Two Thumbs Up and Then Some

Half-expecting a loser, Fiorella and Husband drove into Georgetown last night to see the Palace Theater's latest production, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. After all, an overly-ambitious production of Evita had not moved them so what could they expect of a musical based on a movie? Especially one that a local citizen had complained about in a letter to the editor as "lewd?"

What they got was the hit of the season. The audience was p-a-c-k-e-d and loving every hilarious minute of Scoundrels, constantly stopping the action with laughter and extended applause. In fact, Fio was so busy enjoying the fast-moving musical that she didn't have time to write down many notes.

Wonderful cast. Joe Penrod's portrayal of faux aristocrat "Lawrence Jameson" did the Michael Caine role proud, while Andrew Cannata's Freddy was totally over the top, as it should be--why else did Steve Martin originate the role? And neither Caine nor Cannata had to sing in the bargain. Patty Rowell, Rick Felkins, Michelle Cheney and Suzanne Orzech, who rounded out the major players, were perfection in their own right, not a single one of them miscast. But then look at their credits in the playbill. All are seasoned performers.

What can Fio say? Not only a great cast, but a great script--tight, and clever. Stage direction so good it was invisible. Loved the surrealistic scenery and the band being constantly in view--and acknowledged by the players. Sophisticated dance routines--and how nice to see Jessica Kelpsch hoofing it on the boards again.

So what if some of the actors, especially Freddy, were over-miked. So what if the second act dragged a little--German caricatures are not as funny as they used to be. So what if the multiple endings, as in the movie, seemed a bit confusing. Fio loved the show, and the rest of the audience did too, rising to their feet after the production and continuing to applaud even after the final curtain call.

Oh, and about that lewdness. The play is for mature audiences--no problem in Georgetown, where half of the residents live in Sun City--but it's funny rather than obscene. Not like Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which Fiorella came home from feeling like she needed to take a bath.