Broadway veterans play ’Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’
The recent Broadway hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels gets a local production by Theatre By The Sea through September 6.
Based on the popular 1988 film, the musical focuses on two con men - the sophisticated Lawrence Jameson (Al Bundonis) and the small-time crook, Freddy Benson (Jason Gillman) - who are enjoying the high life on the glamorous French Riviera. After deciding that the town isn’t big enough for them both, they make a bet: the first one to swindle $50,000 from a young female heiress wins, while the other must leave town.
"(Jamison) likes the finer things in life," Bundonis told EDGE. "He’s led a very charmed existence."
Bundonis recently appeared in the off-Broadway musical, Sessions. Previously, Bundonis starred in the U.S. premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind and has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Other New York credits include Ragtime, The Last Empress and Tom Jones.
Gillman has appeared in previous productions of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, as well as in Never Gonna Dance, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, Chicago, and Hello Dolly!
Gillman has a special fondness for the show, having been involved with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels since its inception.
"I was there when we created it in San Diego before we brought it to Broadway, Gillman said. "I got to do the show with John Lithgow, with Jonathan Pryce, with Joanna Gleason, and with Jack O’Brien, the director, and with the creators Jeffrey Lane the writer, and David Yazbeck, who wrote the music and lyrics. I think that was the best show and the best time I ever had doing a Broadway show.
"It’s ridiculously funny and it’s so much fun to play," Gillman said of playing Freddy
Benson. "He’s really crass. You get to say the things that you can’t really say in real life."
Bundonis notes that working with Gillman has been a very enjoyable experience.
"Jason and I have so much fun on the stage together," Bundonis said. "(Lawrence and Freddy) are trying to do the same things but they have very different tactics. The town isn’t big enough for both of them. It just puts us into these great situations where we’re constantly trying to outdo each other."
Gillman said theatre has the power to affect people’s attitudes about life.
"It has the opportunity to influence people’s decisions and thinking," Gillman noted. "Just being able to take those words on the page and convey them to somebody listening and seeing live is a very, very cool thing."
Bundonis said one of the rewards of acting is being able to take the audience on a journey with a character as they change and grow during the story.
"If you know you actually made somebody sitting in that big, dark auditorium feel something that night, you know you’ve done your job," Bundonis added.
Other cast members include Lisa Yuen as Christine Colgate and Christopher Swan as Andre Thibault. Stacey Geer will be making her Theatre By The Sea debut in the role of Muriel Eubanks.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be presented through September 6, 2009. The theatre is located at 364 Cards Pond Road, Matunuck, RI. Tickets for preview performances, Wednesday, August 12 and Thursday, August 13 are $35 and $39-$49 for all other performances. Tickets are on sale at the box office Monday-Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, online 24-hours-a-day at www.theatrebythesea.com and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 782-TKTS (8587). The box office will also be open one hour prior to every performance.
