Catch Me If You Can

Stars Performing Arts

Photo credits: Heather Regan

Pilot, doctor, or lawyer?

Try all three. 

Better yet: try one quick-witted, teenage con artist and master of identity theft.

Such is the criminal livelihood of Frank Abagnale Jr, the subject of the FBI's hottest new case in Stars Performing Arts’s production of Catch Me if You Can. These teens delivered all the bright lights and spectacle of a TV show, whirling the audience through tight scenework, sky-high vocals, and dazzling choreography. 

Now that we’ve located the case file, let’s uncover the man behind the clues…

Catch Me If You Can

In 1980, Frank Abagnale Jr. worked with co-writer Stan Redding to publish a memoir of his teenage years as a con artist, titled Catch Me if You Can. After his parents divorced at age 16, Abagnale ran away from home and posed as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer in 26 countries before the age of 21, amounting to $2.5 million in bad checks… a feat that takes quite a boatload of wits (and gall) to pull off. 

Were some of his crimes exaggerated? Supposedly, according to modern-day journalists. 

But wouldn’t that make Abagnale’s legacy of fabricated crimes his greatest con work yet?

After Abagnale sold the movie rights to his memoir, renowned director Steven Spielberg took up the project. His film adaptation of Catch Me If You Can was released in 2002, starring Leonardio DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as his FBI nemesis, Carl Hanratty (based on real-life agent Joseph Shea). It was a blockbuster hit, soon inspiring a musical adaptation from bookwriter Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime) and composer-lyricist Marc Shaiman (Hairspray).  

The show opened on Broadway in 2011, following years of workshops. Fun fact: the workshops began with Matthew Morrison as Frank Abagnale Jr. and Nathan Lane as Carl Hanratty, before the eventual casting of Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz, respectively. 

I don’t think I would’ve viewed this show the same if Mr. Schue was the con artist. I’ll take Tveit anyday.

So how did Stars Performing Arts’s production of Catch Me If You Can approach the story?

This Production

Well, it might make more sense if we set the scene of the crime.

Performed on the stage of the Pozez Jewish Community Center, the set of Catch Me If You Can was artistically and intentionally sparse: a few walls separated the wings, with bars of LEDs lining the proscenium and edges of the set. In this way, set and lighting designer William Waugh effectively created a blank canvas for Abagnale, and used lighting to paint his various identities, ventures, and emotions through the course of the story. 

Even better, Waugh knew how to perfectly highlight John Poncy’s dynamic choreography. This tight-knit ensemble of dancers accompanied every one of Abagnale’s ventures: they executed crisp salutes as flight attendants, rapid exchanges as FBI agents, and effortless bodyrolls as red cross nurses, adding an extra layer of dynamism to the story. Tack on Lori Crockett’s expert eye for costumes, and each cast member was perfectly fitted to the occasion. From synchronized double pirouettes to striking canons, every movement was sharp and expressive, mirroring Abagnale’s even sharper mind and wits.

Speaking of which, let’s get into the man behind the clues himself! Rhett Thomas delivered a gripping performance as Frank Abagnale Jr. From the first moment he broke the fourth wall--gun at his head yet self-assured smile on his face--it was clear Thomas had the audience in the palm of his hand. He met every hurdle with cartoonish resilience, swindling his way through life with boundless energy and soaring vocals; a persona that made deeper, more introspective numbers like “Someone Else’s Skin” hit home. 

The backdrop to our protagonist’s troubled teenage years, Griffin Sebunia and Ava Carter became Frank Abagnale Sr. and Paula Abagnale. Sebunia schemed with Thomas through hearty chuckles and fatherly tales, while Carter delivered glamour and poise with a refined French accent; by the time the divorce had driven their son to crime, Sebunia and Carter had shifted into tired, desperate shadows of their characters’ former selves.

Richard Davis, meanwhile, was the relentless cat to Thomas’s mouse in the role of Carl Hanratty. His rendition of “Don’t Break the Rules” was brilliantly unhinged, as Davis boogied across the stage with gravelly vocals and fits of laughter. Persistent in his pursuit of criminals and exhausted by his fellow agents, Davis had more than a few hilarious exchanges with Branton, Cod, and Dollar; Daniel Plummer, Gabe Ayala, and Tavien Erwin, respectively. 

As he kept up the antics, Frank Abagnale Jr. soon found himself face-to-face with an obstacle he couldn’t predict: love. Kate Walsh embodied the sweet, hard-working Brenda Strong, who delivered a powerhouse performance in “Fly, Fly Away” as she grappled with the true identity behind the man she’d grown to love. Sitting giddily at the dinner table with her parents, Carol and Roger Strong (Juliana Esen and Jonas Ethington), the trio made for a side-splitting family dynamic straight out of a sitcom--and one of my favorite scenes in the production.

Who is it for?

Catch Me If You Can is a fast-paced dash through the life of a con artist: it’s got bright lights and spectacle, but also plenty of reconciliation and heart. Plus, director John Poncy’s artistic vision elevated the production with captivating choreography, stunning lights, and vivid expression. It’s truly mind-boggling that this production was put together in three weeks (one week of music, one week of choreo/staging, and one week of tech), considering the sheer amount of showstopping numbers that took place. 

I’d recommend the show to ages 10 and up; while there’s a slew of fraud and criminal activity, nothing is absurd. I mean, Hanratty and his FBI buddies carried around tiny plastic water guns, courtesy of a fantastic props decision by George Rocca.

Stars Performing Arts has one more performance of Catch Me If You Can tonight at 7pm, but it’s already sold out! Until then, you can visit theatrestars.org for audition information about their fall production of Sweeney Todd, check out their upcoming devised theatre lab, or hope that someday this teen will churn out speedier reviews.