For its first show of the 2024-2025 season, Moonbox Productions drops Cambridge into the French Riviera in a production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Arrow Street Arts from Sept. 27 through Oct. 13.
The musical, based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, follows con artists Freddy Benson (Phil Tayler) and Lawrence Jameson (Matthew Zahnzinger). High-society swindler Lawrence invites the more hardscrabble Freddy to team up, but their alliance turns quickly into a feud when Christine Colgate (Shonna McEachern), a beautiful yet gullible heiress, turns up and the men fight for her heart – and wallet.
With music and lyrics by David Yazbek and book by Jeffrey Lane, Moonbox’s production is directed and co-produced by Allison Olivia Choat with musical direction by Catherine Stornetta and choreography by Brad Reinking. Choat, who last directed for Moonbox during its New Works Festival in June, was a founding partner and is its associate artistic director.
“Moonbox is very close to my heart, and this year is particularly special because it’s our first full official year working at Arrow Street Arts,” Choat said.
In constructing its season, Moonbox wanted to choose something funny and lighthearted to offset its more serious musical “Crowns,” which opens in April. Choat described “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” as a farce “almost anyone would love” delivered by a team working at the top of their game.
Bringing the show together into rehearsals has been thrilling for Choat, “a big Olympics fan” who puts it in track terms: “When one runner has to pass the baton to the next person, it’s always this moment of tension, but when it goes well, it’s so gratifying,” Choat said. “That’s definitely what I’ve loved most about the process so far: experiencing this handoff of ideas and expertise between everyone who’s involved, both the production team and the cast.”
The production will have full open captioning, with the lines and lyrics projected directly onto the set.
“The words are in a place where they’re not going to be obtrusive, so if you don’t want to look at the captions, you absolutely can do that and it shouldn’t be distracting,” Choat said. “But if you want to make use of the captions, they’re there for you.”
Closed captioning devices are also available free of charge.
For each show, Moonbox Productions partners with a local nonprofit with a mission aligning with the theme. “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” will support Women’s Money Matters, a group that builds the financial wellness, confidence and security of women living on low incomes through instructional workshops and one-to-one coaching, with the goal of empowering women to improve their financial health and create a more secure future for themselves and their families.
Standard and premium tickets are available online for $55 and $65, with performances from Sept. 27 to Oct. 13.
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