Debbie Does Dallas
Adapted by Erica Schmidt
Composed by Andrew Sherman
Conceived by Susan L. Schwartz

June 20 - July 12, 2008

Directed by Rodney Brazil
Choreography by Chris Castleberry

Debbie is a small-town high school girl who dreams of being a Dallas Cowgirls Cheerleader, the pinnacle of professions in her starry eyes. When she receives the letter saying she has been accepted, she has only two weeks to report to Big D. The problem is she must pay her own fare and find a place to stay in the big city, and her disapproving parents refuse to foot the bill as they "don't support cheerleading as a suitable lifetime occupation."

However, Debbie’s four best friends are thrilled with the news and vote to work hard to raise the money so she can realize her dream. The girls form a company called Teen Services, disavow dating their jock boyfriends and quickly land minimum-wage jobs at such establishments as a sporting goods store, Mr. Hardwick's candle store and the local library.

After a week, it dawns on Debbie that they won't raise enough money in time. In desperation, Debbie allows her boss to get to second base with her and earns a fistful of cash. Realizing that she got paid to do what they do with their boyfriends for free, the girls vote in favor of pursuing Debbie's new fundraising methods with all of their bosses. Leaving their frustrated boyfriends in the lurch, what follows is a series of hilarious sexcapades set to music, as the girls raise a pile of cash to send Debbie on her way.

The concept for DEBBIE DOES DALLAS (the musical) was dreamed up by Susan L. Schwartz for the 2001 New York International Fringe Festival, where it played to sold-out houses, and then opened Off-Broadway in 2002. The music features a variety of styles including rock and a bluesy torch number. Throughout, the dialogue and the lyrics are filled with puns, sexual innuendos and double entendres, creating a story that is both naughty and full of laughs. While the musical is decidedly tamer than its source material, it is not for children, and Carpenter Square Theatre recommends it for mature audiences.