Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I would say that I'm part of a "Dirty Rotten Cast" but that would be lying.
The musical, based off of the 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, has joined the list of my top favorite musicals.
The story is about two conmen on the French Riviera, who make a bet to extract 50,000 dollars off of a selected target, and the loser must leave town. With a surprise twist at the end, the audiences are sure to be rolling with laughter!
Near the end of January, I received a phone call from my mom, saying that the owner of the Terrace Plaza Playhouse (mentioned in my post, "The Backstage Story"), Jacci Florence (also mentioned in the post), had told her that they were short a guy and asked if I wanted to be a part of the musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". I was super excited to join, and jumped at the opportunity.
I went to the first rehearsal the following Tuesday. There, I met my double, Mike (who plays as Freddy the nights that I would be performing).
The choreographer then said that they would be reviewing the number titled, "Oklahoma". My mouth dropped when I saw them perform it. I had no clue how I was going to learn it. And, just to add to the confusion, I found out that I had three weeks to learn the show. Over the course of the three weeks, I had become friends with the cast members. I've said it before and I'll say it again, at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, they really do treat you like family.
I was welcomed into the group by everyone from the very begining, and they were willing to help me catch up and learn the show. I cannot express my appreciation enough to the cast, my "Dirty Rotten Family".That night we started a number titled, "The More We Dance", which was tiring but fun.
After weeks of practicing, learning, catching up, singing, etc., the big night came: Opening Night.
I was nervous as could be, it was the moment of truth. I was pacing around my house all day, much to the entertainment of my family.  
There's a certain energy that comes before the start of every show, it spreads through the actors and even through the audience. All the hard work was finally going to pay off.
As I walked on stage with my dance partner for the overture dance, the butterflies in my stomach were so large that I was afraid my own legs wouldn't hold me.
Once the overture was finished and the audience applauded, the anxiousness just melted away, as though a tension were being slackened.
Hearing the audience laugh reminded me of parts of the show that I had forgotten were even funny. Often during the show, the actors would stand backstage, laughing at the jokes and actions of the actors onstage. Even onstage, sometimes, I would nearly brake character due to hilarious things that happened.
Each actor and actress in the show brings something different to the table that makes it so enjoyable.
I was able to see one of the performances when my double was in the ensemble, and it was rare that I had a straight face during the show. I have to admit that I was a little giddy just sitting in my seat at first, though. In my mind at the theater I was in performance mode. I was even tapping my feet to the choreography of some of the numbers, and humming to some of the songs.
Your stress will just melt if you see this show. It is light-hearted and fun, with jokes that will make you laugh, and music that will have you humming for the rest of the week.
The music, by the way, is amazing, and the leads are phenomenal (which happens a lot at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse). I can assure anyone who goes to see this show that they will not be disappointed, and that the tickets will be money well spent.
Even my family (who have seen the show a couple of times now), still bust out laughing at the jokes. There were parts of the show that were hilarious to me even though I had heard them a hundred times. Often in our home, someone will belt out the lyrics to the song, "Ruprecht" substituting a family member's name in place of Ruprecht.
I have really enjoyed the experience of performing this show, and appreciate the chance of working with some of the greatest and most talented actors and actresses in theater.
If I were to say any more good things about this show, this post would go on for a while.
I would highly suggest coming to see this show, it would be a shame for a musical as good as this one to not have a full house at for at least one of the performances.
The nights that I perform are the 6, 9, 14, 20, and 23. The show goes through April 4th. To buy tickets, follow the link to the theater's website here
It has truly been a pleasure to work with this amazing cast, and I hope that you will see how great they are when they perform.
I have been able to make friends that I'm sure I will have for a long time to come, and I'm sure they will agree with me when I say that one of the greatest feelings for an actor is hearing a happy audience laugh or applaud.
Thank you for reading!
For all those fans of Sherlock Holmes, please read my story "The Deadly Tower" on this blog, and feel free to check out the previews of my books!