Doug Thompson, Jenny Gulley and Jamie Jackson in a scene from 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' (Photo by Carol Rosegg)

Photo from the national tour of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' (Photo by Carol Rosegg)

Photo from the national tour of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' (Photo by Carol Rosegg)

Even among con artists, it takes one to know one.

Therein lie the premise and the dubious partnership in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," the comic musical inspired by the 1988 movie about two flim-flam men who hope to find their fortune, with a little help from a few unsuspecting rich women on the French Riviera.

While the debonair Lawrence Jameson pretends to be a fallen prince, seeking to recapture his kingdom or to fund charities, Freddy Benson simultaneously takes the low road, shaking down dames with stories about his ailing grandmother.

When the men meet, they decide that, rather than compete, they will work together. That seems plausible, except for their faulty assumption that there will be honor among thieves.

In the Broadway Across America -- Indianapolis touring production playing through Sunday at Clowes Hall, the storyline seems pretty darned corny. And at a time of increasingly accessible images of the real world, a book musical that depicts the Riviera with painted backdrops might seem poor relations to a film.

That said, what "Scoundrels" does best boils down to the essence of musical theater: the score and lyrics, in this case by David Yazbek, who was nominated for Tony and Grammy awards for his work on "The Full Monty."

Are the tunes in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" as fun as "Got the Goods" or as poignant as "You Walk With Me" from "The Full Monty?"

Maybe not, but one of the rich female targets, Muriel Eubanks of Omaha, has a wonderfully brassy number, "What Was A Woman To Do?" Jameson's assistant, Andre, who is also a shady French police chief, performs a catty song suggesting that, no matter how you dress Benson, you still have a "Chimp in a Suit," and potential target Christine Colgate sings a cheerful tune called "Nothing Is Too Wonderful to Be True."

In terms of instrumentals, the overture contains a wonderfully mysterious theme, which is reprised at clandestine moments throughout the show.

Finally, this touring production is fortunate to have a quintet of bold, cocky players, most of whom are also decent singers. The combination of talent brings to life a bevy of crazy characters.

At Tuesday's opening show, Jamie Jackson's portrayal of Jameson seemed to be the strongest of the leads, evoking images of Patrick Stewart. As Benson, Doug Thompson did not muster the vocal power of some of his colleagues, yet excelled at physical humor.

Three female leads were all delightfully over the top: Suzanne Sole as a bold, persistent Muriel; Jen Jenkins as a Jolene Oakes reminiscent of a modern-day Dale Evans; and Jenny Gulley, who played Colgate with idealistic shades of a young Judy Garland.