Latest Auditorium musical is no ‘My Fair Lady’

While quoting Professor Higgins’ famous line to Eliza Doolittle, “He’s so delightfully low, so horribly dirty,” Lawrence Jameson sums up “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”
And it’s no My Fair Lady.

This is a show that is not great theater, knows it and doesn’t care. Adapted from the 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, the musical comedy takes its audience on a riotous vacation to the French Riviera where well-established con artist Lawrence Jameson (Brian McKay in the touring production) reigns like the prince he has convinced his victims he is. After a chance encounter with newcomer Freddy Benson (Stephen Patterson), the two engage in a bet: the first man to swindle “soap queen” Christine Colgate (Heather McGuigan) for $50,000 claims victory and remains in the azure coast; the loser packs up and leaves town.

With improbable shenanigans at every transition, the over-the-top script takes shots at everything from American stereotypes to theater itself. A charming side plot keeps the soul of the show intact.

This show is something to see with friends, but despite its childish heart, the kids should really stay home. From the overture of mischievous “doo-doo”-ing by the ensemble to the excellently absurd power ballad “Love Is My Legs,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is filled with singable songs by David Yazbek that will no doubt stick in the head for days after the show.

The cast is competent but, as in the case of most tours, falls in quality compared to the original duo of John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz as Lawrence and Freddy. Butz won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical in the role of Freddy Benson.

Whimsical scenery by David Rockwell, including stained glass palm trees and a full moon at sea that can appear at the snap of a character’s fingers, emphasizes the playful silliness that radiates from the stage while this production occupies it. Jackie Mustakas’s choreography makes for a hilarious ensemble, something rare in American theatre.

Open-minded audience members will love this show for its raucous humor that achieves both wit and vulgarity. From the beginning to the “surprise” ending, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” conveys a sense of fun in the theater, and fun is just a different form of great.