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LemonWade’s Seattle correspondent, Starla Smith, has seen the new musical, “Catch Me If You Can,” starring a sizzling Aaron Tveit in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie role. Here’s Smith’s review: ‘The world premiere of “Catch Me If You Can” falls a bit short of the Broadway buzz. Despite having many members of the same production team who steered “Hairspray” to Tony Triumph, the musical adaption of the popular film, “Catch Me If You Can,” can’t claim the “sure-fire hit” status “Hairspray” enjoyed during its 2002 tryout at Seattle ’s 5th Avenue Theatre. Not yet, at least.

‘A comedy/drama crime saga, “Catch Me” is still chasing after the right ratio of pathos and comedy. Although entertaining with an outstanding cast, the musical needs trimming (it runs almost three hours) and tweaking before it lands on Broadway–the first act more than the second. Luckily, there’s time. So far, the producers haven’t booked a theater on the Great White Way .

‘As they did on “Hairspray,” Jack O’Brien directs, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The book is by Terrence McNally and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (another “Hairspray” alum)

‘If you’ve seen the 2002 film, you know the plot is based on the real-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr. With a few exceptions the musical unfolds much like the DreamWorks version directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.

‘Before he reached age 19, Frank Junior had already faked his way into notoriety by forging credentials and writing millions of dollars worth of bad checks. And he might have gotten away clean, if not for FBI agent Carl Hanratty.

‘As the musical begins, Hanratty is about to arrest the teenage con artist. When young Frank asks to tell his tale, the production segues into a 60s TV variety show about his life and escapades, courtesy of the NBC peacock flashing across the screen.

‘His story starts in New Rochelle , New York during the early 60s on Christmas Eve, when Frank Senior gives Frank Junior his first checkbook. Never mind that Daddy’s under investigation by the IRS for tax fraud.

‘Then daddy loses his money and mommy has an affair. They divorce. So Frank Junior runs away to NYC, where he switches his focus from “Flash” comics to his checkbook. To survive, he floats checks and switches identities. Soon his fraudulent antics seek grander arenas. He successfully impersonates a Pam Am pilot, a Secret Service agent, a doctor and an attorney, always one-step ahead of the law. Young Frank may be a high school dropout, but he has a genius for convincing people he’s someone else.

‘From New Rochelle to the Big House, via Paris , Atlanta and New Orleans , Frank Junior gleefully foils his FBI tracker in this cat-and-mouse caper. Though Agent Hanratty is hot on Frankie’s tail, it seems more like the mouse is chasing the cat.

‘Tony nods should be a shoo-in for these two leads: Aaron Tveit as the teenage con artist and Norbert Leo Butz as the nose-to-the-grindstone FBI agent.

‘Tveit has an amazing voice and musical theater charisma. If he’s not already a mega star, he soon will be. He delivers the role of Frank Junior with power and panache, creating a criminal you can’t resist.

‘The talented Butz once again proves his Broadway clout. Hanratty grows on you. Butz endows him with a downtrodden but determined demeanor as well as a hidden loneliness. Butz sells every song he tackles, in particular, his Act One mantra, “Here I Am . . . To Save The Day” (Andy Kauffman, anyone?) and his final duet with Tveit, a razzle dazzle show-biz delight, “Strange But True.”

‘As Frank Senior, Tom Wopat morphs into the ultimate boozer and loser, a man of charm whose lofty dreams and lifestyle far outweigh his reality. When it comes time to sing,Wopat’s resonate baritone brings to mind the smooth, finger-snapping crooning of the highly-touted Sinatra era.

‘Jerry Mitchell’s audience-friendly choreography aims to please. Take the medical romp, “Doctor’s Orders.” If more nurses donned designer Bob Mackie’s skimpy, wispy concoctions, those Blue Dog senators would fall over themselves to embrace health care reform.

‘And when a dozen stewardesses and pilots in Mackie’s airline couture join Tveit for a song-and-dance routine, Mitchell transforms the “The Jet Set” into a colorful PamAm kickline.

‘Meanwhile, the game changes. During his stint as an Atlanta doctor, our young con falls head over heels for Nurse Brenda and wants to stop running.

‘It probably won’t make the Broadway cut, but one of the silliest scenes takes place when Frank Junior meets Brenda’s Southern-fried parents. Nick Wyman and Linda Hart are hilarious as Roger and Carol Strong, “an old O’leans family with a dab of Jewish.” Hart actually hauls out an accordion for a sing-a-long on the Strong’s favorite ditty, “Bury Me Beside the One I Love.” Like we said, it won’t make the cut.

‘One reason this scene tickles the funny bone is that McNally’s book needs more humor and witty bantor. He drops names like Angie Dickinson, Julia Child and Herbert Hoover—not in the same sentence, of course. He even flirts with film noir. But it’s not enough.

‘As Hanratty hunts his quarry, he meets the ex-Mrs.Abagnale, a glamorous Rachel de Benedet, who sings a seductive bossa nova, “Don’t Be a Stranger,” with three handsome dancers as props. Even no-nonsense Hanratty aches to surrender his Lugar to this sexy French cougar

‘But the musical puts more psychological focus on the father/son relationship which further challenges its creators to deliver the right mix of comedy and sentiment. And sometimes it happens. When Hanratty and Frank Senior swap stories about their abusive fathers, Butz and Wopat team up for an insightful duet, “Little Boy Be a Man.”

‘Fate finally catches up with Frank Junior. His guileless sweetheart reacts by throwing off her wide-eyed persona. Kerry Butler, as Brenda, takes a well-deserved star turn, belting an emotional 11 o’clock torcher, “Fly, Fly Away.” And Tveit follows suit with Frank’s sensational farewell anthem, “Goodbye.”

‘David Rockwell’s set design includes marvelous cinematic apertures for scene changes, while LED images recreate world-famous logos, airports and skyscrapers as well as twinkling stars and fluffy snowflakes.

‘The musical arrangements are terrific. So is the classy onstage orchestra led by John McDaniel, especially the swinging horn section. The score is both playful and poignant–Shaiman and Wittman style. But their witty lyrics are often drowned out by an ear-blasting sound system. Plus the production strays from its variety show premise.

‘Throughout the performance, there’s a running parable about two little mice that fall in bucket of cream. While one quickly gives up and drowns, the other keeps trying to save himself. Eventually he churns cream into butter and climbs out.

‘To borrow from the metaphor, “Catch Me If You Can” should keep on churning until it’s a tasty Broadway spread.’

“Catch Me If You Can” runs Tuesday to Sunday through August 16th at 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle. Tickets $22-$93, 206-625-1900.

by Brendan Lemon | 8/10/09 | Leave a comment |