I must admit I was a bit tentative about seeing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The movie starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin has become a standard around our house, and Ruprecht is often quoted around our table.

How could the stage version compete? Don't get me wrong, I was really excited about seeing John Lithgow and Joanna Gleason onstsage.

I was also curious about the hubub around Norbert Leo Butz's performance. I saw him as Fiyero in Wicked and he was fine, but let's face it, it's not a real star-turn, stop-the-show sort of part.

The book is by Jeffrey Lane and the music and lyrics are by David Yazbek who also wrote The Full Monty. I never saw The Full Monty but I do like the cast album of that show.

I am happy to report I had an extremely enjoyable evening and left the theater humming (not hummer, humming) the last song "Dirty Rotten Number" which is the acid test for me. Finally a song I'd like to get up on stage and perform! I've found a lot of new shows have pleasant enough, but forgettable scores. But nothing that touches the performer in me and makes me want to BE in that number (Sweet Charity of course is filthy with them...) Not every number in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was wildly memorable, but every number was fun.

I kinda felt it as soon as the orchestra started playing. The spirt of the piece said classic musical comedy, which I also like. So when they did break the fourth wall now and then it didn't bother me, because it didn't feel like the whole piece was one giant "nudge nudge, wink wink" parody. I even liked the "Great Big Stuff" pseudo rap number that Norbert does (and does really well!) despite my best intentions to hate it! The "Love Is My Legs" number (a big audience fav) almost crossed the line for me though, since it is a parody of a big Celine Dion ballad, but it managed to stay on my good side. Maybe because Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott are such fabulous performers and they do it with such heart.

On the subject of Sherie Rene Scott -- that girl can sing! I had heard her on the soundtrack of Debbie Does Dallas and she is an amazing singer. She would make a great "Faith" in Plane Crazy!

John Lithgow, although not a great singer, has amazing charisma and is a joy just to watch, even "if he were reading the phone book", as they say.

The book was very close to the movie and very funny and moved along nicely. They did a nice job of embellishing Muriel Eubanks of Omaha's role for Joanna Gleason and the police chief's role for Gregory Jbara. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, I won't give away the ending!

The set design was wonderful as was the staging. When it's just John and Norbert on a bare stage in lounge chairs at the end singing the "Dirty Rotten" number it worked so beautifully.

The girls wanted t-shirts and I want to go out and buy the CD, and those are both good signs too.

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