Audition Dates

Auditions for the show will be May 15 and 16 at 2 pm. Continue to watch for more info here.

The Roles: The Chorus

This is a high-utility chorus. There are a variety of atmosphere and background parts to fill in the many elegant and sophisticated folks on the Riviera, as well as bell boys, French maids, and-- well, at points in the show the chorus simply appears in order to sing some back-up. The chorus appears in about a dozen numbers to sing, in several numbers for dancing, and in many scenes to provide some local color. In other words, there will be much fun and activity, and none of the "do a scene then take a nap" that sometimes occurs for musical theater choruses.

The Roles: Jolene

Jolene is what we might call a "featured role." She has one song of her own and a couple of scenes. A much-married, rough-edged oil heiress from Oklahoma, she is the very opposite of the urbane, smooth, sophisticated Lawrence. So when she announces that they are engaged, and he's going back to the panhandle with her, steps must be taken...

The Roles: Muriel

Muriel is another thirty-something character, rich and bored and more than a little bit ditsy. She becomes one of Lawrence's satisfied marks about five minutes into the show, and then she never quite goes away, because in her heart she just knows she can help. Gullible but sweet. She has two fun numbers, and she is all alto (all the way down to E in the bass clef). She is eventually paired up with Andre, so a touch of ballroomish dancing is called for.

The Roles: Andre

Andre is Lawrence's sidekick, body guard, and confidant (He's also the local chief of police, which is convenient). Suave, smooth, and a little bit jaded, he is not a young man. But by the show's end, he may be the best proof that you're never too far gone for love to find you. This role is considerably expanded from the film versions.

Andre has two featured songs and some incidental parts in others, sticking to a comfy baritone range. No special skills are required, but he does have an outrageous French accent. A little bit of ballroom-style dancing is likely.

The Roles: Christine

Christine doesn't appear until late in the first act, but she is the crux of the story-- which one of the con men will win her? And can either of them win her before the picture of sweet midwestern innocence and beauty that she presents softens them too much to go through with their con?

She is sweet, naive, and nice, but not ditzy or dumb. She is rather dangerously clumsy. In many ways, she is the straight man for not one, but two, comics. But at the end of the day, if people come back to watch the show a second time, it will be because they want to watch her.

Christine is perhaps thirty-ish. She has six musical numbers, and her vocal parts rest comfortably in the mezzo range. No soprano warbling for her, and it wouldn't hurt if she could belt. She has a bit of dancing to do.

The Roles: Freddy

Freddy is an American con artist. He's brash, crude and obnoxious, but charming in much the same way that a five-year-old is charming. He's fun. He's in need of a mentor, but what he lacks in skill he makes up for in sheer joy in the game.

In the movie versions, he was played by Marlon Brando and Steve Martin. On Broadway he was played by Norbert Leo Butz, who won a Tony for his work.

Freddy has seven numbers, including the most ridiculous power ballad ever performed in public. He needs some good strong F's and G's. He also spends about a third of the show in a wheelchair, so some chairing skills will be needed. As a bonus, he gets to play one scene as a completely insane character.

The Roles: Lawrence

Lawrence is fifty-ish, a man of culture and class, sophisticated, smooth and polished, and a so good at playing the game that it has all become a bit boring for him. He gives his rich middle-aged female marks what they want-- romance, excitement, passion and even adventure, but when we first meet him, some of the fun is gone. Nobody could be more surprised than he to find that something, or someone, can revive his joy and delight in life.

Lawrence has been played in the movies by David Niven and Michael Caine. On stage, the part was originated by John Lithgow; when Lithgow stepped down, Jonathan Pryce took over the role.

The part calls for British, Viennese, and (briefly) Spanish accents. Lawrence has eight musical numbers. Lawrence stays primarily in Baritone territory, though he's occasionally called on to pop up to F and G.

The Score

The score for the show was written by David Yazbeck. Yazbeck graduated from Brown and then went to work for David Letterman, where he won an Emmy as part of the writing team.

He gave writing up for music and was busy in the world of pop. Most notably (at least for me) is that he co-wrote the theme song for "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego" with the then-leader of Rockapella, who was an old high school chum. He also produced the Carmen Sandiego soundtrack album, which is a long-beloved album in this house, enjoyable by even people who are older than ten.

Another old friend landed Yazbeck a break composing the score for the stage version of The Full Monty, a show that might have garnered more attention had it not landed on Broadway the same year as The Producers. The same team that created that show worked on DRS.

The score is a lot of fun, very poppy with French, jazz, funk flavors. It reminds me in its overall flavor of the score for Lucky Stiff, and it is a big part of what attracted me to this show. For those of you who are studying up and deciding if you're interested, here's the run-down of numbers.

Give Them What They Want- Lawrence, assisted by Andre, introduces us to his town, his conquests and his goal "Your world. They're all invited guests. Find out how to play them, and remember this-- you're giving them what they want." Light swing.

What Was a Woman To Do- Muriel, one of Lawrence's recent conquests, sings about what drew her to him. As she does, a progression of his other conquests appear and join in. And join in. These women are all over the place!!-- including, eventually, one of the usherettes in the theater itself. Some gorgeous female harmony. "As he approached he wore an aura of nobility. I wore these Ferragamo shoes."

Great Big Stuff- Freddy announces how badly he wants to be like Lawrence. "I thought I'd seen it all. I thought I knew the score. But coming here I've found a world I've never seen before. Now, I know where I belong-- A life of taste and class with culture and sophistication pouring out my ass." A bit funky, with a rappish vocal strangely reminiscent of Steve Martin's hit "King Tut."

Chimp in a Suit- Andre sings a swingy French waltz while Lawrence's attempts to make Freddy over. At first listen you may dismiss this as a trifling piece of fluff. Then, a week later when you're still humming it to yourself, you may change your mind. "Dress up a monkey in Armani, he may seem precocious and cute. Despite all that primpin' you've still got a chimp in a suit."

Oklahoma- Jolene, the Oklahoma heiress, sings a down-home barn-dancin' tribute to her "little piece of heaven."

All About Ruprecht- Lawrence and Freddy introduce Jolene to the member of the family they keep locked in the basement. "Ruprecht's all about cakes and lemonade, milk shake enemas, fun and play." Starts out light and cheery, ends up in kickline territory.

Here I Am- Christine, the Ohio Soap Queen, makes her entrance, and she is just so excited to be here. A bouncy Latin rhythm.

Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True- Christine's song of hope and inspiration for the poor crippled American soldier. It really is a pretty ballad; however, forced to join in, Freddy does to this song kind of what Timon and Pumbaa did to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."

Ruffhousin' With Shuffhausen- Sophisticated comedy. Lawrence, now pretending to be a Viennese doctor, beats the snot out of Freddy's "non-working, non-feeling" legs, all to a fun little Viennese waltz. Including yodeling. by Freddy, Lawrence and Christine. "The corpus Hippocraticum like bats out of the attic come, like popes out of the vati-come..."

Like Zis, Like Zat- Andre and Muriel share this number that completely lifts the rhythm-line from "Just a Gigolo," but it's a breezy duet that's actually rather sweet and, once again, sticks to your brain for days. "Like zat, a rose, delightful to ze nose, but nowhere near as perfect as a kiss."

The More We Dance- Lawrence takes Christine on a whirlwind faux romance to "motivate" Freddy. The tune is a bit of an uptempo tango.

Love Is My Legs- Air Supply's greatest hits, all lampooned ferociously in one song. Freddy sings out his devotion to motivate Christine to motivate him. "Love is my legs, and you are my love, so you are my legs, my love."

Love Sneaks In- Lawrence gets the only 100% serious song in the show, reflecting on how Christine's sweetness has inadvertently turned the tables on him.

From there, it's some assorted reprises and a finale to finish off the show. The soundtrack is available on CD, actually recorded by the cast and company orchestra, rather than the usual studio treatment, and put out by a label co-founded by the actress who played Christine on Broadway. You can pick it up at Amazon.

It's a great, fun, saucy, breezy, funny score and I look forward to bringing it to the Barrow stage!

The Story

Lawrence is a suave, sophisticated con man, working the French Riviera and the bored rich women who spend time there. He is assisted by Andre, the local Chief of Police, and has refined a story in which he is an exiled prince and leader of freedom fighters. He gives these women thrills and excitement and they give him their money. He's very good, but somehow the fun is gone.

On a trip to Switzerland to deposit his latest hall, Lawrence reads that a brash American con man known as The Jackal is moving into the area, and at that moment, Freddy, a brash American appears. After watching Freddy run a quick con on a passenger, Lawrence encourages him to move on past Lawrence's base of operations.

So of course Freddy stops by. Impressed by Lawrence's riches, Freddy decides to stay and learn. Lawrence, sensing something entertaining for the first time in years, agrees to take Freddy on.

Their first job is to scare off an Oklahoma heiress who thinks she and Lawrence are engaged. The boys present Freddy as Lawrence's genetically challenged brother Ruprecht. Horrified, she heads for the hills.

But comradeship leads to rivalry, and the boys get competitive. They set their sights on the newly-arrived American Soap Queen, a sweet (albeit clumsy) woman from Cincinatti named Christine. They make a wager-- the first to extract 50K wins.

Freddy boxes Lawrence out by making an approach as a wheelchair-bound American veteran. If only he could get the money to be treated by the world's pre-eminent expert, Dr. Shuffhausen. Christine is prepared to help out when she discovers that the Dr. is staying that very hotel. Delightedly she brings him back to meet Freddy and, surprise, the Dr. is actually Lawrence.

In Act II, the Dr. subjects Freddy to some pain therapy, but Freddy does not break. Then the Dr. suggests that by dancing and romancing, he and Christine can spur Freddy on to overcome his mental block, so they begin a whirlwind courtship-- but it's no longer entirely clear who is falling for whom.

Meanwhile, one of Lawrence's earlier conquests Muriel is still in town. Andre had almost convinced her to leave earlier "but," she says, "I can't imagine that I won't be of use to someone in the second act." She and Andre strike up a romance of their own, resulting in a very nice song and a subplot present in either of the earlier movie versions.

As Act II progresses, the plot twists come thick and fast. Freddy arranges for Lawrence to be kidnapped, then makes an appeal to Christine to help him overcome his fear. She has almost gotten him to walk-- all the way to her bed-- when Lawrence re-appears.

He changes the bet with Freddy-- Christine turns out to be a contest winner and not a rich heiress-- to whether or not Freddy can get her into bed. Then he puts her on the next train out of town, and Freddy returns to his room, dejected and defeated. Then there's a knock on the door...

From here to the end, there are a series of twists. If you watch the old movie versions, you know what they are, but I'll not give them away here.