DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS CONS ITS WAY INTO CLEVELAND

The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Touring Company. Photo by Carol Rosegg

There are no government officials from Nigeria involved, no Irish sweepstakes tickets that you didn’t buy, and no Belgian treasury checks awaiting you if you send in a little money to process the claim.  No cons like that—no sir!  Oh, you’ll be taken for a ride in DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, but you’ll love it.

Remember the comedy in musical comedy?  Remember well-structured, hummable songs with witty and catchy lyrics?  Remember still chuckling as you leave the theater?  Well, it’s all here, folks, and that’s no con!

The national tour of the scheming hit Broadway musical DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is coming to the Palace Theatre at Playhouse Square as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series June 12-24.  DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS reunites David Yazbek (music and lyrics) with Tony Award winners Jack O’Brien (direction) and Jerry Mitchell (choreography), the Tony-nominated team behind The Full Monty.  The raucous new musical comedy features a book by Jeffrey Lane that has kept audiences laughing, humming, and guessing to the very end since it opened on Broadway.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, an adaptation of the 1988 film previously adapted from the 1964 film Bedtime Story, centers on two con men living on the French Riviera:  the suave and sophisticated Lawrence Jameson, who makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money; and a small-time crook named Freddy Benson, who swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother’s failing health. 

After meeting on a train, they unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this small French town isn’t big enough for the two of them.  So, they make a bet: the first one to swindle $50,000 from a young heiress triumphs, and the other must leave town.  What follows are a series of schemes, masquerades, and double-crosses in which nothing may ever be exactly what it seems.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS opened on Broadway in March, 2005, to rave reviews.  The New York Times’ Ben Brantley called it “The most eagerly awaited new musical of the season.”  Clive Barnes of the New York Post raved “A knockout punch to Broadway’s funnybone! One of the liveliest, funniest, best-performed musicals in years.  Super-smart and superior in every way.”  And Terry Teachout (The Wall Street Journal) proclaimed, “I know funny when I see it, and this show is a perfect hoot! A big hit.”

Leading the cast are Tom Hewitt (Lawrence Jameson) and  D.B. Bonds (Freddy Benson).  Hewitt has appeared on Broadway as the title role in Dracula, The Musical; as Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, for which he was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk awards; and as Scar in The Lion King.  Other Broadway credits include The Boys from Syracuse, School for Scandal and The Sisters Rosenzweig.  He has toured as Officer Lockstock in the national tour of Urinetown.  His other credits include Off-Broadway, award-winning regional theater, and television.

Bonds has appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.  His Off-Broadway credits include The Last Five Years and The Ark; he has also been in the national tours of The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

Find out why DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is “musical-comedy heaven…and one of the most deliciously funny, smashing shows of the last 20 years.”

And that’s no con.

Synopsis and Musical Numbers

Act One

As the show opens, it is summer in Beaumont Sur Mer, a glamorous resort on the French Riviera.  The season is just beginning for the town’s leading citizen, Lawrence Jameson, a debonair British con artist posing as the deposed prince of a fictitious country.  Targeting wealthy women who are all too happy to finance the prince’s mission to regain his throne, Lawrence sees it as a fair exchange for the fantasies of adventure and romance he has to offer (The Only Game in Town).

Lawrence learns that his domain has been invaded by a clever young American con artist nicknamed “The Jackal.”  Returning from a banking trip to Switzerland, he comes face to face with his so-called competition in the person of Freddy Benson, a small-time drifter passing himself off as a selfless Red Cross worker trying to raise funds to help his ailing grandmother.  Posing as a shy dentist, Lawrence befriends Freddy, who is all too happy to offer him his insights into the mysteries of women, while in the background, Lawrence’s latest conquest, Muriel Eubanks, leads a song praising the prince’s charms (What Was a Woman To Do?).
 
Back on the train, Lawrence makes quick work of Freddy, sending him on a fool’s errand into the Straits of Gibraltar and bids him farewell.  Through a chance encounter with Muriel, Freddy realizes he has been duped and starts planning a little revolution of his own.

Freddy tracks Lawrence down to his villa, takes one look around and realizes that this is the life for him (Great Big Stuff).  A little cajoling, a little blackmail, and Freddy convinces Lawrence to take him on as his protégé, despite the warnings of Andre, Lawrence’s right hand man, who also happens to be the town’s Chief of Police (Chimp in a Suit).

As part of Freddy’s education, he observes the prince’s wooing of Oklahoma oil heiress Jolene Oakes.  Unfortunately, Jolene is a bit more feisty than Lawrence had anticipated.  Just a girl who can’t hear no, she has already started planning their wedding and life together out on the prairie (Oklahoma?).  Realizing he must find a way to dampen Jolene’s ardor, Lawrence enlists Freddy’s help and introduces his intended to his little brother, the mad Prince Ruprecht (All About Ruprecht).  The ploy is successful, and Jolene hurries back home.

The next day Lawrence and Freddy are celebrating their spontaneous partnership at Beaumont’s Grand Hotel.  The harmony is short-lived, however, as the two soon quarrel.  Realizing Beaumont isn’t big enough for both of them, they make a bet – the first man to extract $50,000 from a selected female target will stay on as the reigning prince, while the other must leave town.  The challenge set, the only question is “Who’s the mark?”  The answer comes with the arrival of Christine Colgate, a beautiful, young (and fatally clumsy) heiress known as the American Soap Queen, out for her first taste of life on the Riviera (Here I Am).

That night at the casino Lawrence is back in his guise as the prince. He is about to introduce himself to the Soap Queen when he is interrupted by a young American soldier in a wheelchair – Freddy in his new role of Sgt. “Buzz” Benson.  It seems that Buzz has a rare psychological condition, having been emotionally paralyzed from the waist down ever since discovering his fiance’s infidelity with the brass section of the orchestra on TV’s “Dance USA.”  His only hope for a cure would be through the care of the eminent psychiatrist, Dr. Emil Shuffhausen of the Shuffhausen Clinic in Vienna.  Unfortunately, the doctor’s fee is beyond his reach -- $50,000. 

Christine is deeply touched by the brave soldier’s story and assures him that when the time comes he’ll have the money.  As the two head off to write a letter to the doctor, Lawrence emerges from the shadows.  Having overheard Freddy’s con, he realizes that the teacher has underestimated the pupil and tries to find a way to turn the game back in his favor.

Up in her hotel suite, Christine begs Freddy not to give up hope (Nothing is Too Wonderful To Be True).  She heads down to the front desk to send off the letter to Vienna, when a miracle occurs.  She rushes back to Freddy with the most wonderful news in the world: Guess who she ran into in the lobby, who just happens to be staying at this very hotel?  None other than Dr. Emil Shuffhausen!  As the curtain falls on Act One, the door opens and the good doctor enters.  It is Lawrence, complete with a smile and a Viennese accent.  He is back in the game (The Miracle).

Act Two

As the second act begins, Dr. Shuffhausen cheerfully embarks on his examination of “Sgt. Benson.”  He pokes, prods, and beats the poor, psychologically paralyzed soldier with a switch, as Freddy struggles to maintain his charade (Ruffhousin’ Mit Shuffhausen).  To Christine’s delight, Lawrence agrees to take on the case.

Down in the hotel lobby, the trio runs into Muriel Eubanks, who has returned, unable to leave the romantic fantasies of Beaumont behind.  Shuffling between the personas of the doctor and the prince, Lawrence realizes the game is in danger of collapsing and enlists Andre to romance Muriel while he gets away.  Although Andre is at first shy and awkward, Muriel is more than happy to instruct him in the art of seduction (Like Zis/Like Zat).

As they tour the night spots of the Riviera, Lawrence begins his “treatment” of Freddy.  He tells Christine that the more fun they have, the more Freddy will want to leap out of his wheelchair and join them (The More We Dance).

Later that night, Lawrence learns that Christine is not an heiress at all.  She was named “The American Soap Queen” in a jingle contest and has been selling off the prizes to pay his $50,000 psychiatric fee.  Touched by her sweetness and generosity, he tells Freddy that the bet is off.  Freddy accuses Lawrence of going soft and proposed a new bet—whoever can seduce Christine first will stay on in Beaumont Sur Mer, while the other leaves town.  Lawrence agrees but refuses to participate – he will simply bet that Freddy fails.

Freddy goes to Christine’s hotel suite and confesses his love for her.  If only she’d love him back, he believes he’d be able to walk again (Love Is My Legs).  As he miraculously rises from his chair and staggers into Christine’s arms, the bet seems to be won, when Lawrence appears and whisks Freddy away.

As the sun is rising, Lawrence realizes he must get Christine safely away from Freddy and takes her to the train station.  His walls beginning to crumble, he reluctantly watches her go and wonders how all this happened (Love Sneaks In).

Back at the hotel Andre and Muriel awaken from a night of romance and too much champagne.  Although clearly drawn to each other, neither is able to take that final step, and the temporary lovers prepare to part.  Freddy appears under Muriel’s balcony and learns from Andre that Christine is gone; he has lost the bet.  He rushes to Christine’s empty room and is about to give up in despair when Christine returns – she really is in love with him.  As they prepare to consummate their relationship, Freddy revels in his victory.  Christine emerges in her nightgown, and they move together. Unfortunately, the heat of the moment and Christine’s natural clumsiness prove too much for them, as the two rush together, accidentally clunk heads, and Freddy is knocked out (Son of Great Big Stuff).

Christine arrives at Lawrence’s villa in tears.  She tells him that she and Freddy made love and fell asleep.  When she woke up, she found that he had absconded with all her possessions – including Dr. Shuffhausen’s $50,000 fee.  Ashamed and contrite, Lawrence decides to make up for Christine’s losses, puts the money in a briefcase and sends her away.  She quickly returns; she can’t take this, it doesn’t belong to her.  Besides, she’ll always have something from him worth so much more.  As she leaves, Freddy is brought in by the police.  The two men accuse each other of backstabbing and double- dealing (The Reckoning). 

At the Beaumont Airport, Andre is about to see Muriel off, when they are finally able to admit their true feelings.  They discover the fantasy they have been seeking has been there all along in each other, and they decide to build a life together.