Fans of the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be pleased to hear that the Broadway musical adaptation sticks pretty close to the Steve Martin/Michael Caine comedy.
Sonoma Arts Live has a production directed by Carl Jordan running on the Rotary Stage at the Sonoma Community Center through July 27.
Suave and debonair con man Lawrence Jameson (Larry Williams) has been working a small French Riviera community where he relieves wealthy women of their money, jewels and anything else they offer to a poor prince trying to reclaim his country.
Low-rent American con man Freddy Benson (Drew Bolander) arrives in town and is soon on to Lawrence’s schemes. Freddy doesn’t want in; he wants to learn how to pull off such cons himself. Lawrence takes him under his wing a bit and uses him to extricate himself from an unwanted Oklahoman (Emma Sutherland) with a mind for marriage. After that task is complete, Lawrence wants to be rid of Freddy, but Freddy isn’t going anywhere.
They decide to make a bet. The first person to extract $50k from a mark wins, and the loser leaves town. They decide the mark will be the new arrival, Miss Christine Colgate (Joanna Lynn Bert), better known as the American Soap Queen. The game’s afoot, but just who is conning who?
Bolander shows why he’s become the North Bay’s go-to guy for musical comedy. His charm blunts the occasional crassness of the character, and he possesses one of the finest singing voices around. He’s also a terrific physical performer who communicates as much through movement as he does with voice.
Williams, a good character actor, lacks the stateliness, style, and, quite frankly, the voice to really pull off Jameson, but he does come alive when his Dr. Schaffhausen arrives on the scene.
The women really shine in this production. Bert is great as Christine, as are Sutherland and Julianne Bradbury as two of Lawrence’s victims. All display excellent comedic and vocal chops.
Tim Setzer provides reliable comic support as Lawrence’s “bodyguard,” and there’s a very hardworking ensemble handling most of Tara Roberts’ choreography.
Director Jordan makes good use of the space, but makes some curious blocking choices that mute some of the show’s most comedic scenes. The show also suffers a bit from some references that might have played better in another era (Trump? P Diddy?).
Minor revisions aside, folks headed for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will get exactly what they expect.
And songs.
Sonoma Arts Live presents ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ through July 27 on the Rotary Stage at Andrews Hall in the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $25-$42. 707.484.4874. sonomaartslive.org.
