'Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical' on Successful Run in Venice, FL

VENICE, Fla.—Stage play Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical—which has been produced by companies in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas itself, among other cities worldwide—is currently enjoying a hit run at the Venice Theatre on the west coast of Florida. Based, of course, on the iconic 1978 adult film starring Bambi Woods, and originally written, produced by and starring Susan L. Schwartz in 2001 at the New York Fringe Festival, this rendition of the musical is directed by Allan Kollar and stars Heather Kopp in the title role. The show opened April 26 to a sold out crowd, and according to local paper the Fort Myers Florida Weekly, "continues to do a brisk business." Though the show contains no nudity, Kollar and Kopp report that it offers an abundance of cheeky inuendo—and essentially replaces the sex scenes of its source material with songs. Kollar told the Weekly that about "75 percent of the dialogue in the musical is verbatim," and Kopp described the structure of the show as "this loose plot [surrounded] with a bunch of musical numbers." Amusingly, Kopp said the show was outside her wheelhouse, as she sings in the choir at her Methodist church ... but she's convinced some of her fellow congregants to come check it out. "A few of them have come to see the show, and a few of them have told me they have tickets," she said. "They're so excited! So needless to say, there are church people coming to see this show, it's not 'that bad.'" Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical runs at the Venice Theatre through May 20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit VeniceStage.com.