Not sure I should post this but can't help myself...
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is quite good, but Spelling Bee had people in the front row actually rolling off their seats with laughter. Go for Bee"
I've seen DRS 11 times, and I can definitely vouch to witnessing many audience members, including myself, "rolling off their seats with laughter." (I do really enjoy Bee, but hafta stick up for my show...)
"Spelling Bee!!!!!! You'll regret every choice you've ever made in in life if you skip out on SB to see DRS. Better cast (not couting Butz), choreography (not a Mitchell fan), set (DRS's was ugly...for a lack of beter word), and score (Yazbek's big hit was Full Monty). As you can see, Spelling Bee takes the cake."
Umm...I have to respond to this...first off, whether or not you're a fan or you like or it is your taste, I don't think you can really argue that set or choreography of Spelling Bee is "better" than DRS. It certainly fits the show and I wouldn't want it to be more or better, but DRS has a much bigger, encompassing set, w/ scene changes, effective props, etc, Spelling Bee makes good use of turning the Circle in the Square into the Gym, and I love the lobby displays, but b/c of what set accomplishes, I can't see how you can say Bee's is better.
Same goes for choreography, again, Bee's is cute and appropriate, but not as well "big," encompassing or utilized. There are cute moments during "Magic Foot," and "Pandemonium," where it fits the stage, but I hardly think that can compete w/ the more complex choreography in DRS, which makes wonderful use of its full ensemble where the dancing is so varied and is utilized and focused on in many numbers such as "Oklahoma?"(country dancing), "Overture/Give Them What They Want"(ballroom dancing), mostly Norbert in "Great Big Stuff," all-encompassing ensemble broadway-like dancing in "Here I Am," cute old-couple Muriel/Andre dancing in "Like Zis, Like Zat," and most impressively the most spectacular choreographed, featured Dance number "The more we dance."
Again, score I do feel is more taste than "better," both have incredible lyrics but I certainly feel DRS' score is more memorable, if not even more clever and musically sounding than the quite clever lyrics of Bee.
And finally, certainly the cast of Bee is very good, give wonderful performances, but please elaborate on faults you found in anyone in DRS besides Norbert, I think they have one of the strongest casts on bway and give flawless performances, in fact I rarely hear criticism of them, so could you please expand?
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
