Sunday, November 08, 2009
Search
Blogs
HiLife Online 
Reader Poll
Most Read
- Educators accused of unethical conduct
- Desperate times at Aloha Stadium
- Communication gaffe raises fuss in chief selection
- Case of baby who died in Customs heads to trial after failure to settle
- Symphony cancels concerts and will downsize
- Access justice
- Hawaii busts up Utah State 49-36
- Senate to grill DOE on stimulus
- Downturn hurting donations
- Amis out indefinitely for UH men's basketball
- Kahuku rallies for the Red
ON STAGE
It's fun to be a scoundrel
Diamond Head Theatre promises a silly "night of hilarity" with "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 15, 2009
A story in which con men are heroes could seem problematic at a time when many Hawaii residents are struggling to survive the collapse of Wall Street as they watch the executives responsible collect multimillion-dollar bonuses at taxpayer expense.
'DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS'» Where: Diamond Head Theatre» When: 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through May 31 » Cost: $12 to $42 (discounts available) » Info: 733-0274
|
"The show is very, very fun and not to be overanalyzed. ... It's just to be entertaining," Rampage said last Friday during a late-morning telephone conversation. "(The score) is fun, and it's very upbeat, a little silly at times. ... It's (also) rounding out our season in that it's a more contemporary piece and it's a little more adult-oriented.
"It's certainly not R- or X-rated, but it is a little more adult. It's more on the lines of 'The Full Monty,' which we presented in 2005."
Director Rob Duval says he signed on because he "loved the 1988 movie with Steve Martin and Michael Caine."
"I thought it was very original, although I know it was based on another movie I hadn't seen," he said. "I liked the unpredictability factor, I liked the game within the game. I like that the characters are con artists but they're likable. ... You kinda don't want either of them to lose. And I liked the differences between the characters."
DHT's production also is a first for Hawaii -- no high schools or other local groups have presented it in any form. Nor did either of the national road show companies include Hawaii in their schedules.
Hawaii stage veterans Tony Young and Matt Pennaz star as rival con men working the French Riviera. The scams they work are different, but the two eventually decide that the area isn't big enough for both of them. The solution is a one-man-takes-all contest: The first to swindle $50,000 out of a wealthy American woman wins the right to continue working the Riviera, and the other must leave.
The Broadway musical starred John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz and ran for more than 650 performances in 2005 and 2006. The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards -- including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for both Butz and Lithgow -- with Butz winning in the Leading Actor/Musical category.
With all that history, and a hit soundtrack album adding to the buzz, DHT's production is so stocked with talent that several actors who usually appear in lead roles said they'd be happy with a spot in the chorus.
Rampage describes it as "a very strong cast across the board."
"The role of Christine (Colgate) that Tricia Marciel plays is also a really large part, (and) we're really happy to have a newcomer, Carly Thomas, who is playing Jolene (Oakes)," he said. "It's always great to have that new energy and that new face on stage. We're always excited about having new people.
"It's great when you can get than combination of your good, solid, dependable people that you love and then have that new blood in there, too."
"Scoundrels" also marks the return to the local stage of Yvonne Iverson, formally Yvonne Filius, who was featured in several DHT shows back in the '90s, and director Duval gets an opportunity to use the turntable that was installed for DHT's season opening production of "Les Miz" last fall (but which could not be used due to contractual reasons).
Duval describes the device as "kinda cool ... but dangerous."
"The set can change from location to another in an easy and kind of cool way, possibly while another scene is taking place," he said. "But there's (also) a little danger involved, because you don't want people on it when they're not supposed to be on it and it's moving. ... There are always safety issues at hand."
According to Duval, "a lot of people don't know this musical" and might not know what to expect from the production.
"But the music is great, and its going to be a night of hilarity."
A story in which con men are heroes could seem problematic at a time when many Hawaii residents are struggling to survive the collapse of Wall Street as they watch the executives responsible collect multimillion-dollar bonuses at taxpayer expense.
'DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS'» Where: Diamond Head Theatre» When: 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through May 31 » Cost: $12 to $42 (discounts available) » Info: 733-0274
|
"The show is very, very fun and not to be overanalyzed. ... It's just to be entertaining," Rampage said last Friday during a late-morning telephone conversation. "(The score) is fun, and it's very upbeat, a little silly at times. ... It's (also) rounding out our season in that it's a more contemporary piece and it's a little more adult-oriented.
"It's certainly not R- or X-rated, but it is a little more adult. It's more on the lines of 'The Full Monty,' which we presented in 2005."
Director Rob Duval says he signed on because he "loved the 1988 movie with Steve Martin and Michael Caine."
"I thought it was very original, although I know it was based on another movie I hadn't seen," he said. "I liked the unpredictability factor, I liked the game within the game. I like that the characters are con artists but they're likable. ... You kinda don't want either of them to lose. And I liked the differences between the characters."
DHT's production also is a first for Hawaii -- no high schools or other local groups have presented it in any form. Nor did either of the national road show companies include Hawaii in their schedules.
Hawaii stage veterans Tony Young and Matt Pennaz star as rival con men working the French Riviera. The scams they work are different, but the two eventually decide that the area isn't big enough for both of them. The solution is a one-man-takes-all contest: The first to swindle $50,000 out of a wealthy American woman wins the right to continue working the Riviera, and the other must leave.
The Broadway musical starred John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz and ran for more than 650 performances in 2005 and 2006. The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards -- including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for both Butz and Lithgow -- with Butz winning in the Leading Actor/Musical category.
With all that history, and a hit soundtrack album adding to the buzz, DHT's production is so stocked with talent that several actors who usually appear in lead roles said they'd be happy with a spot in the chorus.
Rampage describes it as "a very strong cast across the board."
"The role of Christine (Colgate) that Tricia Marciel plays is also a really large part, (and) we're really happy to have a newcomer, Carly Thomas, who is playing Jolene (Oakes)," he said. "It's always great to have that new energy and that new face on stage. We're always excited about having new people.
"It's great when you can get than combination of your good, solid, dependable people that you love and then have that new blood in there, too."
"Scoundrels" also marks the return to the local stage of Yvonne Iverson, formally Yvonne Filius, who was featured in several DHT shows back in the '90s, and director Duval gets an opportunity to use the turntable that was installed for DHT's season opening production of "Les Miz" last fall (but which could not be used due to contractual reasons).
Duval describes the device as "kinda cool ... but dangerous."
"The set can change from location to another in an easy and kind of cool way, possibly while another scene is taking place," he said. "But there's (also) a little danger involved, because you don't want people on it when they're not supposed to be on it and it's moving. ... There are always safety issues at hand."
According to Duval, "a lot of people don't know this musical" and might not know what to expect from the production.
"But the music is great, and its going to be a night of hilarity."
Today’s Edition
- Damien celebrations draw to a close
- Calls for tax hike piling on reluctant lawmaker
- Retailers on guard as crooks ram vehicles into properties
- County pandemic plans to apply to overall state response strategy
- State welfare payouts drop as numbers of needy grow
- Earlier primary voting considered
- Whatever Happened To: Case of baby who died in Customs heads to trial after failure to settle
- Newswatch
- Police and Fire
- Shining Stars
- Vital Statistics
- What's open and closed on Veterans Day
- Trouble in Paradise
- Windfall is seen as bank bonuses are paid in stock
- Overweight Americans push back in the health care debate
- Handmade: Make your presence felt with 'Felties'
- Drawing attention
- Da Kine
- Scrivener's Sudoku: Army Community Hawaii
- Murakami's Calabash
- Warriors find winning formula
- Feeding frenzy for UH backs
- Porous run defense deflates Utah State
- Short snaps: UH vs. Utah State
- Further Review: Old-school running game keyed UH's feel-good win
- Amis out indefinitely with foot injury
- UH's Lee lifts Hawaii's spirit
- Farrington finds a way
- 'Iolani rolls Damien to prepare for states
- Hawaii Beat
- Scoreboard
- Television & Radio
- New kite business takes off
- Business briefs
- It's not too late to cut tax liability
- Hawaii Real Estate Sales
- Tracking Hawaii's student stock pickers
insideStarBulletin.com
