Photos by Molly Shoemaker
by Michele Markarian
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”. Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek. Book by Jeffrey Lane. Directed by Allison Olivia Choat. Presented by Moonbox Productions, One Arrow Street, Cambridge, through Oct. 20.
There’s a lot to love – and a ton of talent – in Moonbox Productions’ “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” a musical tale of three con artists looking to grift off of the well-to-do in the fictional town of Beaumont sur Mer on the French Riviera. Based on the 1988 film with Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Hedley (actually a remake of a film from 1964 called “Bedtime Story”), “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” was made into a Broadway musical that opened in 2005 and starred John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott. Having enjoyed the 1988 film and the Broadway musical, I went to see the Moonbox production with high expectations. With strong direction, an excellent cast, and a wonderful ensemble of singers and dancers, it did not disappoint.
Lawrence Jameson (a droll Matthew Zahnzinger) is a self-made “Prince,” complete with a faux British accent and attire. His specialty is seducing rich women out of their money and jewels. When small-time con Freddy Benson (a down-and-out Phil Tayler) witnesses Lawrence’s finesse, he begs him to teach him all that he knows. At first, Lawrence resists, but then he sees something useful in Freddy and agrees to take him on. Things get complicated when the lovely Christine (Shonna McEachern) enters the scene. The two men make a bet as to who can swindle her for fifty thousand dollars, but in the process, both fall in love with her, upping the stakes of the competition. In the meantime, there’s an even bigger con artist at large that they have yet to discover, whose moniker is The Jackal.
The book is a lot of fun and full of plot twists that will keep you guessing. The repartee is witty, such as the exchange over a woman between Lawrence and his right-hand man, Andre (Julius P. Williams): “Her people are in oil.” “Crude?” Lawrence asks. “Well, she is a little pushy,” he replies. When Christine asks Freddy if she should use an umlaut while addressing a letter to a fictitious Austrian doctor, he responds with, “No, you smell great”, which gets a huge laugh from the audience as Tayler’s delivery is impeccable.
The cast is terrific. Zahnzinger and Tayler revel in their roles, with a chemistry that’s palpable despite their friction. As Andre, Williams has some of the best lines: “We will miss you,” he says to one of the many women trying to get close to the Prince. “Will you?” “Only if you leave,” is his response (I need to save that line for future use). Williams also has a beautiful voice, as evidenced in the melodic “Like Zis, Like Zat”. Tayler and McEachern reach the heights of hilarity with “Love Is My Legs,” and Zahnzinger and Tayler knock it out of the park with the showstopping “Dirty Rotten Number.” Tader Shipley, as Jolene, an overeager suitor of the Prince, delivers her home state song “Oklahoma” with enthusiasm and verve. The lively and talented chorus, well-costumed by E Rosser and well-choreographed by Brad Reinking, waltz in and out, sometimes at amusingly inappropriate times, in mimicry of the action being played before them. It’s one of the best uses of the chorus I’ve seen in a musical. Payton Tavares’s set, while sleek and attractive, seems to belong to another show; its sparse neon linear tubing against a black background suggests a more modern and urban setting rather than the luxurious and light-filled French Riviera. Under the competent direction of Allison Olivia Choat and the musical direction of Catherine Strornetta, this production shimmers. For tickets and information, go to: https://moonboxproductions.org/
