A Great Deal of Fun!
by KarenLZ on 3/24/13Pantages Theatre - Los AngelesMy recent opportunity to see Catch Me If You Can was a pleasant surprise! I am not a big fan of shows seemingly coming out of nowhere and with little traditional credibility to musical theatre. That said, the lead's performance (Stephen Anthony) as Frank Abagnale Jr. was amazing! What a talented kid! He showed all the exhuberance and energy necessary for the "wonder" of the character - even though he was in almost every scene! His standout supporting cast included his father, Dominic Fortuna (Frank Abernathy, Sr.) and Aubrey Mae Davis (Brenda) who each lent stellar support to every scene they were in... Merritt David James (Carl Hanratty) was solid in his role, but his occasional vocal similarity to Paul Giamatti was a bit distracting. Overall, it was a FUN show! While there were some occasions when it could have been a bit more stylized ala Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love," the story was engaging and the musical numbers were stylized enough to the period that it produced a show well worth seeing. Thank you!