Moonbox Productions, one of the newest additions to the greater Boston theater scene, opened its first full season at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge with a production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” on Sept. 27. Based on the 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine as the titular con men, the musical version of the classic comedy made its Broadway debut in 2005. While Moonbox found three excellent actors to fill its leading roles, their production feels incomplete and leaves much to be desired.
The 16-person cast is anchored by Phil Tayler and Matthew Zahzinger, who step into Martin and Caine’s shoes in the leading roles. Zahzinger is delightful as the polished British con artist Lawrence Jamieson, while Tayler shows off his physical comedy chops as the young American hustler Freddy Benson. The two swindlers meet in Beaumont-sur-Mer, an idyllic fictional town on the French Riviera. Lawrence and Freddy team up to swindle the wealthy women of the town out of their fortunes, but they eventually realize that the town isn’t big enough for the both of them, as they set their sights on American heiress Christine Colgate (Shonna McEachern).
Tayler and Zahzinger make an enjoyable duo, charming the audience with their con-man antics. The young American Zahzinger is convincing as an older British Lawrence, and he brings an air of dignity to the role that makes him stand out amid the chaos of the show. Tayler, meanwhile, brings Alex Brightman-levels of goofiness to his role, delivering many of the night’s funniest lines. McEachern is the strongest singer of the three, giving the show some of its most memorable musical moments, including the stellar “Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True” at the end of Act I. Also featured are the wealthy heiress Muriel Eubanks (Christina English) and police chief André Thibault (Julius P. Williams III), who deliver entertaining performances but get tied up in an unnecessary romantic B-plot that extends the run time of Act II.
Despite his impressive resume, David Yazbek’s score is less than stellar. While audiences may leave the theater humming a few of the songs, most of them are milquetoast melodies that stay past their welcome, and there’s no clear musical through line that connects all of the tunes together. Instead of advancing the plot, many of the songs simply extend comedic bits beyond their expiration date — perhaps “Scoundrels” would have worked better as a straight play, where the actors would’ve had more latitude with their comedy.
Despite the cast’s excellent performances, the show fails to meet expectations with its outdated script, cursory direction and incomplete design elements. The opening night performance was described as a “soft opening,” and the production was lacking some of its key components. The props looked hastily made for a professional production, and some of them were missing onstage — including whatever stolen item Freddy was supposed to show off in the finale. The show’s minimalist set failed to transport audiences to the French Riviera, and actors often performed directly in front of the pit orchestra, making for an awkward stage picture.
While Jeffrey Lane’s book is only about 20 years old, it feels even more outdated, frequently punching down with gags that make fun of the American South and people with disabilities. These kinds of jokes are certainly not off-limits in musicals — shows like “Spamalot” and “The Producers” excel with off-color humor, but much of the comedy in “Scoundrels” fails to translate to a modern audience. And despite the undeniable charm of the leading cast, every character feels one-note and somewhat disconnected from their surroundings — and it doesn’t help that Tayler and Zahzinger are forced to trudge through a menagerie of goofy accents, with varying degrees of success. We don’t even meet our female lead, Christine, until the very end of Act I.
Allison Olivia Choat’s direction also has room for improvement — the stage often feels cluttered, as the majority of the songs see the 10-person ensemble dancing around the tight stage. While choreographer Brad Reinking excels in his work for the tango-infused number “The More We Dance,” many of the songs are full of cheesy and unpolished choreography that doesn’t gel with the show’s suave atmosphere. From the start of the show’s opening number, “Give Them What They Want,” it’s clear that a 16-person cast was perhaps too ambitious for the small Arrow Street Arts stage.
However, the ensemble succeeds when they lean into the comedy and charisma of the show, as seen in the hilarious romantic number “Love Is My Legs.” The talented ensemble members Miki Grubic, Sophie Shaw and Jake Siffert stand out among the sea of performers — eye-catching in all their dances. And yet, the full group often feels shoe-horned into each number, and at times, you can’t help but think: “Oh no, here comes another number with everyone.”
Unfortunately, the production cannot be saved by the talent of the cast considering the deficiencies of the show’s book and score, along with design and direction choices that impede the actors’ performances.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” runs through Oct. 20 at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge.
