Charlatans HaveTheir Day at the Old Town Playhouse

Sept. 28, 2014

Traverse City is harboring some con men, some flim flam artists, some grifters, some swindlers–some dirty rotten scoundrels.

The mountebanks in question are Lawrence Jamieson and Freddy Benson, a pair of hustlers who prey on women, vying for their attention in order to bilk them out of their money and self-respect. Not to worry, though. They’re just characters from the upcoming production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Traverse City’s Old Town Playhouse.

Director Michelle Perez says it’s a perfect example of how a successful movie can be reimagined as a stage play. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Michael Caine as Jamieson and Steve Martin as Benson. A suave, aristocratic Brit, Jamieson seduces wealthy women and swindles them out of their money to maintain his extravagant lifestyle on the Mediterranean coast of France. Benson, an obnoxious American hustler, decides to search for easy marks in Jamieson’s home base of Beaumont-sur-Mer.

THE NEW BRANDOS

The two match wits as they attempt to fleece and–when that fails–seduce a wealthy American heiress on vacation in the French Riviera. Their plans are further complicated by a pervasive worry about crossing paths with a legendary con artist known only as The Jackal.

Originally derived from the 1964 movie Bedtime Story starring David Niven and Marlon Brando, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was rewritten as a musical comedy in 2004. The show enjoyed a 626-performance run on Broadway, as well as successful national tours and a production in the U.K.

The play offers 19 roles: six principals and 13 ensemble members. Perez says casting the play was difficult, but she is excited by the end result. "Casting is always grueling. We had 37 people try out. It could have been cast three different ways," she says, calling the casting the hardest she’s ever done. Ultimately, she was pleased with what everyone brought to the table. "In terms of the cast, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Everyone in the chorus could be a lead vocalist. It makes me feel awesome," Perez says.

She’s hopeful the audience will feel the same way. Not only is she enthusiastic about the cast, but she explains that the music, costuming and set design bring life to a hilarious story. "We use every bit of space" says Perez, for their numerous sets. The play takes place at numerous locations, including a villa, casino and hotel room.

HUMOR AND MUSIC

Perez is an old hand at making use of all the space the facility has to offer. She’s directed musicals like Chicago and The Producers at Old Town Playhouse, both shows with a similarly large cast. "You maximize every opportunity you have," she says, whether that’s onstage, downstage, or even in the audience’s mind.

Perez is especially smitten with the lush music that accompanies the sometimes slapstick, wacky comedy. "It’s kind of a juxtaposition between this beautiful music and the Mel Brooks-type humor," she says. "The music is gorgeous. You’d think the music would be kind of poppy, but it’s some nice jazz pieces, beautiful ballads, even a rock-ish country tune."

Perez says the music helps aid the transformation from film to stage play. "Anything can become a song," she says. "There’s a song about enjoying the grift–a love song. They add more songs to bring life to the relationships."

The production is suggested for audiences 18 and over due to its frequent use of mild adult language and situations. "It’s The Producers meets The Pink Panther on the set of Blazing Saddles," Perez says.

According to Perez, making something old new again for an audience that is already familiar with the story can be challenging. "You have audience expectations and you don’t want them to be disappointed. When I took on the show I made the decision to not recreate the film," she explains. "It’s a different animal than the film, [although] you know who the characters are."

DIFFERENT SHOWS EVERY NIGHT

With a schedule of performances throughout October, there will be multiple opportunities to see the show. Perez says the energy changes from night to night. Some attendees like to see opening night, when it’s all new to the actors. Others prefer to see the closing show, when everyone is gathering their energy for one final hurrah.

Perez acknowledges that, as the run continues, the actors become more familiar with–and confident in–their roles. "Like anything, you grow more comfortable in the life of the presentation," she says. "As a director, you don’t want it to change at all during the run, [but] my hope is that everything grows the more you do it."

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels runs Thursday through Sunday beginning Oct. 3 and closing Oct. 25. For tickets and more information, visit www.OldTownPlayhouse.com.