Cunning bad boys hustle for laughs and scam with songs

In the Broadway musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," one con man sizes up another with the crack, "What you lack in grace you more than make up for in vulgarity."

The same thing might be said of "Scoundrels," which is kicking off its first national tour at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

It may not be a show for the ages, but this stage remake of the movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" sports a shrewd, zesty book by Jeffrey Lane and an equally zesty score by David Yazbek, whose clever lyrics are almost worth the price of admission.

And if you're in the mood for a rib-tickling diversion with absolutely no redeeming social value, this tuner's a hoot.

It does display some grace, in balancing bawdy hijinks (butt-scratching jokes, anyone?) with retro Broadway charms. And it benefits enormously from the raunchy-sublime clowning of Norbert Leo Butz, who copped a well-deserved Tony Award for his Broadway turn.

In Seattle, Butz reprises the role of Freddy Benson, a rambunctious scamp who separates wealthy women from their money with great glee.

This adorably dangerous bounder was born to swindle. And in serial explosions of manic dancing, zany masquerading and lusty gall, he strikes up a fierce competition with a far more suave clip artist, Lawrence Jameson (Tom Hewitt).

It's difficult to imagine "Scoundrels" without Butz's superb clowning — just as it's hard to picture the movie without its wild and crazy Freddy: Steve Martin.

Butz romps through a smartly constructed caper tale, with plenty of pit stops for shtick. And he's surrounded by the glossy, snappy staging by Jack O'Brien (working with many cohorts from his earlier hits, "Hairspray" and "The Full Monty").

In the tradition of "The Producers," "Some Like It Hot" and a hundred other examples, "Scoundrels" is a bad-boy buddy farce. It starts off with young Freddy's arrival in a ritzy South of France tourist enclave, the well-plowed turf of older Lawrence.

Though they join forces for one rollicking scam (repelling an insufferable Oklahoma heiress Lawrence has been fleecing), the town isn't big enough for both of them. So they agree whoever soaks the ditzy American heiress Christine (Laura Marie Duncan) for a bundle wins the turf, and the loser hits the road.

There is also a side-plot involving an older, even ditzier tourist, Muriel (Hollis Resnik), who is kept under wraps (literally and figuratively) by Lawrence's French accomplice, Andre (Drew McVety).

But the main events here are the goofy scams the top bananas concoct: Freddy's charades as a cuckoo shut-in (in the priceless "All About Ruprecht" number) and a hysterical paralysis victim, and Lawrence's turn as a German quack.

Butz nimbly modulates his performance between low-key wisecracking and the manic hilarity of his killer break-out number, "Great Big Stuff." His command of unzipped, outrageous physical shtick (past-mastered by Sid Caesar, John Ritter, et al) is just sensational.

Hewitt oozes savoir-faire, and is a fine foil for Butz's antics. If his Lawrence doesn't have a distinctive stamp yet (John Lithgow originated the role), one senses that will come.

Resnik and Duncan play women who aren't as dumb as they first seem, with sharp comic timing and strong singing. But McVety needs more comedic punch, and Jenifer Foote(as the Oklahoma gal Jolene) needs to turn down the screechiness.

For the record, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" sports a cool Riviera-meets-Vegas set by designer David Rockwell. And it seizes many opportunities to shake a leg thanks to ace choreographer Jerry Mitchell.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com