I have a fond spot in my heart for The Colony Theatre. We were subscribers there after the Pasadena Playhouse had their bankruptcy in 2010. I have fond memories of Barbara Beckley introducing each show, reminding people to turn off their phones—not just because of the noise, but because the lights disturbed not only the actors on stage, but the other audience members. She reminded people not to leave early, because the actors see that. I remember the lobby with all the displays of former scenic layouts, and some of the former props. When I go to the Colony Theatre these days, however, I see what is missing. The lobby is devoid of its charm; the announcements are devoid of their personality. It’s hard to go back to the past.
Perhaps Tom Paxton says it best. When he talks about nostalgia, he says it’s OK to look back, as long as you don’t stare.
I mention all of this because our second show of the last weekend was Catch Me If You Can at the Colony Theatre. Catch Me If You Can is a fun show: Lots of singing and dancing by pretty girls and guys, telling the con-man story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., which was made famous in the movie of the same name. We last saw the show when it was on tour at the Pantages in 2013, and as I noted then “The musical simplifies the story somewhat (especially in the latter parts of the story). It also presents it in an odd fashion — as if it was a 1960s variety show (think Dean Martin) with loads of leggy dance girls, combined with a film-noir detective story.”
One advantage of having seen a show before is that I don’t have to rewrite the synopsis. Here’s what I wrote back in 2013:
The basic story itself concerns Frank Abagnale, Jr., the son of a con-man married to a French beauty he met during World War II. The families motto is, essentially, survive however you can, and that people look at the package and the impression, not the truth. As his father’s life crumbles around him, Frank learns to use this to his advantage, impersonating teachers and other leaders. When his parents divorce, he runs off to New York City and starts a life forging checks. He morphs from this life to a forged identity as a Pan Am pilot. This brings him to the attention of the FBI, particularly Agent Carl Hanratty, who start to chase him. They come close a few times, but Frank impersonates his way out of the encounters. Frank continues to morph, impersonating a doctor in Atlanta. Here he falls in love with a nurse, and to her family, pretends to be a lawyer. It is here that the FBI catches up to him… but his skills are such that the FBI ends up hiring him to advise on the very crimes he committed.
Back in 2013, I wrote a lot about the disconnect between the professional critics, who didn’t like the show, and the audiences, which really enjoyed the show. I think those comments still apply, and they are what made me start out this writeup with the discussion of nostalgia:
The reaction of critics to this piece has been mostly negative. The LA Times critic felt that the story was really asking the question, “How awesome would it be if the Rockettes dressed up in stewardess outfits? And, less fetishistically, perhaps, how cool would it be if Don Draper sang and danced?”. They essentially trash the show: “The show is structured so awkwardly — within a wincingly gag-filled book credited, incredibly, to Terrence McNally — that the songwriters can’t catch too much blame: There’s not a tune in the show that advances the story rather than just reiterating what we’ve heard in dialogue moments before.” They deplore its sexism: “We could reasonably say there is real sexism— not just a spoof of period sexism — in the way stewardesses are portrayed as pilot-hungry nymphs, and nurses as doctor devourers. Yet you hesitate to look a gift chorus line in the mouth, when these are the production numbers that jolt the enterprise to the life to which it constantly and frenetically aspires.” It’s not just the Times that is raking the show over the coals. Neon Tommy states: “The show itself is pretty mediocre. The score, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray,” “Smash”) is mostly uninspired and bland, though there are a few gems, such as “Live In Living Color,” “Jet Set,” and “Goodbye.” Terrence McNally’s book is full of cringe-inducing bad jokes, and barely propels the story along. Further hampering the show are the distractingly garish projections and the show’s objectionable treatment of every single one of its female characters.” Examiner.com states: “Narratively and construction-wise, “Catch Me” is enough of a wet noodle that a powder keg of a central performance – any powder keg would do – might help distract viewers from realizing that this is 2.5 hours of not much there there. Besides the dancing and the leggy girls, that is.” The Hollywood Reporter states: “This impersonation of a Broadway musical initially convinces but eventually, inevitably, is revealed as ersatz. ”
In the article I mentioned last week, Peter Finlayson stated “But a true critic offers us insights that prompt us to come to a personal reflective choice, which is the fundamental core of theatre.” He stated that a good critic “will create a conversation about the play”, noting that they will “give us insight into whether the creative energies of a show were effective in presenting the final product.”. In many ways, this is like a judge at a Drum Corps competition. They focus on the technical aspects of a show: the construction, the nuances of performance. But this isn’t what the audience cares about: the audience cares about the General Effect caption, with performance and selection of material often taking a second position. They go to the theatre to escape, not to think. This is why many vapid movies succeed at the box office.
Your “peer reviewers” — the blog critics called “hacks” by Mr. Finlayson — provide an assessment of that General Effect caption first and foremost. In terms of General Effect, “Catch Me If You Can” succeeds. It has a strong brassy score that is fun, lots of dancing by performers who are enjoying what they are doing, with an orchestra that it top-notch. The performances of the actors are making the best of the material they are given. You walk out of this show humming the music, having enjoyed the past couple of hours. General Effective-wise, this is a win.
Yet the comments of the critics hold as well. There is a lot of sexism on the stage, but that’s viewing a presentation of an historical period through modern sensibilities. I was born in the 1960s, and the 1960s were sexist. If you watched Dean Martin or similar variety shows, you had equally leggy sexism, although not quite as integrated in the casting. I had no problems with the presentation through the eyes of a variety show. It reflected how the lead character, Frank Abagnale Jr, saw his life: a series of skits, where he assumed a variety of characters while doing a glamorous song and dance. Where the story-telling broke down was in the second half, where there tone abruptly changed to noir, and the focus of the story-telling voice switched from Frank to Agent Hanratty. We went from strong and brassy to ballads. Perhaps this paralleled the breakdown of Frank’s life, but it was jarring. These, in my opinion, are valid criticisms of Terrence McNally‘s book. As for the music (by Marc Shaiman) and lyrics (by Shaiman and Scott Wittman), I found it very enjoyable with a nice variety of styles. But then again, I’m enjoying the music they are writing for Smash as well.
Boy, does that comment about Smash date things. When Smash finally hit Broadway, it crashed and burned. But I enjoyed the music.
When The Colony Theatre announced Catch Me If You Can, I wanted to get tickets. I didn’t remember the sexism at all: I remembered I enjoyed the music. I wanted to see how this “larger than life” show would work on the smaller thrust stage at the Colony (it’s not at the intimate theatre level, but it’s also not a proscenium with wings that one finds at the Pasadena Playhouse or the Geffen). Re-reading my review of the past, I see the sexism in the show (although I wonder if I’m allowed it now, having reached the “dirty old man” stage, but I think not). But we’re also in a very different era. When the show hit Broadway and was on tour, we were squarely in the Obama era. We cared about #metoo and sexism. Today, we’re squarely in the Trump era. With a sexist letch as President, who seemingly longs for racism and sexism of the 1950s and 1960s, is the sexism portrayed in Catch Me If You Can acceptable?
Further, we’re now 10 years further removed from the crimes of Abagnale. The type and extent of check fraud that he did has changed. He changed MICR numbers in an era where everyone cashed checks with minimal ID. Today, cashing checks is much harder, and the crime is more checkwashing (contrast the type of check fraud that Abagnale did with the type of check fraud in Kimberly Akimbo). Forging IDs by printing badges doesn’t work in the era of RFID badges, and validation is more than uniforms and forged credentials. Would kids these days even understand the crimes Abagnale committed? The business of identity fraud has really changed.
But that all disappears in the magical world of the theatre, where song and dance can often (but not always) erase problems—at least while the show is in progress. When you leave the theatre into the real world, you realize the problems. Carousel is about violence against women; Mrs. Doubtfire is making fun of a man in a dress.
Ah, but what singing and dancing.
The Colony Theatre is an interesting space. It is a thrust stage in a large black industrial box. No fly space. The scenic designers built a curvilinear two-story stage with lots of storage in the stage. They then used projections onto the stage to establish locales and for scenic effects (no large monitors), and brought out lots of props and scenic pieces from within the doors of the stage. It worked well for the space, but there was still lots of dependence on projections.
I asked my wife about the costumes and such. She said they got most of it right, except for the nurses. Notably, the hats were wrong. In that era, nurses’ hats without stripes were student nurses (who wouldn’t be in an ER); when they graduated, they got hats with stripes that showed the school. Other things they could be forgiven about: the skirts were too short, and the shoes were wrong for nurses. She also said the dancing was pretty period for the 1960s; someone did their homework.
There were some sound problems: at times the amplification went out. Luckily, we were in the second row and could hear well.
As for the performances: This is an area where the Colony got it right. Blake Jenner was great as Frank Abagnale Jr., and Joe Abraham was strong as Carl Hanratty. They sang well, they danced well, and they portrayed the characters well. The ensemble was very strong and fun to watch. In terms of the minor characters, I really enjoyed Kevin Bailey as Frank Sr. and Gabbie Adner as Brenda Strong.
Now for the real question: Should you see it? If you’re sensitive to the sexism of the 1960s, that might be a problem. If you can set that aside and just enjoy the singing and dancing, you’ll be fine. For us, the larger problem was the price. Out the door, the tickets were pricy (even with the senior discount). They were less than Orchestra at the Pantages, but much more than we pay for side orchestra at the Pantages, or mezzanine at the Ahmanson. We were able to get tickets on the Labor Day sale, which helped (alas, gone are the days of Goldstar). If you are price sensitive, my suggestion is to get on the mailing list for the Colony, or follow them on Facebook, so that you can get announcements of special sales. They would rather fill the seats than have them empty, so they do have sales.
Assuming you can afford the tickets, it is quite the enjoyable show (and one that is rarely done, which means that (as he gets ready to duck and run), you should Catch It If You Can. The show continues through October 18, 2026. Tickets are available through the Colony Website.
Credits
Catch Me If You Can: The Musical. Based on the Dreamworks Motion Picture. Book by Terrance McNally. Music by Marc Shaiman. Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. Directed by Michael Donovan. Choreography by Natalie Iscovich. [As an aside: I know Natalie—she’s the daughter of someone I went to camp with!]
Cast [æ indicates members of Actors Equity]: Blake Jenneræ Frank Abagnale Jr; Joe Abrahamæ Agent Carl Hanratty; Kevin Baileyæ Frank Abagnale Sr.; Leslie Stevensæ Paula Abagnale; Gabbie Adner Brenda Strong; Brad Griffithæ Roger Strong, Ensemble; Whitney Kathleen Vigil Carol Strong, Cheryl Ann, Ensemble; Luc Clopton Agent Cod, Ensemble; Jesse Graham Agent Branton, Ensemble; Spencer Del Carmen Agent Dollar; Leonel Ayala Ensemble; Samantha Lawrence-Mata Ensemble; Lucy Schene Ensemble; Matthew Mason Baker Ensemble, Dance Captain; Almand Martin Jr. Ensemble; Sophie Liu David Ensemble; Anne Hart Ensemble; Bella Bilandzlia Ensemble.
Music Department: Brent Crayon Conductor / Music Director / Keyboard 1; John Ballinger Guitar; Chris Rolontz Bass; Emiliano Almeida Drums; Serafin Aguilar Trumpet; Adrienne Geffen Woodwinds; Andrew Lederman Keyboard 2.
Production and Creative: Michael Donovan Director, Casting Director; Natalie Iscovich Choreographer; Molly Cornell Scenic Designer; Luke Moyer Lighting Design; Gabrieal Griego Projection Design; Jennifer Lynn Deck Costume Design; Leland Stephens Wig Design; Robert Arturo Ramirez Sound Design; John M. McElveney Properties Design; Richie Ferris CSA Casting Director; Coby Rogers Asst Director; Cassy Sottileæ Production Stage Manager; Corey Near-Ansari Asst Stage Manager; Stephanie Sandler Technical Director; Matthew Herrman General Manager; Ken Werther Publicity Press Representative; Christiam “Gama” Franco Assoc Sound Design; The Colony Theatre (TCT) Sound Engineer; Ashley Erikson TCT Digital Marketing; Katie Woerner TCT Artistic Coordinator, TCT Box Office Manager; Brenda Ramirez-Kalcoff TCT Director of Operations; Heather Provost TCT Producing Artistic Director.
Administrivia
I am not a professional critic. I’m a retired cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.
Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania. If you are looking for discount tickets, TodayTix (unlike their predecessor Goldstar Events) doesn’t handle the small theatres in LA. Luckily, Theatre Source LA has a new initiative: StageRushLA for discount tickets.
Sadly, we recently lost one of my favorite theatrical venues due to fire: the historical building housing Newhall Refinery, Care/Tucker Design, The Main, and El Troc was destroyed by a 3-alarm fire. Luckily, Canyon Theatre Guild next door was spared. I’ve been attending “The Main”, and it’s previous incarnation, Rep East Playhouse, since all the way back in 2006. Twenty years. Let’s pour a glass for the art and artists of Rep East/The Main, and hope that small and vital venues like The Main return to Santa Clarita soon. While you’re at it, contribute to support the artists of The Main who lost all their gear (they were in the middle of a show run). Do what you can to support theatre in Santa Clarita. I am: Our outing next weekend for Come From Away is to the Olive Branch Theatricals production, in the Valencia Town Center. The leaders there got their start through REP and CTG.
Upcoming
Key: 
Theatre / 
Music / 
Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (
indicates ticketing is pending).
- October: The Outsiders at BIH/Pantages; Come From Away at Olive Branch Theatricals; Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves Celebrate John Coltrane at The Soraya; Les Miserables at 5-Star Theatricals; Gershwin and the Golden Age (feat. Michael Feinstein) at The Soraya; The Who’s Tommy at BIH/Pantages.
- November: Things are Looking Up at the Binge Festival of Free Theatre/Santa Monica Playhouse (Livestream); Passing Strange at Pasadena Playhouse; Oh Mary at CTG/Ahmanson; Dance Theatre of Harlem at The Soraya; Road Show at Chromolume Theatre; Destiny of Desire at CTG/Taper.
- December: Candide at LA Opera; Big Fish at Conundrum; Spanish Harlem Orchestra at The Soraya; Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at CTG/Ahmanson.
