Catch Me if You Can (musical)
Encyclopedia
Catch Me If You Can is a musical
with a libretto
by Terrence McNally
and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman
and Scott Wittman
. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. A majority of the plot is borrowed from the 2002 film of the same name
, which in turn was based on Abagnale's 1980 autobiography.
After a tryout in Seattle in 2009, Catch Me If You Can opened at Broadway
's Neil Simon Theatre
in April 2011. The production received four Tony Awards nominations, including one for Best Musical
, winning Best Actor in a Musical
for Norbert Leo Butz
.
, with Nathan Lane
, Tom Wopat
, Brandon Wardell
and Matthew Morrison
. In private workshops held in July 2007, O'Brien was director, with Nathan Lane
, Christian Borle
, Angie Schworer, Tom Wopat
and Brandon Wardell
. Other actors involved in the readings included Aaron Tveit
and Norbert Leo Butz
, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Sara Gettelfinger
, Katharine McPhee
, Autumn Hurlbert
, Lauren Ashley Zakrin
and Annaleigh Ashford
.
in Seattle, with Jack O'Brien as director and choreography by Jerry Mitchell
. The 5th Avenue Theatre previously held the world premiere of the creative team's hit musical Hairspray
. The first week of previews of the show were cancelled due to a tragedy in Norbert Leo Butz's family (Butz played Carl Hanratty). The musical premiered on July 28, 2009 and ended August 16, 2009.
In addition to Butz, the cast included Aaron Tveit as Frank, Tom Wopat as Frank Sr., Kerry Butler
as Brenda, Linda Hart
as Carol, and Nick Wyman
as Roger.
The production received mostly positive reviews from critics.
, with an official opening date on April 10, 2011. The show features most of the Seattle cast, with Butz, Tveit, Wopat, and Butler appearing in leading roles. Other Seattle cast members include: Linda Hart, Nick Wyman, Rachel deBenedet
, Brandon Wardell, Timothy McCuen Piggee, and Angie Schworer. The production has scenic design by David Rockwell
, costume design by William Ivey Long
, lighting design by Kenneth Posner
, and musical direction by John McDaniel
; O'Brien and Mitchell are the director and choreographer, respectively.
The production closed September 4, 2011 after 32 previews and 170 regular performances.
national tour is scheduled to begin performances fall 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island
.
, is cornered at the Miami International Airport
by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty and his team. Hanratty asserts that there's no use in running, as his men are trained to shoot. Before his arrest, Frank pleads Hanratty to allow him to inform the people in the airport why they're shooting at him, though Hanratty only wants to know how he passed the bar exam in New Orleans to pose as a lawyer
. Frank promises he will tell him all his secrets if they allow him to tell his story "Live in Living Color". A reluctant Hanratty agrees.
In a home in New Rochelle, New York
, Frank lived with his parents Frank Abagnale, Sr., and Paula Abagnale. He explains that his parents met in Paris
, France
, during World War II
. Paula was performing at a dinner, and noticed Frank, Sr. among the soldiers in the audience ("The Pinstripes Are All That They See"), marrying him soon after. Due to money shortages, Frank is unable to attend private school
, nonetheless wearing his school jacket to public school. He is taunt
ed there as looking like a substitute teacher
, which gives Frank an idea; a few days later, the principal informs his parents that Frank has been teaching French class at the school while their teacher is absent.
One day, Frank walks home from school to find his mother dancing with one of Frank, Sr.'s friends. She pleads him not to tell Frank, Sr., but a distraught Frank is soon in court, with Paula and Frank, Sr. fighting over custody of him. Frank decides to run away ("Someone Else's Skin"). He soon learns how to create fake checks, cashing them at banks across the country and successfully conning millions of dollars.
While entering a New York City
hotel, Frank notices several attractive women, all of them steward
esses; he decides to become a pilot. After creating a fake ID
card
, he finds a co-pilot job at Pan American World Airways
. The workers express the joys of a life in the skies ("Jet Set"). Hanratty finds several fake checks on his desk in Washington, D. C.; he and Agents Branton, Dollar, and Cod assigned to track down the writer of these fake checks ("Live in Living Color (reprise)"). Hanratty gives a word of wisdom to whoever wrote the checks: "Don't Break the Rules".
Frank is enjoying his pilot job, remembering how his dad always said that "women love a man in uniform", as "The Pinstripes Are All That They See". Feeling homesick, he goes to visit Frank, Sr., upset to find out that he had to close his store to save money. Frank offers him several checks to improve his financial situation, but Frank, Sr. disagrees, believing that Frank should be happy with his success and not worry about him ("Butter Outta Cream"). Meanwhile, Hanratty sorts through leftover items from the hotel Frank had just stayed at, looking for "The Man inside the Clues". Hanratty tracks Frank to a hotel room in Los Angeles, but Frank escapes after tricking Hanratty into believing that Frank is a Secret Service agent named Barry Allen
.
Frank attends a holiday party for the airport staff ("Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year"), but ultimately feels lonely, calling Hanratty on a pay phone for comfort. Hanratty, realizing the culprit is just a kid, reveals that he, too, has no one to spend Christmas with ("My Favorite Time of Year").
. When asked what his job is by one of the doctors, Frank lies that he is a pediatrician at the Death Valley
Children's Hospital, working with "snot-nosed kids" and calling himself "Dr. Connors". Feeling sorry for him, the doctor finds him a job at the Atlanta General Hospital, surrounded by nurses who are ready to take the "Doctor's Orders".
Hanratty is still searching for Frank, going through missing person reports
("Live in Living Color (reprise)"). He eventually finds the house of Paula and her new husband, questioning her on the whereabouts of Frank. She tells him not to worry, as does Frank, Sr. Both plead with Frank: "Don't Be a Stranger". While talking to Frank, Sr. at a bar
, Hanratty realizes that both men had overbearing fathers ("Little Boy Be a Man").
Meanwhile, Frank has fallen in love with one of the nurses, Brenda Strong, though she finds him intimidating. He tells her that he has seen the "Seven Wonders" of the world, but that none of them compare to her beauty. Brenda brings Frank to meet her family in New Orleans, where he lies that he's a lawyer, a doctor, and a Lutheran to impress her father. Her father does not believe him, but gives him permission to be with Brenda after Frank admits how much he loves her. Brenda's parents, Carol and Roger Strong, tell Frank that they have a "family sing-along
" each night after dinner; they turn on the television
to the song "(Our) Family Tree", after which Frank proposes to Brenda and she accepts.
Shortly before the engagement ceremony, Frank discovers that Hanratty has figured out where he is. He admits the truth to Brenda, telling her his real name: Frank William Abagnale, Jr. He promises to return after escaping from Hanratty. Just as he leaves, Hanratty enters, asking Brenda where Frank went. She laments that she loves Frank and would never tell on him ("Fly, Fly Away"), but is tricked into doing so shortly thereafter.
The story returns to the opening scene, where Frank is cornered in the airport. The agents escort passengers out of the area, as Frank threatens to run. Hanratty states that he doesn't want to use force, but would have to if Frank ran. Hanratty informs Frank that his father is dead; a drunken Frank, Sr. had fallen down stairs at the bar, breaking his neck. Realizing he has nobody, Frank gives in to Hanratty ("Good-Bye"). Although sentenced to fifteen years in prison, Frank is released after seven. Shortly after his release, he is hired by Hanratty and the FBI to track down others who committed crimes like his. Hanratty and Frank embrace, noting that their partnership is "Strange But True". Before the curtain closes, Hanratty makes Frank keep his promise, telling him how he passed the New Orleans bar exam. Frank tells a surprised Hanratty that he didn't cheat: "I studied."
Act II
†Not on Broadway cast album.
††Titled "Stuck Together (Strange But True) on cast album.
†††Titled "Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year" on cast album.
Ben Brantley
of the New York Times wrote, "With “Hairspray” Mr. Shaiman and Mr. Wittman lucratively mined another vein of the 1960s — Motown-style pop — so taking on “Catch Me” seemed a natural. But this time they’re doing pastiches of music from television variety shows — of both the Mitch Miller
and Dean Martin
kinds — a form that is dangerously close to lounge and elevator music. The flashy musical numbers definitely emerge from the plot, just as they are supposed to do in your basic organic musical, but they sometimes have the chalky flavor of audio-visual aids."
Thorm Geier of Entertainment Weekly
gave the show a "B-" and said, "Part of the problem with Catch Me If You Can is Terrence McNally's book, which is oddly paced and curiously structured. When Abagnale is arrested by the feds in the opening scene, he takes the opportunity to tell his own story from the beginning in the style of a '60s TV show. Why a TV show and not a Broadway play? I have no idea. Perhaps composer Marc Shaiman is just accustomed to the idiom since '60s TV factored so largely in his Tony-winning hit Hairspray. Shaiman has also conceived the music as a pastiche of early '60s musical styles, all of them curiously pre-rock. Unfortunately, this makes the score seem even more old-fashioned than some of the musicals genuinely from that era (like the current hit revival How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
). Under the direction of Jack O'Brien, though, Catch Me If You Can moves mostly in fits and starts. But the creators of Catch Me If You Can have rigged the game against them. What should have been a fun lark of a story seems almost stodgy, like your grandmother's idea of a good time."
In Steven Suskin's review of the show in Variety, he wrote, "Tuner has fine credentials, with the lead producer, songwriters, director, choreographer, designers and two featured actresses from the 2002 megahit "Hairspray" returning to the Neil Simon. "Catch" shares the time period with the former hit as well, but the high quotient of irrepressibly sly fun is missing. Noticeably absent is the typical creative inventiveness of director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. The score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman is more ambitious than their work on "Hairspray," but they are hamstrung by all those production numbers for sexy stewardesses and sexy nurses. Newcomer to the writing team is librettist Terrence McNally, with reportedly extensive ghostwriting by Brian Yorkey
("Next to Normal"). The problem, though, doesn't seem to be the book but the source material. If there is a musical to be made from this tale of a bumbling FBI agent chasing a naively innocent charmer, the creators haven't found it."
Elysa Gardner of USA Today
said, "Boasting a score by the famously witty team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally, Catch Me is too ambitious and stylish in its efforts to entertain and move us to induce boredom. The musical is structured so that we see our mischievous finagler crafting his own story, introducing some numbers and then literally trying to sing and dance his way out of trouble. It's a canny conceit, but one that only emphasizes the character's disingenuousness. There are other elegant and frisky flourishes, from William Ivey Long's eye-candy costumes to Jerry Mitchell's vampish choreography — both of which draw attention to the leggy, voluptuous figures in the female ensemble. Still, in failing to deliver a youthful protagonist you can really cheer for, this Catch Me If You Can may leave you feeling a bit cheated."
sung by Tom Wopat
, "Fifty Checks", which was cut from the musical after the Seattle tryout.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy...
and Scott Wittman
Scott Wittman
Scott Wittman is an American director, lyricist, and writer for Broadway, concerts, and television.Wittman was raised in Nanuet, New York graduated high Nanuet Senior High School in 1972 and attended Emerson College in Boston for two years before leaving to pursue a career in musical theatre in...
. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. A majority of the plot is borrowed from the 2002 film of the same name
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...
, which in turn was based on Abagnale's 1980 autobiography.
After a tryout in Seattle in 2009, Catch Me If You Can opened at Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
's Neil Simon Theatre
Neil Simon Theatre
The Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927 and located at 250 West 52nd Street in midtown-Manhattan....
in April 2011. The production received four Tony Awards nominations, including one for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
, winning Best Actor in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival...
for Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
.
Readings and workshops (2005-2008)
The musical had a reading in 2005, directed by Jack O'BrienJack O'Brien (director)
Jack O'Brien is an American director, producer, writer and lyricist. He served as the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California from 1981 through the end of 2007....
, with Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
, Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
, Brandon Wardell
Brandon Wardell
Brandon Wardell Brandon Wardell Brandon Wardell (born March 25, 1975 in High Point, North Carolina is an American actor, producer, musician. Currently, he plays Johnny Dollar in the Broadway show Catch Me If You Can at the Neil Simon Theatre. He is also currently working as a producer on the...
and Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
. In private workshops held in July 2007, O'Brien was director, with Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
, Christian Borle
Christian Borle
Christian Borle is an American actor. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Borle has been primarily featured as an actor in Broadway productions....
, Angie Schworer, Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
and Brandon Wardell
Brandon Wardell
Brandon Wardell Brandon Wardell Brandon Wardell (born March 25, 1975 in High Point, North Carolina is an American actor, producer, musician. Currently, he plays Johnny Dollar in the Broadway show Catch Me If You Can at the Neil Simon Theatre. He is also currently working as a producer on the...
. Other actors involved in the readings included Aaron Tveit
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...
and Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Sara Gettelfinger
Sara Gettelfinger
Sara Gettelfinger is American actress, singer, and dancer.-Early life and education:Gettelfinger was raised in Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. She graduated from the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School in 1995...
, Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
, Autumn Hurlbert
Autumn Hurlbert
Autumn Hurlbert is an American actress, singer, and dancer known best as the runner up on the reality competition series Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods...
, Lauren Ashley Zakrin
Lauren Zakrin
Lauren Ashley Zakrin is an American musical actress. She was first known as a finalist on MTV’s “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods.” She had done musical theater before, and auditioned for the show after being prompted by a friend...
and Annaleigh Ashford
Annaleigh Ashford
Annaleigh Ashford is an American actress known for her Broadway credits in Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Hair.-Early life:Annaleigh Ashford was born Annaleigh Swanson in Denver, Colorado to Holli Swanson, a gym teacher...
.
Seattle tryout (2009)
The musical was originally scheduled to premiere on July 25, 2009 at the 5th Avenue Theatre5th Avenue Theatre
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theater building located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land is owned by the University of Washington and was once part of the original campus...
in Seattle, with Jack O'Brien as director and choreography by Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer.-Early life and education:Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. He graduated from the Fine Arts college at Webster University in St. Louis. ...
. The 5th Avenue Theatre previously held the world premiere of the creative team's hit musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
. The first week of previews of the show were cancelled due to a tragedy in Norbert Leo Butz's family (Butz played Carl Hanratty). The musical premiered on July 28, 2009 and ended August 16, 2009.
In addition to Butz, the cast included Aaron Tveit as Frank, Tom Wopat as Frank Sr., Kerry Butler
Kerry Butler
Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...
as Brenda, Linda Hart
Linda Hart
Linda Hart is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre.- Biography :As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joined her father and the rest of the family in The Harts, a weekly gospel television series. Hart attended Los Angeles City...
as Carol, and Nick Wyman
Nick Wyman
Nick Wyman is an American stage, television, and film actor, and is the President of the Actors' Equity Association.-Career:...
as Roger.
The production received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Broadway (2011)
On March 11, 2011, the musical began preview performances on Broadway at the Neil Simon TheatreNeil Simon Theatre
The Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927 and located at 250 West 52nd Street in midtown-Manhattan....
, with an official opening date on April 10, 2011. The show features most of the Seattle cast, with Butz, Tveit, Wopat, and Butler appearing in leading roles. Other Seattle cast members include: Linda Hart, Nick Wyman, Rachel deBenedet
Rachel deBenedet
Rachel Helene Kasper deBenedet is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. As of 2011, she stars in the musical Catch Me If You Can on Broadway.- Biography :...
, Brandon Wardell, Timothy McCuen Piggee, and Angie Schworer. The production has scenic design by David Rockwell
David Rockwell
David Rockwell is an American architect and designer, who is the founder and CEO of Rockwell Group, based in New York with satellite offices in Madrid and Dubai. Rockwell has long been fascinated with immersive environments.-Early life and education:...
, costume design by William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long is an American costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens and Young Frankenstein.-Early life and education:...
, lighting design by Kenneth Posner
Kenneth Posner
Kenneth Posner is an American theatrical lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals Wicked and Hairspray, two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st century...
, and musical direction by John McDaniel
John McDaniel (musician)
John William McDaniel is an American theatre producer, composer, conductor, and pianist. He is known as the lead composer and producer of the 1996 television talk show The Rosie O'Donnell Show, for which he received six Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning two.McDaniel is also known for his...
; O'Brien and Mitchell are the director and choreographer, respectively.
The production closed September 4, 2011 after 32 previews and 170 regular performances.
US tour (2012-)
A United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national tour is scheduled to begin performances fall 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Act I
In the 1960s, Frank Abagnale, Jr., a young con manCon Man
Con Man or Conman may refer to:* A con artist, or a person who uses a fraud method known as a confidence trick* Con Man, a.k.a. Freelance , starring Ian McShane...
, is cornered at the Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty and his team. Hanratty asserts that there's no use in running, as his men are trained to shoot. Before his arrest, Frank pleads Hanratty to allow him to inform the people in the airport why they're shooting at him, though Hanratty only wants to know how he passed the bar exam in New Orleans to pose as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. Frank promises he will tell him all his secrets if they allow him to tell his story "Live in Living Color". A reluctant Hanratty agrees.
In a home in New Rochelle, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Frank lived with his parents Frank Abagnale, Sr., and Paula Abagnale. He explains that his parents met in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Paula was performing at a dinner, and noticed Frank, Sr. among the soldiers in the audience ("The Pinstripes Are All That They See"), marrying him soon after. Due to money shortages, Frank is unable to attend private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, nonetheless wearing his school jacket to public school. He is taunt
Taunt
A taunt is a battle cry, a method in hand-to-hand combat, sarcastic remark, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage reactionary behaviors without thinking. Taunting can exist as a form of social competition to gain control of the target's cultural capital...
ed there as looking like a substitute teacher
Substitute teacher
A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. "Substitute teacher" is the most commonly used phrase in the United States, Canada and Ireland, while supply teacher is the most commonly...
, which gives Frank an idea; a few days later, the principal informs his parents that Frank has been teaching French class at the school while their teacher is absent.
One day, Frank walks home from school to find his mother dancing with one of Frank, Sr.'s friends. She pleads him not to tell Frank, Sr., but a distraught Frank is soon in court, with Paula and Frank, Sr. fighting over custody of him. Frank decides to run away ("Someone Else's Skin"). He soon learns how to create fake checks, cashing them at banks across the country and successfully conning millions of dollars.
While entering a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
hotel, Frank notices several attractive women, all of them steward
Steward
The term steward may refer to:- Titles and positions :* Arch-Steward, a seneschal, prince elector of the Holy Roman Empire* Steward, a flight attendant* Wine steward, a sommelier* Butler, the steward of a household...
esses; he decides to become a pilot. After creating a fake ID
ID
ID, I.D. or id may refer to:* The id, ego, and super-ego comprise the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche- Abbreviations :...
card
Card
Card primarily refers to an entire or piece of card stock.Card may refer to:-Small flat objects:* ATM card* Business card* Charge card* Cigarette card* Debit card* Flashcard* Gift card...
, he finds a co-pilot job at Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
. The workers express the joys of a life in the skies ("Jet Set"). Hanratty finds several fake checks on his desk in Washington, D. C.; he and Agents Branton, Dollar, and Cod assigned to track down the writer of these fake checks ("Live in Living Color (reprise)"). Hanratty gives a word of wisdom to whoever wrote the checks: "Don't Break the Rules".
Frank is enjoying his pilot job, remembering how his dad always said that "women love a man in uniform", as "The Pinstripes Are All That They See". Feeling homesick, he goes to visit Frank, Sr., upset to find out that he had to close his store to save money. Frank offers him several checks to improve his financial situation, but Frank, Sr. disagrees, believing that Frank should be happy with his success and not worry about him ("Butter Outta Cream"). Meanwhile, Hanratty sorts through leftover items from the hotel Frank had just stayed at, looking for "The Man inside the Clues". Hanratty tracks Frank to a hotel room in Los Angeles, but Frank escapes after tricking Hanratty into believing that Frank is a Secret Service agent named Barry Allen
Barry Allen
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...
.
Frank attends a holiday party for the airport staff ("Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year"), but ultimately feels lonely, calling Hanratty on a pay phone for comfort. Hanratty, realizing the culprit is just a kid, reveals that he, too, has no one to spend Christmas with ("My Favorite Time of Year").
Act II
Frank comes across another staff party, this time for a hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. When asked what his job is by one of the doctors, Frank lies that he is a pediatrician at the Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
Children's Hospital, working with "snot-nosed kids" and calling himself "Dr. Connors". Feeling sorry for him, the doctor finds him a job at the Atlanta General Hospital, surrounded by nurses who are ready to take the "Doctor's Orders".
Hanratty is still searching for Frank, going through missing person reports
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
("Live in Living Color (reprise)"). He eventually finds the house of Paula and her new husband, questioning her on the whereabouts of Frank. She tells him not to worry, as does Frank, Sr. Both plead with Frank: "Don't Be a Stranger". While talking to Frank, Sr. at a bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, Hanratty realizes that both men had overbearing fathers ("Little Boy Be a Man").
Meanwhile, Frank has fallen in love with one of the nurses, Brenda Strong, though she finds him intimidating. He tells her that he has seen the "Seven Wonders" of the world, but that none of them compare to her beauty. Brenda brings Frank to meet her family in New Orleans, where he lies that he's a lawyer, a doctor, and a Lutheran to impress her father. Her father does not believe him, but gives him permission to be with Brenda after Frank admits how much he loves her. Brenda's parents, Carol and Roger Strong, tell Frank that they have a "family sing-along
Sing-along
Sing-along, community singing, group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, hymns and drinking songs...
" each night after dinner; they turn on the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
to the song "(Our) Family Tree", after which Frank proposes to Brenda and she accepts.
Shortly before the engagement ceremony, Frank discovers that Hanratty has figured out where he is. He admits the truth to Brenda, telling her his real name: Frank William Abagnale, Jr. He promises to return after escaping from Hanratty. Just as he leaves, Hanratty enters, asking Brenda where Frank went. She laments that she loves Frank and would never tell on him ("Fly, Fly Away"), but is tricked into doing so shortly thereafter.
The story returns to the opening scene, where Frank is cornered in the airport. The agents escort passengers out of the area, as Frank threatens to run. Hanratty states that he doesn't want to use force, but would have to if Frank ran. Hanratty informs Frank that his father is dead; a drunken Frank, Sr. had fallen down stairs at the bar, breaking his neck. Realizing he has nobody, Frank gives in to Hanratty ("Good-Bye"). Although sentenced to fifteen years in prison, Frank is released after seven. Shortly after his release, he is hired by Hanratty and the FBI to track down others who committed crimes like his. Hanratty and Frank embrace, noting that their partnership is "Strange But True". Before the curtain closes, Hanratty makes Frank keep his promise, telling him how he passed the New Orleans bar exam. Frank tells a surprised Hanratty that he didn't cheat: "I studied."
Musical numbers
Act I- "Live in Living Color" – Frank Jr. and Company
- "The Pinstripes Are All That They See" – Frank Sr., Frank Jr, and Ladies
- "Someone Else's Skin" – Frank Jr. and Company
- "Jet Set" - Frank Jr. and Company
- "Live in Living Color (Reprise)"† - Frank Jr.
- "Don't Break the Rules" – Hanratty and Company
- "The Pinstripes Are All That They See (Reprise)"† – The Ladies
- "Butter Outta Cream" – Frank Jr. and Frank Sr.
- "The Man inside the Clues" – Hanratty
- "Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year"† – Partygoers
- "My Favorite Time of Year"††† – Hanratty, Frank Jr., Frank Sr., and Paula
Act II
- "Doctor's Orders" – Nurses
- "Live in Living Color (Reprise)"† - Frank Jr.
- "Don't Be a Stranger" – Paula and Frank Sr.
- "Little Boy Be a Man" – Frank Sr. and Hanratty
- "Seven Wonders" – Frank Jr. and Brenda
- "(Our) Family Tree" – Carol, Roger, Brenda, Frank Jr., and Strong Family Singers
- "Fly, Fly Away" – Brenda
- "Goodbye" – Frank Jr.
- "Strange But True"†† – Frank Jr. and Hantratty
†Not on Broadway cast album.
††Titled "Stuck Together (Strange But True) on cast album.
†††Titled "Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year" on cast album.
Original Broadway cast
- Frank Abagnale, Jr. — Aaron TveitAaron TveitAaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr...
- Carl Hanratty — Norbert Leo ButzNorbert Leo ButzNorbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
- Frank Abagnale, Sr. — Tom WopatTom WopatTom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
- Paula Abagnale — Rachel de Benedet
- Brenda Strong — Kerry ButlerKerry ButlerKerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...
- Carol Strong — Linda HartLinda HartLinda Hart is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre.- Biography :As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joined her father and the rest of the family in The Harts, a weekly gospel television series. Hart attended Los Angeles City...
- Roger Strong — Nick WymanNick WymanNick Wyman is an American stage, television, and film actor, and is the President of the Actors' Equity Association.-Career:...
- FBI Agent Johnny Dollar — Brandon WardellBrandon WardellBrandon Wardell Brandon Wardell Brandon Wardell (born March 25, 1975 in High Point, North Carolina is an American actor, producer, musician. Currently, he plays Johnny Dollar in the Broadway show Catch Me If You Can at the Neil Simon Theatre. He is also currently working as a producer on the...
- FBI Agent Bill Cod — Timothy McCuen Piggee
- FBI Agent Todd Branton — Joe Cassidy
Reception
The Broadway production received mixed reviews. The most positive review came from Michael Giltz of the Huffington Post: "Catch Me If You Can is a sheer delight from the poignant and brilliant book by Terrence McNally to the sexy but character-driven choreography by Jerry Mitchell to the perfect sets by David Rockwell to the spot-on costumes by William Ivey Long to Kenneth Posner's marvelous lighting. It's all tied together by the superlative direction of Jack O'Brien which is seamless in weaving together drama, comedy, dance, acting, genuine scenes of pathos and casual banter with the audience and orchestra."Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
of the New York Times wrote, "With “Hairspray” Mr. Shaiman and Mr. Wittman lucratively mined another vein of the 1960s — Motown-style pop — so taking on “Catch Me” seemed a natural. But this time they’re doing pastiches of music from television variety shows — of both the Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
kinds — a form that is dangerously close to lounge and elevator music. The flashy musical numbers definitely emerge from the plot, just as they are supposed to do in your basic organic musical, but they sometimes have the chalky flavor of audio-visual aids."
Thorm Geier of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the show a "B-" and said, "Part of the problem with Catch Me If You Can is Terrence McNally's book, which is oddly paced and curiously structured. When Abagnale is arrested by the feds in the opening scene, he takes the opportunity to tell his own story from the beginning in the style of a '60s TV show. Why a TV show and not a Broadway play? I have no idea. Perhaps composer Marc Shaiman is just accustomed to the idiom since '60s TV factored so largely in his Tony-winning hit Hairspray. Shaiman has also conceived the music as a pastiche of early '60s musical styles, all of them curiously pre-rock. Unfortunately, this makes the score seem even more old-fashioned than some of the musicals genuinely from that era (like the current hit revival How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
). Under the direction of Jack O'Brien, though, Catch Me If You Can moves mostly in fits and starts. But the creators of Catch Me If You Can have rigged the game against them. What should have been a fun lark of a story seems almost stodgy, like your grandmother's idea of a good time."
In Steven Suskin's review of the show in Variety, he wrote, "Tuner has fine credentials, with the lead producer, songwriters, director, choreographer, designers and two featured actresses from the 2002 megahit "Hairspray" returning to the Neil Simon. "Catch" shares the time period with the former hit as well, but the high quotient of irrepressibly sly fun is missing. Noticeably absent is the typical creative inventiveness of director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. The score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman is more ambitious than their work on "Hairspray," but they are hamstrung by all those production numbers for sexy stewardesses and sexy nurses. Newcomer to the writing team is librettist Terrence McNally, with reportedly extensive ghostwriting by Brian Yorkey
Brian Yorkey
Brian Yorkey is an American playwright, lyricist, and theatre director. He shared the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2009 Tony Award for Best Original Score with composer Tom Kitt, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Next to Normal.A native of Issaquah,...
("Next to Normal"). The problem, though, doesn't seem to be the book but the source material. If there is a musical to be made from this tale of a bumbling FBI agent chasing a naively innocent charmer, the creators haven't found it."
Elysa Gardner of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said, "Boasting a score by the famously witty team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally, Catch Me is too ambitious and stylish in its efforts to entertain and move us to induce boredom. The musical is structured so that we see our mischievous finagler crafting his own story, introducing some numbers and then literally trying to sing and dance his way out of trouble. It's a canny conceit, but one that only emphasizes the character's disingenuousness. There are other elegant and frisky flourishes, from William Ivey Long's eye-candy costumes to Jerry Mitchell's vampish choreography — both of which draw attention to the leggy, voluptuous figures in the female ensemble. Still, in failing to deliver a youthful protagonist you can really cheer for, this Catch Me If You Can may leave you feeling a bit cheated."
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz... |
|
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Tom Wopat Tom Wopat Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,... |
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| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was first awarded in the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has subsequently been awarded every year. In the 1993-1994 Drama Desk Awards the award was given under the name of Outstanding Supporting Actress - Musical... |
Kerry Butler Kerry Butler Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:... |
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| Outstanding Music Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprising New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy... |
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| Outstanding Lyrics Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Scott Wittman Scott Wittman Scott Wittman is an American director, lyricist, and writer for Broadway, concerts, and television.Wittman was raised in Nanuet, New York graduated high Nanuet Senior High School in 1972 and attended Emerson College in Boston for two years before leaving to pursue a career in musical theatre in... and Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy... |
|||
| Outstanding Orchestrations Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy... and Larry Blank |
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| Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... |
Distinguished Production of a Musical | |||
| Distinguished Performance | Aaron Tveit Aaron Tveit Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr... |
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| Tom Wopat Tom Wopat Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,... |
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| Fred & Adele Astaire Award | Broadway Choreographer | Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer.-Early life and education:Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. He graduated from the Fine Arts college at Webster University in St. Louis. ... |
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| Female Dancer, Broadway | Rachel de Benedet | |||
| Jennifer Frankel | ||||
| Angie Schworer | ||||
| Male Dancer, Broadway | Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz... |
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| Aaron Tveit Aaron Tveit Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr... |
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| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding New Score | |||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz... |
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| Aaron Tveit Aaron Tveit Aaron Kyle Tveit is an American theatre and film actor originally from Middletown, New York. He is known for originating the roles of Gabe in Next to Normal and Frank Abagnale Jr... |
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| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival... |
Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz... |
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| Best Sound Design Tony Award for Best Sound Design The first Tony Award for "Best Sound Design of a Play" and "Best Sound Design of a Musical" was given in the 2007-2008 season.-2000s:*2008: Mic Pool – The 39 Steps**Simon Baker – Boeing-Boeing**Adam Cork – Macbeth... |
Steve Canyon Kennedy | |||
| Best Orchestrations Tony Award for Best Orchestrations -1990s:1997*Jonathan Tunick – Titanic**Michael Gibson - Steel Pier**Luther Henderson - Play On!**Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler - The Life1998*William David Brohn – Ragtime**Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler - The Lion King... |
Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy... and Larry Blank |
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Recordings
An original Broadway cast recording was released digitally on May 23, 2011, by Ghostlight Records, prior to a June 28 release in stores. The recording features a bonus trackBonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
sung by Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat
Tom Wopat is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.-Life and career:Wopat was born in Lodi,...
, "Fifty Checks", which was cut from the musical after the Seattle tryout.