The troupe that will play The Old Globe in San Diego this fall and Broadway's Imperial Theatre starting Feb. 14, 2005, includes Timothy J. Alex, Andrew Asnes, Roxane Barlow, Joe Cassidy, Julie Conners, Rachel deBenedet, Laura Marie Duncan, Sally Mae Dunn, Rick Faugno, Tom Galantich, Jason Gillman, Greg Graham, Amy Heggins, Grason Kingsberry, Rachelle Rak and Tony Yazbeck.
As previously announced, opening at the Imperial is set for March 17, 2005. Jack O'Brien directs the musical, reuniting with his Full Monty collaborators David Yazbek (music and lyrics) and Jerry Mitchell (choreographer). Jeffrey Lane ("Mad About You") penned the libretto, drawing on the motion picture of the same name about con-men who prey on a vulnerable woman in the French Riviera.
Performances begin at the Old Globe Sept. 15 and continue to Nov. 7. Opening in California is set for Sept. 22.
As previously announced, the leads are Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow in the role of Lawrence Jameson (played by Michael Caine in the movie) and Norbert Leo Butz in the role of Freddy Benson (played by Steve Martin in the picture).
Here's how producers are describing the show: "Based on the popular 1988 film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels centers on two con men living in the French Riviera. The first is suave and sophisticated con artist Lawrence Jameson (Lithgow). The other, a small-time crook named Freddy Benson (Butz), more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother's failing health. After meeting on a train, they unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that this small French town isn't big enough for the two of them. They agree on a settlement: the first one to extract $50,000 from a young female target, heiress Christine Colgate (Scott), wins and the other must leave town. A hilarious battle of cons ensues, bringing out the best and worst in each man, along with a fun, unexpected twist that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the end." *
O'Brien (The Invention of Love) and Mitchell (Never Gonna Dance, Broadway Bares) also teamed on Imaginary Friends.
Yazbek was Tony-nommed for the score to The Full Monty.
The creative team for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels includes David Rockwell (scenic designer), Gregg Barnes (costume designer), Kenneth Posner (lighting designer), Acme Sound Partners (sound), Ted Sperling (music director), Zane Mark (dance music), Harold Wheeler (orchestrations).
The Broadway producers are West Egg Entertainment, Producers 4, David Brown, Roy Furman, Amanda Lipitz, Jay Harris, Chase Mishkin, Ruth Hendel, Dede Harris/Sharon Karmazin, Scott Prisand, Debra Black, Clear Channel Entertainment and Harvey Weinstein. The executive producers are Marty Bell and Aldo Scrofani. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is produced by arrangement with MGM On Stage.
For more information about tickets to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at The Old Globe, contact the Globe's ticket services office at (619) 23-GLOBE or visit the Globe website at www.TheOldGlobe.org.
