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鈥淭he Great American Trailer Park Musical鈥� is bringing campy fun and Southern heart to The Adobe Theater on Friday, May 29, through Sunday, June 21.

鈥淭he Great American Trailer Park Musical鈥� follows the lives of the residents of Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida. Pippi, a stripper, is a newcomer to the community and meets the married couple Jeanie and Norbert. Pippi and Norbert have an affair, causing ripples through the community.

鈥淚t is a deep, deep, deep piece of 鈥榳hite trash鈥� theater,鈥� Cameron Illidge-Welch, show director, said.

Illidge-Welch grew up in southeast Louisiana, which influenced his desire to stage more campy theater productions, such as 鈥淭he Great American Trailer Park Musical.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 so many similarities between the characters inside of these plays and the people that I know from back home that it really just kind of calls to me to put that on stage and give a light to that,鈥� Illidge-Welch said, 鈥渂ecause it is so funny.鈥�

He said no matter how hysterically funny and crazy things get, his favorite part is always the heart underneath the story.

鈥淓ach one of these stories, no matter how goofy or silly or ridiculous they get, always comes back down to this lesson of generally community or loving yourself,鈥� Illidge-Welch said, 鈥渙r choosing yourself over everything else.鈥�

Michelle Volpe Roe plays Pippi who is on the run from her crazy ex-boyfriend and causes big problems in the community.

This show is Roe鈥檚 return to musicals after several years of theater productions. She said making a return to musicals and playing Pippi has been a different experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really funky kind of ride,鈥� Roe said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 so different from me.鈥�

Pippi is rather sexual, very confident and comfortable in her body, Roe said, and she had to tap into another side of herself to show that. Roe said she connected with the character because, while complex, she has a heart.

鈥淚 think what I have in common with her, or what I had in common with her when I was younger, at least, was this sort of fairy tale ideal of meeting a man,鈥� Roe said.

Pippi has the fantasy that, while falling for the wrong guy in the wrong place, it doesn鈥檛 matter because it鈥檚 destiny, she said. Pippi is kind of fantastical in a way, which Roe said she can identify with.

The role, although challenging, has helped her become more self-confident, Roe said. Illidge-Welch said he saw Roe embody the role when she came into rehearsal fully done up as Pippi.

鈥淗er makeup was done, her hair was fabulous, and she literally walked in and rocked every scene and every song and every piece,鈥� Illidge-Welch said. 鈥淪o what she said to me was she let Pippi dress her.鈥�

He said he encouraged all the actors in the show to pull from their own experiences.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just funny words,鈥� Illidge-Welch said. 鈥淭he funny words are funny words, and of course, they鈥檒l always get a laugh. But what is underneath the funny words?鈥�

Roe said one of her favorite moments in the show is when her Pippi has a pivotal realization that she needs to grow up while staying true to herself.

鈥淪he鈥檚 realizing maybe she has done wrong things or made poor choices, she鈥檚 still proud of who she is as a woman,鈥� Roe said, 鈥渁nd I think that鈥檚 kind of powerful.鈥�

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.