Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Theater Review: Catch Me if You Can

The ensemble. Photo by Joan Marcus
Turning This Film into a Musical Proves Evasive
By Lauren Yarger
Catch Me if You Can refers to the taunt of a master check-forging criminal to the FBI agent trying to catch him, but in the case of the Broadway show, the phrase also could apply to the attempt to find the right formula to turn this popular feature film into a stage musical.

Book writer Terrance McNally keeps the story pretty much to the plot of the Dreamworks film which starred Leonardo DiCaprio as teen con man Frank Abagnale, Jr. who ends up working for the FBI white collar fraud unit after agent Carl Hanratty, played in the movie by Tom Hanks, finally brings him in.

Here, Frank and Carl are played very well by Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz in the game of cat-and-mouse during which the young Frank forges checks in the US and in Europe while posing as an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer in the 1960s and ‘70s. The life in crime really is an attempt to win the approval of his divorced parents, down-an-out Frank Sr. (Tom Wopat, who gives a nice performance) and Paula (Rachel de Benedict), a dissatisfied war bride who wants the finer things in life.

Life on the run seems less satisfying, however, when Frank meets up with Brenda Strong (Kerry Butler) and her father offers him a job at his law firm. Linda Hart stands out in a minor comical role as Brenda’s mother, Carol.

The plot, based on the true story, is interesting and the chase, as well as the relationship that develops between the pursuer and the object of his hunt is engaging – hence the hit movie. The problem comes in trying to turn what should have been a play into a musical. It’s almost as though director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell said, “Let’s just go over the top with it.”

First we’re bombarded with the Frank Abagnale, Jr. players, a 19-member chorus featuring the women dressed in busty airline hostess and nurse outfits (William Ivey Long, design) performing overwhelming choreography to never-ending big production tunes (Marc Shaiman, music and lyrics with Scott Wittman which at times are cumbersome). There are many big sets (David Rockwell, design), the most effective of which is a nice transition to the FBI office. Just for good measure, we have a dancing ink bottle, a bottle of glue and a knife to depict Frank’s forgery.

Butz is fun as the uptight, caring FBI agent and Tveit has a lovely voice which we get to enjoy in a couple of nicer ballads, but we don’t get to see the full development of their characters and their relationship – the real heart of the story – amidst all the clutter. Butler seems under used, getting to sing only one solo – she waits around in the wings most of Act One before her character comes into play.

Catch Me if You Can takes off at the Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd St., NYC. For discounted tickets, visit http://www.givenik.com/show_info.php/Masterworks/282/individual.

Christians might also like to know:

• Language
• Lord’s name taken in vain
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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

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All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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