|
The last musical of Theatre-by-the-Sea's 76th
season is "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".It is a Broadway musical with
music and lyrics by David Yazbek (The Full Monty) and book by Jeffrey Lane
and is based on the 1988 movie comedy that starred Michael Caine and
Steve Martin. The Broadway show opened in March 3, 2005 and ran until
September 3, 2006. The story concerns a handsome suave,
debonair con man named Lawrence Jameson who is elegantly wooing
and cleverly swindling rich women on the French Riviera. He has had
much success and is at the top of his game, collaborating with Andre
Thibault, the French police chief. Then one day on a train, he meets
Freddy Benson, an aspiring con man, a small-town boorish
grifter who wants to learn at the master's feet. He swindles women by
waking their compassion with fabricated stories about
his grandmother's failing health. Jameson agrees to take him on
but eventually decides there isn't room in this town for the both of them.
They clash, eventually collaborate and finally end up in a
competition. So they make a bet on what they consider to be the
ultimate con, and the loser must leave town. They decide to con a newly
arrived American heiress, Christine Colgate out of $50,000. Freddy
dressed as an Army sergeant pretends to be paralyzed from the
waist down who needs to borrow the money for treatment
by a celebrated Austrian psychiatrist, and when Lawrence
discovers his scheme he pretends to be the doctor, insisting Freddy's
condition is a psychosomatic rather than a neurological disorder, one
he can cure with the stipulation that the money is paid directly to
him. All of this plays out with a lot of fun involved and also
some romance. Three women figure prominently in the show. Muriel of Omaha,
a woman with some cash who is hoping to find love and she becomes
romantically involved with Andre. Jolene, an Oklahoman who is proud
of it and intends to rope herself a man and take him home. The
American Soap Queen, Christine Colgate, is a little naive and
clumsy, with a heart bigger than her brain.The show has a fun twist at the
end that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the very
end of the show. Amiee Turner directs this stylish, intelligent,
rollickingly fun new musical with a 19 member cast excellently while
music director Andrew Smithson and choreographer,Chris
Saunders supply the music and dance steps for this talented cast. A
resounding standing ovation at the close of this show is its
reward.
Owner and producer Bill Hanney, Producing
Artistic Director Amiee Turner and Managing producer Joel Kipper make this
contemporary show into a musical masterpiece with sets, costumes, lighting
and sound. They spare no expense on their final show this
season. Amiee also directs the show splendidly with music director at
the helm and choreographer supplying the topnotch dances in the show which
fit in with the tone of the show. (She always does an excellent job
having reviewed her past directorial work, "A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum" in 2007 and "George M" and "Evita" last year and "Crazy
for You" this year.) The songs extend and advance the plot so
you need to listen to every word to figure out what is happening. She
gives her cast many bits of shtick to perform especially when Freddy
is miraculously healed by the phony doctor. Amiee pays close attention to
the different exotic accents needed by the cast ranging from
French, German, British and Southern and she helms this
contemporary musical comedy with a deft hand, making the crazy characters
come to life but also making them likable to the audience with it
told tongue in cheek style. (An usher in the audience sings about being
seduced by Lawrence and Muriel explains she is needed for Act 2 and
comments when the balcony is moved with her on it.) David Yazbek's
music and lyrics are reminiscent of Cole Porter's clever lyrics of the
past. Andrew not only makes the performers shine but conducts a seven
piece orchestra while playing the lead keyboards. The overture opening
sounds like "The Pink Panther" theme. Chris' dances
include ballroom, soft shoe, Fred and Ginger type, a tango, a
mambo, a country western dance, all excellently executed by this talented
cast. The lighting design is by Paul Toben while the incredible set
design is by Ray Recht with it looking like an European
seaside city with palm trees and stone terraces, a villa, hotel room
and lobby and a French villa complete with stairway. You actually feel
like you are visiting the Riviera. Awesome originally designed
costumes are by Marcia Zammarelli including evening gowns worn by the
women and the men's fancy suits, trashy Southern costumes for the
Jolene song.
The two leading men in this show are superb in their roles with
their singing, acting and dancing. Lawrence is played excellently by
Al Bundonis (he is currently appearing in the Off-Broadway musical
"Sessions".) who acts urbane and debonair reminiscent of James Bond.
The character is a lot like Professor Higgins when he tries to
transform Freddy into a debonair thief like he is especially when he and
his butler try to dress him a la Eliza Doolittle but in a suit. Not
wanting to give away too much of the specifics of the show, I'll describe
the musical numbers. "Give Them What They Want" is a patter song
telling the audience that the women asked to be swindled by him when he
poses as the exiled prince of a foreign country. Other scams include him
posing as a dentist, a British naval officer and psychiatrist. "All
About Ruprecht" is where Lawrence explains about his brother's
mental condition, keeping him locked in the basement. (Funny lines
include hiding his farts in a mason jar) He insults George W. Bush
while getting rid of Jolene in this number. Ruffhousin' mit Shuffhausen is
when Lawrence pretends he is a doctor to cure Freddy's paralysis. It
sounds like "Simple Little System'' from "Bells are Ringing". He tickles
Freddy's foot then whips him with a stem of a flower. He,
Jason and Lisa yodel in this song with Jason covering his pain
with the yodel. "The More We Dance" is another con by Lawrence
because Freddy tole Christine that he is paralyzed with Dance Fever after
catching his girlfriend dancing with another man. Al and Lisa do an
excellent samba with the chorus during this number. "Love Sneaks In"
is a beautiful ballad, Al sings when the character falls for Christine
hook, line and sinker. Al does a topnotch job playing this urbane
character. Freddy is the complete opposite of Lawrence, a low down
crass con artist. He is fantastically played by Jason Gillman who
understudied the role on Broadway and was able to play it there 80
times. His character is very much like an athletic Nathan Lane. He
cons women with his needing money for his sick grandmother
scam. One of his funniest bits is in the wheelchair when he
zooms around the stage like Sheridan Whiteside from "The Man Who Came to
Dinner" and lying exhausted after crawling up the stairway. His incredible
voice is heard in "Great Big Stuff" which is a jazz song
sung by Freddy who wants all the things money can buy with the
chorus showing off all he desires in their dance. Their is a ballad with
Christine. "Love Is My Legs" is when Freddy pretends to be unable to walk
and it sounds like a 60's rock song. He finally stands and wobbles over to
the bed after her miraculous cure for him. "Son of Great Big Stuff"
is another jazzy song by Freddy who is in Christine's hotel room thinking
he has won the bet when he decides to seduce her with "Nothing Is Too
Wonderful for Words".Jason runs around in his boxer shorts near the
end of the show wearing a sheer pink woman's robe. "The Reckoning" is
where Freddy tells Lawrence what really happened. and "Dirty Rotten
Number" is when they get what is coming to them. They become duped instead
of duping. The show ends with both men in beautiful white
suits sitting in lawn chairs, wondering what to do next when a new
batch of tourists from Greece show up!
Lisa Yuen who currently plays Rachael on "All My Children" is a
gorgeous brunette who plays a dim bulb in this show, the American heiress
of a soap company. Using her fantastic soprano singing voice she
enters the stage with her luggage and the chorus in "Here I Am".
It is a rousing song like Cole Porter's Friendship song. The
gorgeous ballad "Nothing Is Too Wonderful" when Christine expresses her
desire to help Freddy out of the goodness of her heart. She begins the
ballad with lovely words and he joins in on his verse with
made up rhyming words. Lisa does a marvelous job as the dumb gal who might
not be as dumb as she appears. One of her funniest bits comes when she
accidentally steps on a piece of her luggage, killing her
dog. Andre is well played by Christopher Swan who played Hysterium in
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" at TBTS in 2007. He
does a marvelous French accent throughout the show playing the
shady police inspector. Christopher's song is called "Chimp in a
Suit" when he makes fun of Freddy being too low class for Lawrence to take
him on as a pupil, calling him a minkey in it. One of the first
women, we meet is Muriel Eubanks of Omaha, a tourist in France who falls
for Lawrence's fake prince routine, giving him all her jewelry. Muriel is
wonderfully played by Stacey Geer who I acted with in "A Christmas Carol"
at the Newport Playhouse back in 1985. She first appears on her balcony
wrapped in a sheet after a romp in the hay with Lawrence "What Was a Woman
to Do?". It is sung by Muriel and the ladies that Lawrence
swindled. After meeting several times Andre decides he really likes her
singing the duet, "Like Zis Like Dat". They also have some risque funny
lines about their drunken night together with them uttering "Our legs were
wrapped around each other" while wearing sunglasses. Last but not least is
the scene stealing Rachel Rice as the very wealthy, Jolene who decides to
marry Lawrence. She sings "Oklahoma?" as Jolene
squeals and kicks up her heels like a real country girl, doing a show
stopping country western number with the ensemble and Al. She reminds you
of Ado Annie from "Oklahoma" by Rodgers and Hammerstein but to prove
it isn't their version Yazbek gives Jolene the comic lyric of "I'm going
to shoot those fuckers". The crazy antics among Al, Jason and Rachel
in the "Ruprecht" song is hilarious, too. The other cast members play
various roles throughout the show and sing and dance up a
storm. Press night isn't complete without the sumptuous buffet
prepared by chef, Duane Crowe and his beautiful
wife, Karleen at the Bistro by the Sea. (Their son, Adam who is an
actor and choreographer is one of the bartenders as well
as one of the waiters.) The delectable food included chicken
wings, pasta salad and salad assorted desserts including fruit
and chocolate chip cake. So for a fabulous close to their 76th
season, catch "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" before the con ends at
Matunuck. (They announced their season for next year with the shows, "A
Chorus Line", "Hello Dolly", "Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Full
Monty".).
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS ( 12 August
to 6 September, 2009)
Theatre-by-the-Sea, 364 Card's Pond Road,
Matunuck, RI
|
