‘Catch Me If You Can’ promises high-energy excitement at the theater

It’s been a while since I was blown away by a theatrical production. Not because it was perfect, but because I found myself moving with the characters; holding my breath, and tapping my fingers rythmically on my partner’s leg.

Catch Me If You Can is a musical based on the true story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., a teenager who runs away from a broken home, hoping to create his own success. With the ability to turn on his charm, Frank lives the life of an air pilot, a doctor and a lawyer, forging checks and living a life of riches until he is caught by the FBI. After seeing this production on opening night at the Buell Theatre, I was reminded of why I continue to be drawn to stage performances.

Throughout the entire production, I felt elevated with energy and felt myself moving with the characters – not physically of course, that wouldn’t have gone over well considering I had a 70-year old woman sitting to my left – but because the gusto of the performers and dancers radiated across the audience.

The audience was made to feel like we were part of the performance. And I found it difficult to pause and jot down notes. I wanted to simply experience it.

I have always been a fan of the film – perhaps it was because of my childhood straight crush on Leonardo DiCaprio that stayed with me through lesbian adult-hood – but I went in to the theatre thinking: “There’s no way this musical will be as good as the film. I mean what stage actors can top the likes of Tom Hanks and Leo?”

I was proven wrong – the musical numbers and live stage presence was something I was proud to witness, take in, and simply enjoy. There is something so visceral about live performance, that you cannot even compare the two.

Although the vocals that created the opening act were not as strong as they became throughout the course of the show, the aesthetics kept me mesmerized; the zest from the dancers and the youthful energy of the lead character Frank Abagnale Jr., played by Stephen Anthony, kept the performance playful, endearing, and full of fervent reactions between characters.

A few developments I thought were lacking:

• The father, Frank Abagnale, Sr., played by Dominic Fortuna, seemed to be over-acting. This could have been due to the script, which was so jam-packed in order to tell the full story while still creating big musical numbers, or the comfort level in the interactions between him and the other characters. Either way, it worked, but cohesion seemed off.
• A lack of emotional moments for the audience to sit with. The show was so full of high-energy numbers, often back-to-back, that I didn’t feel I had time to let the previous emotion or number affect me.

Despite these elements, I found the entire production to be well-produced, from the scenic design which included the brightly-colored 50s-style backdrop to the seamless scene changes that happened with realistic fluidity.

My favorite element of the show? The female dancers – of course.

Whether they were playing nurses or flight attendants, the dancing was one of the most enjoyable and strongest elements of this production. The female characters blended an athleticism and skill comparable to a cirque du soleil performer with the sex-appeal of a high-class erotic dancer. And their synchronization, confidence and sexy costumes – their skirts were short – created a cohesion that made the big musical numbers that much bigger.

And moments of humor from the 50s type-cast flight attendants, added a level of sex that didn’t belittle the female characters based on outdated gender stereotypes, but seemed to enhance the productions’ gender-differences.

One of my favorite lines came from a blonde-bombshell Marilyn Monroe-esque character in the second act, and for me, added to the sex-laced humor of the era: “The only thing better than flying, is a layover.”

Good old-fashioned comedy. And good old fashion sass.

And I have to briefly mention the actor who played the lead. The young Stephen Anthony proved himself to be a successful performer through the course of this show. Although young, Anthony asserted his stage role with complete authority as he skillfully mastered the two most notable parts of his character; he embodying both youthful naivity, and confidence.

Although Anthony’s voice was a bit soft and playfully timid at times, he pulled through the intense vocal numbers with a pitch-perfect falsetto and added vocal nuances and vibrato rolls that didn’t go un-noticed by the impressed audience.

Perhaps my favorite element of the entire production, was the message, or underlying theme of “escapism.” Although the main character Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a con-man, the audience can connect to him on a human level; knowing what it is like to want a different life, or to want to change our situation, and as LGBT folks, we often fall in love with the idea of becoming someone else.

In the end, I truly enjoyed this production. Even amidst the areas of weakness – much like the flickering letter ‘A’ in the ‘BAR’ street light in the background – those moments of uncertainty or instability only made the rest of the production that much brighter.

Check it out. If not for the dancing beauties, than for the high-energy and beautifully crafted vocals and direction. You won’t be disappointed.

‘Catch Me If You Can’ plays at the Buell Theatre through March 10. More info at DenverCenter.org.