DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS Opens 5/23 in Toronto

GINA ANKI, Artistic Director of CATS MAINSTAGE THEATRE COMPANY, announced today that the company will present the scamming, scheming, double-crossing Broadway hit DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS May 23 to May 26 2013 at Toronto's historic Theatre Passe Muraille.

Based on the hit 1988 MGM film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS follows two con men in their attempt to fleece women on the French Riviera. The first, a small-time crook named Freddy Benson swindles women by waking their compassion with stories about his grandmother's failing health. The other, a smooth talking, sophisticated con artist Lawrence Jameson makes his living by talking rich ladies out of their money on a much grander scale. They attempt to work together only to find that this small French town isn't big enough for the two of them. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS places the audience in the middle of a hilarious battle of cons with unexpected twists that will keep them laughing, humming and guessing to the end.

Nominated in 2005 for an outstanding ten TONY AWARDS and ten DRAMA DESK AWARDS including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS features music and lyrics by David Yazbek and book by Jeffrey Lane. The Original Broadway production starred Norbert Leo Butz in his TONY and DRAMA DESK Award winning performance as Freddy, as well as John Lithgow as Lawrence, Joanna Gleason, and Sherie Rene Scott.

The CATS MAINSTAGE THEATRE COMPANY production features a cast of over twenty of Toronto's brightest young actors, singers, and dancers between the ages of 12 and 19. These pre-professional artists are mentored through an intensive training experience by a creative team boasting some of Canada's top artists. NICOLA PANTIN, whose credits include countless productions at the Stratford Festival and Young People's Theatre, joins the team as choreographer. Toronto's CHRIS TSUJIUCHI joins as Musical Director after touring extensively with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and cabaret sensation SharRon Matthews. At the helm is director ALAIN RICHER, whose credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown and The Last 5 Years with Collective Productions in Kingston.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS runs from May 23 to May 26 at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto, ON. Tickets range from $15-$30 (plus applicable service fees) and are available now by calling the Arts Box Office at (416) 504-7529 or by visitingartsboxoffice.ca