Fans of David Yazbek will be in their element in Sydney right now, with two of his musicals currently on stage. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is playing at the Hayes Theatre Co. It is joined by the Australian premiere of Tootsie at Teatro at the Italian Forum in Leichhardt.

Featuring music and lyrics by Yazbek, with book by Robert Horn, the 2018 musical is based on the 1982 movie starring Dustin Hoffman. The show sticks fairly closely to the film, though it centres around the staging of a Broadway musical rather than a reality TV show.

Andrew Bevis as Dorothy with the ensemble in Tootsie. Photo © Robert Miniter

New York actor Michael Dorsey finds himself waiting tables because he has gained a reputation for being arrogant and notoriously difficult to work with. When his neurotic ex-girlfriend Sandy arrives with scenes for an audition for a Shakespeare-inspired musical called Juliet’s Curse, he decides to disguise himself as a matronly lady named Dorothy Michaels and audition too.

Landing the role of Juliet’s nurse, thanks in no small part to the show’s producer Rita, Michael/Dorothy wins the support of the cast,...