BRUNSWICK – Maine State Music Theatre’s third show of the 2009 season is “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” a Tony Award-winning musical based on the film of the same name. It features music and lyrics by David Yazbek, composer and lyricist of “The Full Monty.”

Besides the familiar story line, the musical offers witty lyrics with a side of harmless adult humor. “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” opened on Broadway in 2005 at the Imperial Theatre and upon closing had a successful North American tour.

The show will run from Wednesday, July 15, until Aug. 1 at the Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus. Tickets range from $29 to $52 and are available by calling 725-8769, at the box office in the theater lobby and online at www.msmt.org.

Like the movie, the musical transports audiences to the opulent French Riviera where con artist Lawrence Jameson has been swindling unsuspecting women out of money for years. His tricky ways, kept in check by friend and confidant Inspector Andre, are lucrative and allow him to live the life of which many only dream. Everything is going splendidly for Jameson until American hustler Freddy Benson arrives on the scene to make bank in the Riviera. Upon further inspection, Jameson begins to think there may not be enough room in the small town for two con artists. Consequently, they strike a deal so that the first man to con $50,000 out of a woman will get to stay in town.

The arrival of Christine Colgate, “The American Soap Queen,” puts the plan into action and the two men are off on their quest for the dough. Thrown in are some hilarious antics, witty dialogue and first-rate deception.
Broadway and MSMT veteran Mark Jacoby portrays the calculating Jameson and Chuck Ragsdale plays Benson. Jacoby has appeared in numerous shows at MSMT throughout the years and was seen most recently on Broadway as Judge Turpin in the revival of “Sweeney Todd.” Ragsdale joined MSMT last summer as bumbling accountant Leo Bloom in “The Producers.” Leading lady Erin Maguire rounds out the trio as Colgate. She was last seen at MSMT in 2006 starring as Nellie Forbush in “South Pacific.”

Other shows, silent auction
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is the third show of MSMT’s 51st season. The summer season will close with a new musical comedy, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” In addition, MSMT will present “Schoolhouse Rock, Live!” as a part of its Theatre for Young Audiences season, plus a concert event featuring the a cappella group Toxic Audio. Detailed show information is available on the theater’s Web site.

MSMT will hold its ninth annual silent auction, the theater’s biggest fundraiser, beginning July 15 and ending at 10 p.m. Aug. 1. Put on the auction block will be a variety of artwork and items including everything from ice cream cone gift certificates to a week spent in a Tudor cottage in England.

All items will be on display in the lower lobby of Pickard Theater; bidding may also be done online by visiting www.msmt.org and clicking on the link for the silent auction.

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