Show History

History

Inspiration

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 comedy film of the same name, starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. The film itself is rumored to be a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story, which closely matches the plot and has the same names of its two leading men. Composer and lyricist David Yazbeck happened to catch a week-long marathon of the film on television one day, and became interested in the concept. After contacting MGM to obtain the rights, TV writer Jeff Lane showed interest in the project and was brought on as bookwriter.

Productions

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels premiered in San Diego, California on September 22, 2004.
 
The musical opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on March 3, 2005. Directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, the show was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and 10 Drama Desk Awards. The cast included John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, and Joanna Gleason. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels closed September 3, 2006 after 36 previews and 627 performances.

A North American national tour launched on August 4, 2006 with Norbert Leo Butz reprising his role as Freddy. The tour ended on August 19, 2007. The next month, a 25-city Non-Equity company opened in Dayton, Ohio. Its final performance was on March 23, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee.