‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ is a madcap musical that’s a ton of fun

The Performance Now production playing in Lakewood boasts a powerful cast and tight direction

Beware! The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels have arrived in Lakewood, and they are intent on cleaning you out! Actually, it’s a first-class production of the 2004 Broadway musical based on the 1988 film of the same name. You can now breathe a sigh of relief and sit back and enjoy this energetic, tune-filled production presented by Performance Now Theatre Company at Lakewood Cultural Center.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels takes place in the south of France where con artist Lawrence Jameson (Chris Boeckx) along with his bodyguard Andre Thibault (Jim Hitzke) are cheating wealthy women out of their savings. Enter Freddy Benson (Tim Howard) who is mistakenly thought to be an up-and-coming con artist known as “The Jackal.” For the next two-and-a-half hours, we are treated to the one-upmanship between Jameson and Benson involving a trio of female victims including Jolene (Jenny Weiss), Murial (Melissa Fike), and Christine Colgate (Amy Warner Geiger).

The cast is what makes this production so winning. Starting with the scoundrels, played by Boeckx and Howard, we are treated to two performances providing real showmanship through their comedic timing and solid singing voices. Howard and Boeckx are a duo for the history books rivaling any pair of con artists we might have previously known.

But the excellent casting does not stop with the scoundrels. We are treated to another pair of finely tuned comedic performances by Fike and Hitzke. They are a treat to watch and nearly steal the show with their carnal antics in the song “Like Zis, Like Zat.”

Rounding out the outrageous cast of characters are Geiger as Christine Colgate and Weiss as Jolene. Geiger turns out to be the perfect foil for the scoundrels and ultimately rules the day. Weiss gives a knockout performance in the first act, having been conned by Jameson but refusing to take it lying down. The only word to describe her is “firecracker” and that doesn’t even do her justice.

Also worth mentioning is the ensemble for their vocals and dancing skills. Under the excellent direction of Heather Iris Holt (music director) and Will Treat (choreographer), they provide a perfect backdrop for the ensuing storyline.

Borrowed from Vintage Theatre where he is the artistic director, Bernie Cardell has directed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels by pulling out all stops for an explosive musical treat. Cardell knows what is funny and has capitalized on that throughout the course of the performance, with the action being quick and deliberate without being too unbelievable. It is the top-notch directing that we have come to enjoy from Cardell, and he delivers again with this production.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a madcap adventure that has been successfully mounted by Performance Now Theatre Company. With a strong cast and direction, it is a thoroughly entertaining production from start to finish.