IF SOMETHING’S ROTTEN, IT SURE ISN’T
THIS DELIGHTFUL PRODUCTION
If you’re ready for a break from the woes of daily life and tragic news cycles but can’t swing a European getaway, head on over to Arrow St Arts in a quaint corner of Harvard Square where Moonbox Productions is mounting a delightful Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Though the stage and set are relatively small, Moonbox is well-versed in using the intimate space to their advantage. Walking into the theatre, the house music playing is distinctly French and lush. From the top of the overture, elegantly dressed couples enchant us by dancing right up to where the stage ends and the audience begins. Thanks to the creative choreography of Brad Reinking, the eye-catching costumes of E Rosser, and the smart lighting team of Andrea Sala and Liam Corley, we are already drawn in to the seductive ambiance of the French Riviera even before any words are spoken. The ensemble also deserves credit here, for embodying the mood and executing the moves seamlessly even as the audience can see every breath up close and personal.
Phil Tayler and company
The basic plot is identical to the 1988 movie on which it is based, while Jeffrey Lane’s book adds some characters and pizazz. Two conmen who meet in an unlikely way will switch off having the upper hand on one another. Each has their own schtick: One pretends to be royalty to woo rich and willing women, the other, who is younger, plays up his schlubby nature, pretending to be down-and-out to win sympathy and money. Eventually, à la My Fair Lady where high-class Henry Higgins tries to educate and elevate poor Eliza Doolittle (but with a twist!), the younger con artist asks to be sculpted into a star pupil to learn the ways of high-class conning in the hopes of ending up as wealthy as his rival. Through various twists and turns, this great team-up leads to many comic moments, and some surprisingly touching ones as well. In their final scene together, the duo looks like they are truly enjoying themselves (not just the characters, but the actors themselves); that sentiment is palpable to us as well.
Shonna McEachern and company
The Company
As the faux-prince and elder conman, Matthew Zahnzinger is perfectly affected. In a role that would be easy to make all-too schticky, he gives a well-balanced performance, physically, emotionally and vocally. Phil Tayler plays equally well as his younger counterpart; this role calls for more physicality, and Tayler nails it. The third main player, an earnest love interest and possible foil for them both, is charmingly played by Shonna McEachern. At the opening matinee, her sound could have been bumped up a bit more for her exuberant entrance number, but her overall performance was everything you want from the role.
Miki Grubic, Shonna McEachern and Jake Siffert
Matthew Zahnzinger, Phil Tayler and Sophie Shaw
A highlight of this show are the songs by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, The Band’s Visit). He takes advantage of the setting of France to play with the French language, and Latin too. This leads to more opportunities for rhyme and wordplay than limiting oneself to just the English language, which he never shies away from. For example, a personal favorite is from McEachern’s “I Want” song as she bursts on the scene: “So, Veni Vidi Vici, folks/Let’s face it/Je suis ici, folks!”
The Cast
The show’s secondary couple’s romance (a caricature of a corrupt but charming French police officer and a lady left in the lurch by one of the conmen) leads to another multi-lingual zinger with a delicious grammar pun: “If ze past were plus parfait / We’d have met another day / When we both were young and gay / And thin / But the present’s rather tense / So I think it makes some sense / For us to both give up / Give in.” What a gem.
The Cast
Because the lyrics go by so quickly (and if one is unfamiliar with the other languages), Moonbox Productions and expert director Allison Olivia Choat (who is also Associate Artistic Director and Founding Partner of Moonbox) put their mission of accessibility into action by having supertitles projected onto the proscenium throughout the show. With the wit of many of the lyrics (and some caricature-y French and German accents), it is a welcome aspect of the production.
Phil Tayler
A final thumbs up goes to this theatre for partnering with a local non-profit with each show, to raise awareness for their cause, create connections for them within the community, and increase the reach and impact of their work. In light of this show they have chosen what feels to be a perfect partnership: Women’s Money Matters, an organization that builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low incomes through a unique program that combines instructional workshops and personal, one-to-one coaching. The organization’s goal is to empower women to improve their financial health and to create a more secure future for their families and communities. Even just by knowing the iconic title Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, you can see why having the theatre shine a light on a local non-profit like Women’s Money Matters feels so right. Well done, Moonbox and the whole team behind this delightful Scoundrels.
photos by Molly Shoemaker
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Moonbox Productions
Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St in Cambridge, MA
Thurs at 7:30; Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2
ends on October 20, 2024
for tickets ($55), visit Moonbox
