Park' is, more than anything, plain entertaining [and] the perfect way to ease into summer." –Boston Herald
"White trash has never been more entertaining! Hitch your trailer to SpeakEasy's mad funny musical and drive yourself into hysterics!" –Joyce Kulhawik
"'The Great American Trailer Park Musical' is fun from start to finish." –BroadwayWorld.com
"[Trailer Park] succeeds riotously and absolutely." – EDGE Boston
National raves:
“One of the Most Laugh Out Loud Shows in Town” –Broadway.com
“A Bright New Musical” –The New York Times
“Undeniable Fun!” –The New York Post
Runtime: 100 minutes, with no intermission
- Read an interview with actress Mary Callanan
- Read interviews with composer David Nehls and bookwriter Betsy Kelso
- Read a history of trailer parks in America
Listen to an interview with Leigh Barrett, Mary Callanan and Kerry A. Dowling, hosted by director Scott Edmiston.
Show Description
Boston-Area Premiere! Leigh Barrett, Mary Callanan, Kerry A. Dowling and David Benoit star in this delightful new musical about agoraphobia, adultery, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancy, kleptomania, flan and disco. When Pippi, a stripper on the run, comes between Dr. Phil-loving, agoraphobic Jeannie and her toll-collector husband, neighbors Betty, Lin and Pickles team up to save their friend's marriage.
April/May/June 2010
Click a showtime below to purchase tickets.
| SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT |
| APR 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 8:00 PM |
MAY 1 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 2 3:00 PM Spirituality and the Arts TalkBack |
3 | 4 | 5 7:30 PM Pay What You Can Performance* |
6 7:30 PM |
7 8:00 PM Out & About Night |
8 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 9 3:00 PM TalkBack |
10 | 11 | 12 7:30 PM |
13 7:30 PM |
14 8:00 PM |
15 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 16 3:00 PM |
17 | 18 | 19 7:30 PM |
20 7:30 PM |
21 8:00 PM |
22 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 23 3:00 PM |
24 | 25 | 26 7:30 PM Wednesday Night Tastings |
27 7:30 PM |
28 8:00 PM |
29 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 30 3:00 PM 7:00 PM |
31 | JUNE 1 7:30 PM |
2 7:30 PM |
3 7:30 PM |
4 8:00 PM |
5 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 6 3:00 PM |
7 7:30 PM |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 13 3:00 PM |
14 | 15 7:30 PM |
16 7:30 PM |
17 | 18 8:00 PM |
19 4:00 PM 8:00 PM |
| 20 3:00 PM |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
Cast of Characters
| Betty | Kerry A. Dowling* |
| Pickles | Santina Umbach |
| Lin | Mary Callanan* |
| Norbert Garstecki | David Benoit* |
| Jeannie Garstecki | Leigh Barrett* |
| Pippi | Caitlin Crosbie Doonan* |
| Duke | Grant MacDermott |
Musicians
| Keyboard | Nicholas J. Connell |
| Guitar | Nicholas Jacobson-Larson |
| Bass | Marty Fowler |
| Drums | Matthew Raskopf |
Production Staff
| Director | Paul Daigneault |
| Music Director | Nick Connell |
| Choreographer | David Connolly |
| Scenic Design | Jenna McFarland Lord |
| Costume Design | Seth Bodie |
| Lighting Design | Karen Perlow |
| Sound Design | Aaron Mack |
| Production Stage Manager | Katie Allinger* |
Cast Biographies
LEIGH BARRETT* (Jeannie Garstecki) feels like she's never left the SpeakEasy stage, especially after just appearing in their latest production, Adding Machine (Mrs. One/Mae/Prisoner's Wife). She is over the moon to be stuck in a trailer with this amazing cast. Also at SpeakEasy: Passion (Fosca), Putting It Together, Back to Bacharach and David, A Class Act (Lucy-IRNE Award), Elegies, Songs for a New World, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Drood). She has also appeared at other Boston area theaters including the New Repertory Theatre: Indulgences (Advisor 1), Dessa Rose (Ruth), The Wild Party (Madeleine True), Side By Side By Sondheim, Into the Woods (Baker's Wife), Ragtime (Mother), The Threepenny Opera (Jenny) and Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman); Lyric Stage Company: Grey Gardens (Little/Big Edie), Souvenir (Florence Foster Jenkins), A Little Night Music (Charlotte), and Sunday in the Park with George; Gloucester Stage Company: Marry Me A Little and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well. Leigh is the proud recipient of two Elliot Norton Awards. Much love to HB and the boys.
DAVID BENOIT* (Norbert Garstecki) is delighted to make his Speakeasy debut with "Trailer Park" and to come home and play with some old friends. Boston credits include: Forbidden Broadway,Forever Plaid (Sparky),and numerous regional productions. Recently, he appeared as Mr Zero in Studio Theatre's Adding Machine, for which he earned a Helen Hayes nomination for his performance. Broadway: Avenue Q (Nicky/Trekkie), Les Miserables, Dance of the Vampires. National Tours: Les Miz (Thenardier), Avenue Q, All Shook Up (Sheriff Earl). Off Broadway: Forbidden Broadway: 92, Forever Plaid,Forbidden Broadway: Summer Shock!,The Big Bang,Forbidden Hollywood (Chicago). David is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory. Special thanks to Jed and Pete, Paul Daigneault and the Speakeasy staff. Hey S.M.U.T.co. friends! For: Mom and Dad...(minus the bad language).
MARY CALLANAN* (Lin) is happy to be back at SpeakEasy! Recently, Mary appeared in The Dinosaur Musical and A Year with Frog & Toad (Stoneham Theatre); Kiss Me, Kate (Lyric Stage); You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Gloucester Stage), and as Mme. Thenardier in Les Miserables (Ogunquit Playhouse). Mary was in the long-running production of Menopause: The Musical at the Stuart Street Playhouse in Boston, where she also appeared in Respect: A Musical Journey. Mary has also been seen at North Shore Music Theatre in Damn Yankees and Letters from Nam. Mary earned an IRNE nomination for her role as Hattie in Overture Production's Follies starring Len Cariou and was a part of the Elliot Norton and IRNE-Award winning production of Bat Boy: The Musical at SpeakEasy Stage. National: Cinderella (Queen), The Sound of Music (Frau Schmidt), Damn Yankees (Sister) and Big (Mrs. Baskin). Regional: Falsettos (Dr. Charlotte), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Sunday in the Park with George (Nurse), Chicago (Mama Morton), Violet (Old Lady), Late Night Catechism (Sister) and ALL the nuns in Nunsense I & II! As a Cabaret Fellow of the O'Neill Theatre Center, Mary has performed her cabarets in Boston, Provincetown and New York. Mary and her longtime partner Brian Patton have released their debut CD entitled How I Spent My Summer Vacation, available in the lobby of this theatre, on CDBaby.com or at www.marycallanan.com.
CAITLIN CROSBIE DOONAN* (Pippi) is thrilled to be making her SpeakEasy debut. Recent Boston credits include: Kiss Me Kate (Dance Captain) and Follies (Young Emily) at the Lyric Stage Company, and performances at Symphony Hall and on tour with The Boston Pops. NY Credits include: world premiere of Blood and Other Humours, The Black Suits, and Nelson Rocks. Training: BM in Musical Theatre (NYU), MM in Musical Theatre (The Boston Conservatory - studio of James Javore). For more: www.caitlincrosbiedoonan.com. Thanks to everyone at SpeakEasy for this opportunity. This one's for M&D who are endlessly supportive and proud of their daughter the stripper!
KERRY A. DOWLING *(Betty) SpeakEasy performances: Reckless, Jerry Springer - the Opera, The New Century, Mystery of Edwin Drood, Parade, The Women, Bat Boy, Company (IRNE Award) , Elegies: A Song Cycle, A New Brain, Triumph of Love, Floyd Collins, A Class Act, Lips Together-Teeth Apart, Putting it Together, Songs for a New World . Boston credits include: Follies (Lyric Stage); Into the Woods (New Rep); A Man of No Importance (Súgán/SpeakEasy); Pal Joey (Stoneham Theatre); Gypsy, Anything Goes, and She Loves Me (Fiddlehead Theatre). Kerry has performed with the BGMC Chorus, and is featured on the recordings Oz and Beyond, and Razzle Dazzle.
GRANT MACDERMOTT (Duke) is a recent graduate of Emerson College, where he earned his BFA in Acting. He grew up outside of New York City and has been working professionally since the age of 13. He created the role of Toyn in Constance Congdan's play, Moontel Six, and acted in the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Festival of 2003. Since graduating, he has been seen on Boston Common with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, at New Repertory Theatre in Mister Roberts, in Stoneham Theatre's A Christmas Carol, and most recently in Not Enough Air with Central Square Theatre.
SANTINA UMBACH (Pickles) is ecstatic to be making her SpeakEasy debut in this "trailer trash" musical! A native of Virginia, she got her start at The Riverside Theater where she had the opportunity to play the roles of Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense, Louisa in The Sound of Music, and Dorothy inThe Wizard of Oz, to name a few. Currently a junior at the Boston Conservatory, she has performed in such shows as Follies, 42nd Street, the Boston premiere and stage reading of Angels the Musical and most recently RENT, in which she played Mimi Marquez. Thank you, thank you, and thank you to Paul Daigneault and the company for this incredible chance to play such a wonderful role in such a wonderful theater!
*Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
Musical Synopsis
| This Side of the Tracks | The Girls/Norbert/Jeannie/Pippi |
| One Step Closer | The Girls/Norbert/Jeannie |
| The Buck Stops Here | Pippi/The "Men" |
| It Doesn't Take A Genius | The Girls/Norbert/Pippi/Jeannie |
| Owner of My Heart | Jeannie/Norbert |
| The Great American TV Show | The Girls/Pippi/Norbert |
| Flushed Down the Pipes | Jeannie/The Girls |
| Storm's A-Brewin' | The Girls/Pippi/Jeannie/Norbert |
| Road Kill | Duke/The Girls |
| But He's Mine/It's Never Easy | Pippi/Norbert/Jeannie |
| That's Why I Love My Man | The Girls |
| Panic | Jeannie/Tina/Pippi |
| Finale | Company |
Interviews
Mary Callanan
Read Suzanne Bixby's interview with actress Mary Callanan.
David Nehls and Betsy Kelso
Read Suzanne Bixby's interviews with composer David Nehls and bookwriter Betsy Kelso.
Trailer Park History
Read a history of trailer parks in America.
SpeakEasy Press Contact:
Jim Torres
Director of Marketing,
Press and Public Relations
Phone: 617-482-3279
Cell: 617-529-1670
Fax: 617-482-3280
Basic Show Information
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music and lyrics by David Nehls
Book by Betsy Kelso
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Featuring Leigh Barrett, Mary Callanan and Kerry A. Dowling
Final Extension. Must Close June 20th!

















