Dirty Rotten Scoundrel Norbert Leo Butz Delivers Hilarity

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels adds nothing new to the development of the American Musical Theatre.  Its score for the most part is mediocre, the humor is of the variety which was considered old hat fifty years ago and the characters are two dimensional.  However, all that is forgotten when you watch the lively National Touring Company which premiered in Dallas on October 3.  The energetic cast puts over the uninspired material and it appears fresh and spontaneous leading to some rousing entertainment.  The driving force responsible for nearly all of this exuberance can be summed up in three words: Norbert Leo Butz. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels premiered on Broadway in 2005 and ran for a year and a half.  Its creative team had previously been responsible for The Full Monty—David Yazbek (Music and Lyrics), Jack O'Brien (Direction) and Jerry Mitchell (Choreography).  The Book is by Jeffrey Lane.  It was based on a 1988 film of the same name—which was in turn a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story.  The story is about two con artists on the French Rivera and their various misadventures.

As the younger of the two con men, Mr. Butz is charged with delivering most of the broad humor found in the proceedings, and boy, does he deliver!  Whether portraying a foreign prince who is "special" or a Sergeant who requires emotional healing, his antics were priceless.  He delivered double and sometimes even triple entendres with baby-like innocence that quadrupled their humor.  His spills, pratfalls and various walks were worthy of a limbered acrobat.  He displayed the kind of superior timing one would find in a Rolex.  His facile performance totally dominated the evening's proceedings.

Although it was hard be noticed amid such hoopla, other cast members did fine work as well.  As the older of the con men, Tom Hewitt was an excellent foil for Mr. Butz.  He also had a nice way with a German accent and displayed a pleasant voice in one of the show's few romantic numbers, "Love Sneaks In."

Laura Marie Duncan as the object of the con men's "affections" almost stole the show with rapid fire comic delivery and a beautiful singing voice in the ballad "Nothing is Too Wonderful To Be True."  Drew McVerty and Hollis Resnik provided accomplished vocalizing and true passionate feeling as a romantic secondary couple who scored big with the ballad, "Like Zis/Like Zat."  Jennifer Foote enlivened the action with the comic "Oklahoma?".

As previously mentioned, Mr. Yazbek's score was sub par.  Except for the numbers already mentioned, the songs dispensed with a melodic line and employed simple rhythmic force.  His lyrics were pedestrian and predictable.  I wish that he had created more moving ballads and less cheap comedy numbers.

Mr. O'Brien recreated his staging for the National Company.  He has directed Butz & Company to play the broad comedy as broad as the Pacific—and for the most part, it works.  He employed a couple of nice touches: the actors come off the stage and interact with the audience—at one point, a character leads the orchestra!

There were a few moments when discretion might have been applied to achieve a more subtle humorous effect.  The pacing of the musical was also uneven—a somewhat loose First Act lead to a much tighter Second Act.  Mr. Mitchell's choreography wasn't worthy of note except for the stylish "The More We Dance" number.

However, this diversion is held together by Mr. Butz's riotous performance.  You will literally split your sides laughing watching him enact the role that won him a Tony Award.  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels continues at the Dallas Summer Musicals through October 22.  For more information, please select its website.

Photo 1:  Hollis Resnik, Norbert Leo Butz

Photo 2:  Norbert Leo Butz, Tom Hewitt

Photo Credit:  Joan Marcus