When a pair of smooth swindlers find themselves trying to mine the same vein of wealthy women on the Côte d’Azur, they soon realize that the French Riviera isn’t big enough for the both of them. What follows is a con-artist competition of huge and hilarious proportions, with memorable music to match.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a rollicking musical based on the 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin, charmed audiences at nearly 700 performances during a smashing 20-month run on Broadway that ended in September 2006. The show, featuring music and lyrics by David Yazbek, garnered 11 Tony Award nominations and 11 Drama Desk Award nominations, winning one of each.

The story centers on two con men working the angles in southern France: an experienced Brit named Lawrence Jameson and an up-and-coming young American named Freddy Benson. Thrown together in a partnership of convenience, the swindlers soon realize they’d rather work solo. But neither wants to abandon this fertile territory, so they strike a deal:  Whoever takes “American soap queen” Christine Colgate for $50,000 gets to stay; the other moves on, seeking other sheep to fleece.

As Freddy and Lawrence spin their interlocking webs of deception and mistaken identity, the laughs come non-stop, aided by such wonderfully wacky songs as “The Only Game in Town,” “Great Big Stuff,” “Ruffhousin’ MitShuffhausen,” “Like Zis/Like Zat,” and “Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True.”

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is two slices of ham with a serving of scam, a smart and satisfying musical meal.