Kate’s Score: 4.5 cashier cheques
The sting. The con. The shuffle. The snow-job. Smoke and mirrors. Two way mirrors which distort when reflecting. A framework of running lights which are both a runway guidance system and a framework for a 60s Ed Sullivan type television show. This is the deceptively brilliant metaphoric design (Kelsey Lee) which is the setting for Hayes Theatre’s latest musical offering – Catch Me If You Can. And joy upon joys, I understood every single word spoken and sung!
We, most of us, know the film and the true story behind it. Frank Abegnale Jr (a Sinatra-like Jake Speer) became one of the most notorious con men of all time, assuming at least eight identities, including an airline pilot, a physician, and a lawyer and all before he was 22 years old. Pursued by an FBI squad led by a determined Carl Hanratty (a suitably determined Tim Draxl), he served less than five years in prison before starting to work for the FBI catching criminals just like himself. The musical is an abbreviated version of his story but all the best bits are there – Frank’s charm, his vulnerability, his ingeniousness and his loneliness. These are delivered poignantly by Speer whose arch nemesis in Draxl meets him point for point; both delivering with shining self-assurance.
No less impressive is veteran Simon Burke’s Frank Abegnale Sr: his blustery over confident father slides into desperation and loss so fluidly that the inevitability of the journey touches deeply. Penny Martin delivers a disillusioned Paula Abagnale who initially charmed by Frank Snr in post-war France, grows tired of living with a romantic schemer who is always looking for the next quick buck. Both Burke and Martin also give us comic vignettes as Roger and Carol Strong – the New Orleans parents of the only girl Frank Jr really loves – Brenda (Jessica Di Costa). Di Costa’s “stand-by-your-man” characterisation gives an insight into just how lonely Frank Jr and Brenda are with the weight of their parents’ expectations superseding any notions of real affection. You want Frank and Brenda to get away with it all.
Supporting them is an equally talented and engaging ensemble who manage to make a supporting cast of eight look like twenty-eight, swapping between roles effortlessly.
There is a strong contribution from the orchestral section, under the musical direction of Anthony Cutrupi. The score (March Shaiman) places us centrally in the era of swing, and it is easy to hear the smooth tones of Sinatra, Crosby and Martin in the crooning songs. Somehow, a band of four manages to deliver a big band sound in some sort of musical miracle of loaves and fishes.
Under Cameron Mitchell’s inspired direction, the talented cast works hard to impress. It is tight, pacey, energetic and very, very slick. There is a deceptiveness in this; the slickness of performance takes a lot of effort and fine-tuning and in this ultra-smooth delivery lies Mitchell’s real success. He has pulled together a committed group who have embraced his clever vision and who execute his choreography with finesse. Go-go dancing, foxtrot, swing – all done seamlessly within the storyline. The triple threats abound!
All the work done on character and performance is finally transformed through costuming and fasten your seat belts, Christine Mutton’s designs flew off the stage. What was not to like or be impressed by? The Pan Am Loper designed uniforms, go-go girls, southern belles, party dresses, the FBI suits, preppy college boys and medical staff were the talk of the foyer at interval. Perfectly fitting with a fine eye for period, Mitchell has to be in debt to Mutton for the quality work brought to his vision.
There’s so much that works about Catch Me if You Can that it’s easy to overlook what doesn’t and it has nothing to do with this production, where the values and performances and directorial vision are excellent. It has so much going for it: a solid story, characters you care about, a swing score which delivers a rat-pack feel. It is the structure (book by Terrance Mcnally) which is a little awkward and clumsy and this is what prevents it from being a total triumph.
Kate Stratford – On the Town
Photo by Robert Catto
Catch Me If You Can
Book By Terrance McNally, Lyrics By Marc Shaiman, Music By Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman
19 Jul – 18 Aug 2019
Tue – Sat 7:30pm
Matinee Sat & Sun 2pm
Venue: Hayes Theatre
Theatre Company: LPD in association with Hayes Theatre Co
Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes incl. interval
Based on the Dreamworks Motion Picture
Director and Choreographer Cameron Mitchell
The producer of Cry-Baby, High Fidelity and RENT brings you the adventurous, inquisitive and ingeniously criminal musical Catch Me If You Can.
Based on the hit film and the incredible true story, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. Nominated for four Tony awards, including Best Musical, this delightfully entertaining show was created by a Tony Award-winning “dream team,” with a book by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime) and a swinging score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray).
Seeking fame and fortune, precocious teenager, Frank Abignale, Jr., runs away from home to begin an unforgettable adventure. With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer – living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. When Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent, Carl Hanratty, though, Carl pursues Frank across the country to make him pay for his crimes.
Ticket Prices
$69 – $74
