For as long as there have been folks making movies, there have been folks filming other folks getting it on. And since the American household was invaded by the VCR in the 1980’s, the porn industry, once a purveyor of poorly shot, plot-less fare intended for stag parties and “specialty” movie-house release has evolved into a billion dollar concern. Technology, it seemed, had finally caught up with the sexual revolution.
“Pornography” has assumed a cultural respectability that would surprise our grand-parents. Gone are most of the archaic Victorian-era standards of “proper” conduct, (a fancy way of saying that in the dark-ages one was required to experience sufficient guilt over any sexual activity not related to procreation). In the short time it took us to get from Playboy magazine to XXX cinema, sex became fun. This change in cultural perception was certainly evident Saturday night at The Stadium, (Congress St. Portland), which presented “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical.”
This theatrical spoof of the 1978 porn classic is in its second week of a run that will see it performed each Saturday through December 18. Based on an Off-Broadway production developed in October 2002 and staged here in town by interActors Inc. this send-up tells the story of Debbie and the “jobs” she and her cheerleading friends undertake so that she can afford the trip to Dallas that will allow her to become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. The troupe that played to a packed room Saturday night did campy and fun with perfect aplomb and yet were raunchy enough to satisfy any of the audience members’ need for the titillation offered by the movie. (There was no shortage of panties, brassieres, midriffs and jockstraps to satisfy the audience’s more prurient interests.) Surprisingly, there was also a sweet poignancy displayed in the vocals of the musical’s lead, Tanya Whitman, in the role of Debbie, providing depth to a character that could have just as easily been one dimensional.
The musical, directed by John Bryson, with songs composed by Andrew Sheraman, drew largely from the script of the movie, detailing the girls’ creation of an umbrella company called Teen Services to raise money for Debbie’s trip and the ways in which the girls discover that they can make much more than minimum wage by plying the “world’s oldest profession.” In attempting to muster all the serious commitment possible to their fund raising drive, the cheerleaders decide to shut off their randy counterparts on the football team, providing lusty fodder for most of the jokes. The troupe, comprised of nine actors, seemed to be having as much fun with the script as the audience and played their parts throughout the production with no shortage of tease. The suggestive choreography ably handled the difficult task of replicating the sexual action of the film. As a result, the production was sexy and fun without the seedy, gynecological-exam feel inherent to most straight-up porn. Pre-recorded Wah-wah pedal guitar appropriately accompanied many of these risqu? numbers, re-creating one of the most obvious clich?s of the genre.
Tickets to “Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical” are $15.00 and The Stadium offers a full menu of sports-bar fare during these performances. Anybody looking for a fun, frisky Saturday evening date should find this hour and a half production well worth the price of admission.