I very much enjoyed "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" last night at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The show is a part of the Marcus Center's Broadway Across America series and runs through Sunday, Aug. 19. The show was entertaining indeed, with singing to please the ear and dancing to please the eye.
The tour comes to us from New York City, where it ran in 2005 and 2006. Wauwatosa native, Joe Cassidy, recently joined the tour and stars as Andre Thibault, assistant to Lawrence Jameson, seasoned scoundrel. Cassidy was a member of the original Broadway company where he appeared as both Andre and Freddy.
The story centers on two con men living in the French Riviera with a bet to see who can be the first to swindle $50,000 from a wealthy young lady vacationing there. The man to get the money wins, and the loser must leave town. The con men are quick-witted, providing a plethora of humorous dialogue, and the plot is as crafty and convoluted as they come -- with a surprise around every corner. Furthermore, there is plenty of talk about sex, which never fails to keep one's attention.
The show was originally slated to come to Milwaukee in January, but the tour was halted for three weeks at that time to rework some of the staging. The tinkering apparently paid off -- the turning stage created a wonderful illusion, and the delayed show delighted with fun-filled numbers such as "Oklahoma?" and "Rüffhousin' mit Schüffhausen."
The characters Christine and Freddy more than do justice to the beautiful duet, "Nothing is Too Wonderful to Be True." Apparently, I was not the only one who appreciated the talented cast's efforts, as the packed house rose to its feet as the curtain fell.
Jessica Laub was born in Milwaukee in the spring of 1970, thereafter spending her childhood days enjoying the summers on the shores of Lake Michigan and winters at the toboggan chute in Brown Deer Park.
Alas, she moved away to broaden her horizons, and studied out East for a few years at Syracuse University. After a semester "abroad" at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, she graduated with a B.A. in English and advertising.
After college, she worked at Glacier National Park, a ski hill in Steamboat, Col. and organic farms in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California.
In 1995, Laub moved to Nicaragua where she worked on community gardens, reforestation and environmental education as a Peace Corps volunteer. While there, she learned to speak Spanish, pay attention to world politics and how to make tortillas.
Laub then returned to Milwaukee to join the ranks of the non-profit sector. Currently, she works at the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) and keeps busy by painting, throwing pots, reading, trying to understand her two-year old son, seeing performances and howling at the moon.
