Drayton Entertainment is bringing Broadway’s musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse for its Canadian premiere.
Scamming, scheming, and double-crossing are par for the course in the comedy on stage beginning June 18.
Based on the 1988 film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels centres on two con men living on the French Riviera – the suave and sophisticated Lawrence Jameson, who makes a lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money, and a small-time crook named Freddy Benson, who more humbly swindles women by stirring their compassion with conjured sentimental stories.
After a chance meeting, the two attempt to work together, only to find that the small French town isn’t big enough for both of them.
So, they make a bet: the first to swindle $50,000 from a young heiress will triumph, while the other must leave town. What follows is a series of schemes and double-crosses where nothing is quite what it seems.
An outstanding cast of performers has been assembled under the direction of Alex Mustakas, including such Drayton Entertainment favourites as Brian McKay (the mesmerizing Mr. Paravacini in the company’s winter production of The Mousetrap at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse), and Stephen Patterson (the intense American GI in the 2007 presentation of Miss Saigon at Huron Country Playhouse).
Heather McGuigan is making her Drayton Entertainment debut in the role of Christine Colgate, the beautiful and kind-hearted heiress to an American soap empire.
The cast is further includes Christy Adamson, Patrick Brown, Eric Coles, Michael Donald, Sarah Harries, Jessica Horn, Keely Hutton, Victoria Lamond, Allison McCaughey, Chris McFadden, Melanie McInenly, Rebecca Poff, Stephen Roberts, Patrick Stiles and Mike Tracz.
Featuring music and lyrics by David Yazbek (The Full Monty), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opened on Broadway in 2005 to rave reviews and went on to receive 11 Tony award nominations, including for best musical.
Advance ticket sales for the show have been brisk. As the production is already over 80% sold out, Mustakas encourages theatergoers to buy their tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels plays eight shows a week through July 12. Tickets can be ordered by calling the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse Box Office at (519) 747-7788 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463. Visit www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com.
