Cunning tricks, and comedy sounds like an odd mix for a musical, but not for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

            This is a story about two charming men cunning enough to “woo” wealthy women and use them for their money.

            But when the lovely Christine Colgate steps into the picture, a bet is placed between these two men and things get kind of twisty.  

            Every musical has its ups and downs and thanks to Castleton’s hard work and commitment the majority of their performance was phenomenal.

            The curtains opened after the band played the intro to an upbeat piece and the viewers immediately set their eyes on the scene of the entire musical.

            Kudos to the backstage crew for building such a realistic set. The tiles on the ground and the deck in the background looked so real that one would think they were purchased.

            The dancing, choreographed by Julianne O’Connor, was nothing less than eye candy for the viewers. Especially in the song “Great Big Stuff” sung by Robert Valenti (Freddy Benson).  Though, the scene reminded me of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The scene got even better when Valenti walked down a flight of silver plates. Literally!

            However, some of the dancers were a bit stiff through out the entire show and looked like they didn’t want to be there.  It could have been just the first night jitters, but it was a little too obvious that they were tired.

            Many of the voices and singing were absolutely outstanding with some minor microphone problems. I noticed throughout the show that one character would come in bold and clear, but then another would come in soft and as if their microphone wasn’t on at all. 

             The color changing background was the highlight of the entire show. With each scene the background colors would change to match the mood or theme of the current song.  For example if characters were singing a romantic ballad, a moon and dark blue night sky would appear, setting the mood for the entire audience. 

            With great acting, an amazing set, and upbeat music to go along with it, who wouldn’t enjoy this show? However, there was one particular quote in the entire musical that was a bit unnecessary.

            “I feel like Rihanna at Chris Brown’s house!” said Valenti as he hops across the stage with his arms and legs tied.

            The whole situation between Rihanna and Chris Brown is definitely not something to joke about. I understand the words were changed so the audience would relate better, but this joke was taking it too far.

            I would definitely suggest students and staff of Castleton to see this performance. But warning, the tunes are kind of catchy.