Krista and I were actually trying the lottery for Avenue Q this particular afternoon, but since Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is right across the street, we decided we could do both at the same time. And it's a good thing we did, because we ended up not winning that one, but getting fantastic front row seats to this one! I was mostly excited about this show because of the cast, and also because I had so thoroughly enjoyed David Yazbek's last show, The Full Monty. And both the cast and the score were exactly what I was expecting - engaging, witty and fun! It was my favourite of the shows we saw on this trip. John Lithgow is great as Lawrence. There are parts of other characters he's played mixed in there, but he's always believable. Gregory Jbara is a fabulous sidekick for him, and even better in his scenes with Joanna Gleason, who is, also, incredible. I wish her character were a little more connected to the main story, but with her fantastic voice and comic timing, the diversion is never tiring. That leaves Sherie Rene Scott, whom I had never seen on stage before despite enjoying a lot of her work, and she totally lived up to my expectations. From her "big entrance" to her (feigned) naivete, all the way to the big finale, I enjoyed every minute of it.

The only performance I enjoyed more would have to be Norbert Leo Butz. Now, I knew I would enjoy him in this show, but he comes so darn close to running off with the entire thing, it's amazing! His Freddy is really a despicable character, with very few (if any?) redeeming qualities, and yet you find yourself rooting for him anyway. His powerhouse performance of "Great Big Stuff", his hilariously sick portrayal of Ruprecht, and his earnest way of singing ludicrous lyrics in "Nothing is Too Wonderful to Be True" and "Love is my Legs" are just a few of the examples of how he completely owns this show, and totally deserved that Tony for Best Actor!

As for the show itself, Jeffrey Lane has done a wonderful job with the book, matching the tone of the songs very well. The music itself has some wonderfully fun moments ("Great Big Stuff" was probably my favourite, with "Love Is My Legs" a close second), but also some quieter, genuinely sweet moments ("Like Zis/Like Zat" and "Love Sneaks In").

The only song I could have done completely without was "Oklahoma?" - I found the whole subplot with Jolene went on a little too long, and was just such a complete departure from everything else that was happening. But I know other people have loved it, so that's just my opinion!

Never having seen the movie, I have to admit I didn't see the "twist" in the second act coming until far too late (I was disappointed in myself :-), but the reveal was nicely done.

The sets and costumes suit the production beautifully, and, as Freddy points out, "the whole thing turns!". :-) The effect is a colourful and stylized world on the Riviera. Which these fun, often over-the-top, but always enjoyable characters inhabit to perfection.

With all this raving, just one slight caveat - I'll be curious to see how the show holds up with different actors in the lead roles, or in different productions. The Producers, a remarkably similar show in terms of characters, is still fun without the amazing original cast, but not really comparable to how it was with it.