CON ME IF YOU CAN:
SCOUNDRELS STEAL THE SHOW IN SONOMA

I was a bit reluctant to review this musical based on that hilarious 1988 film with Steve Martin and Michael Caine as Lothario con men in the south coast of France. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has had success from Broadway to Brisbane. Can a small theatre company like Sonoma Arts Live assemble the right local talent to do justice to this classic hit?

I needn’t have wondered.

Tim Setzer, Julianne Bradbury
"Like that, the rose delightful to the nose"

Director Carl Jordan has gathered a cast to shine more brightly than rich women’s jewelry. The basic plot is identical to the 1988 movie on which it is based, but Jeffrey Lane’s book adds some characters and pizzazz. A highlight of this delightful romp are the songs by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, The Band’s Visit); he takes advantage of the French Riviera—in the fictitious resort town of Beaumont-sur-Mer—to play with the French language, and Latin too.

Veteran Larry Williams is Lawrence Jameson, a suave and polished gentleman posing as an impoverished Prince. Williams oozes comic timing with a baritone voice as he helps the women surrender their assets. With the help of his buddy and “bodyguard” Andre (Tim Setzer), the two dust off their aliases to gleefully sing “Give Them What They Want.”

The wealthy ladies are gullible, yet a bit suspicious of the game. When Jameson’s conquest, Muriel (Julianne Bradbury), is abandoned, she sings “What Was a Woman to Do?” She is joined by four women who elucidate their quest for romance while showing off some lovely voices.

Drew Bolander
"She says she loves me?!"

The charlatan charmer Jameson is annoyed to discover Freddy, an upstart young con, has landed in the same town and hopes to score some “Great Big Stuff.” This wildly energetic role is perfectly enacted by Drew Bolander—young , brash and good-looking. Freddy blackmails Jameson to show him the ropes, but Andre warns that Freddy will be nothing more than a “Chimp in a Suit.”

The hysterical highlight of the show occurs when Jameson gives Freddy his chance to dissuade a determined Oklahoma heiress (Emma Sutherland) from a double-barreled marriage to Jameson. When “Ruprecht” is introduced as Jameson’s off-the-wall brother (“All About Ruprecht”), all hell breaks loose and the laughs are abundant. He steals the scene and would make Steve Martin snort—truly a triumphant role of masterful gymnastics and zaniness from Bolander.

Drew Bolander, Joanna Lynn Bert
"I tried to fly but both my wings would cramp."

Moving on to a new target, Jameson and Freddy are tipped off that “The American Soap Queen” (the very pretty Joanna Lynn Bert) has arrived at her hotel suite. The two rascals strike a wager: who can be the first to clean her out of $50,000? The loser agrees to leave town, and the contest is on.

Freddy makes the first move, posing as a crippled veteran who might be cured by a foreign doctor whose fee is – you guessed it — $50,000. The Soap Queen promises payment to such a worthwhile cause and endeavors to contact the doctor, but Jameson gains the upper hand when he learns of the charade and checks into the hotel as the famous doctor on his vacation. When wheelchair-bound Freddy has to endure the doctor’s painful examination, it’s a comic gem.

Hannah Passanisi, Emma Sutherland, Julianne Bradbury, Seana Nicole Maick, Nora Summers
“What Was a Woman to Do?”

After twists and trysts, the ending of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is full of surprises. Will the crooks get what’s coming to them?

Kudos to the ensemble whose various roles add pizzazz to the production. They also dance with style, thanks to choreographer Tara Roberts and dance captain Seana Nicol.

The projection backdrop beautifully sets the scenes from the villa to the hotel to the moonlit balcony, behind a simple stage railing designed by Jordan.

Wow—what a show! Steal away to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Drew Bolander and Larry Williams 
"Dirty Rotten Guys!"

photos by Katie Kelley

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Sonoma Arts Live
Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa St. in Sonoma
Thurs-Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2
ends on July 27, 2025
for tickets ($25-$42), call 707.484.4874 or visit Sonoma Arts

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Cari Pace is a voting member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.