The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre will once again bring an area premiere production to the Frederick-area stage. Having been the first to bring shows such as Jerry Herman's La Cage aux Folles, Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl - The Musical, Mel Brooks' The Producers, as well as a regional theatre premiere production of The Wedding Singer to western Maryland audiences, Way Off Broadway is adding the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to the list of firsts. The outrageously funny musical opens September 10th and will run through November 7th.
Based on the popular 1988 film,
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels centers on two con men living on the French Riviera. The first is the suave and sophisticated
Lawrence Jameson, who makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money. The other, a small-time crook named Freddy Benson, more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother's failing health. At first Lawrence takes Freddy under his wing, but when the two end up going head-to-head to try and be the first to take American soap queen Christine Colgate for $50,000, their plotting and scheming leads to twists, turns, laughs, and a surprise ending.
The original Broadway cast was a who's who of Broadway headliners, led by
John Lithgow as
Lawrence Jameson and
Norbert Leo Butz as Freddy Benson. Butz won both the Tony and Drama Desk Award for Lead Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of the crass conman. Also in the cast were
Sherie Rene Scott as Christine Colgate,
Joanna Gleason as Muriel Eubanks, and
Gregory Jbara as Andre.
Stepping into the expensive shoes of the debonair conman
Lawrence Jameson in Way Off Broadway's production is
Bill Kiska; with
Jordan Stocksdale taking on the role of the his not-so-high class protégée, Freddy Benson.
Kelly Nealon returns to land and WOB to play the part of sweet, innocent, and naive Christine Colgate, after having last performed for the Disney Cruise Line onboard the Disney Wonder. Theater veterans Susan Thornton and Samn Huffer find themselves as part of the con game as Muriel Eubanks and Police Chief Andre Thibault, respectively. Making her WOB debut is Jaimie Hoover, joining the cast as crude oil heiress Jolene Oaks. The company also includes Justin Beard, Jessica Billones, Chelsea Bondarenko, Amy Cavaness, John Grimsley, and
Jeremy Trammelle.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels had its world premiere at the
Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California before opening at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway in January 2005. Directed by
Jack O'Brien and choreographed by
Jerry Mitchell, the Broadway production ran for a total of 663 performances, receiving 11 Tony Award nominations and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations. Now, it's time for Frederick audiences to "get taken" by this "deliciously rotten" comedy making its area premiere at WOB!
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has a book by
Jeffrey Lane with music and lyrics by
David Yazbek. Way Off Broadway's production is directed by the Justin M. Kiska with choreography by Amanda Patten and musical direction by Eric Seebach. Production and stage management is by Betsey Whitmore Brannen.
The show opens September 10th and continue through November 7, 2010. Performances are every Friday and Saturday evening, with matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of each month, and early evening shows on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Tickets are currently on sale and may be purchased by contacting the Box Office.
For additional information about
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, or any of Way Off Broadway's shows, including its current Children's Theatre production of
Charlotte's Web or the upcoming interactive murder mystery event,
American Icon: This Competition is Murder!, visit
www.wayoffbroadway.com or contact the theatre at (301) 662-6600.
The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre has been a leader in the region's performing arts community since it first opened in 1995. Under the direction of the Kiska Family since 2002, WOB has produced such productions as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Guys & Dolls, Steel Magnolias, Oklahoma!, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, The Odd Couple, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Evita, and Cats, as well as the regional and area premieres of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl - The Musical, Jerry Herman's La Cage aux Folles, the musical comedy The Wedding Singer, and Mel Brooks' The Producers. Located along Route 40 West, the Golden Mile in Frederick, the theatre also produces a one-of-a-kind children's lunch theatre, as well as countless special events throughout the year. Way Off Broadway's 2011 Mainstage Season features Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, Hairspray, Chicago, and Christmas Tidings.
Photo: Bill Kiska as Lawrence Jameson, Jordan Stocksdale as Freddy Benson, and Kelly Nealon as
Christine Colgate
