Show History

History

Inspiration

Catch Me If You Can, with score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by Terrence McNally, is the story of notable con artist, Frank Abagnale, Jr. The musical lends much of its material from the 2002 film of the same name, which, in turn, drew from Abagnale's 1980 autobiography. Although the musical keeps many of the same plot points as the movie, it embellishes certain characters and relationships, specifically the role of Frank, Sr.

The creative team for the Seattle tryout and the Broadway production reunited the Tony-winning team from Hairspray, including director, Jack O'Brien, and choreographer, Jerry Mitchell. They came together for a series of readings and workshops from 2005 to 2008, working with such seasoned performers as Nathan Lane, Matthew Morrison, Christian Borle, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Katherine McPhee and Annaleigh Ashford.

Productions

After several workshops and readings, Catch Me If You Can first hit the stage at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle on July 28, 2009. The production starred Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz and Tom Wopat. After many positive reviews from critics, the musical moved to Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. It officially opened on April 10, 2011, and featured performances from many of the Seattle actors, including the leading three roles. The production closed four months later, on September 4th, after 170 performances.

About a year after closing on Broadway, Troika Entertainment started a national tour of the United States in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 7, 2012. The tour ran until July 28, 2013, finishing up at Costa Mesa, California. The first international production of Catch Me If You Can opened at the Blue Square theatre in South Korea in March 2012. 

Trivia

• Catch Me If You Can's original Broadway production was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2011, including Best Musical and Best Orchestrations. It was also nominated for six Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Music and Outstanding Orchestrations), three Outer Critics Circle Awards (including Outstanding New Score) and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical.

• Celebrities that have starred in Catch Me If You Can (aside from those mentioned above) include: Kerry Butler, Linda Hart, Nick Wyman and Brandon Wardell.