Aaron Tveit as Aaron Samuels (played onscreen by Jonathan Bennett)
Well, Tveit already has the same first name. Having finished his run as a suave teenage con man in Catch Me If You Can, he’s no stranger to playing high school heartthrobs, thanks to Hairspray—and much like Link Larkin, Samuels finds himself in a love triangle with his current snobby girlfriend and a likeable new girl in town. We bet plenty of Broadway fans would love to have Tveit as their after-school peer tutor…even if he is kind of bad at math.

andrewrannellstie:

On Thursday, August 18th, I was invited to participate in the new (and now closing!) musical Catch Me If You Can’s first ever Blogger Night, where 50 bloggers (+1 guest each) got to attend the evening show and a relatively impromptu talk-back with a few of the actors absolutely free. Armed with two tickets and a notepad, I jetted off to the show, accompanied by my friend and fellow blogger (i-am-thewalrus), ready to absorb and evaluate every aspect of the show. However, I ended up doing more swooning than evaluating (at least during “Live in Living Color”), but that’s beside the point.

After having seen the show only once before from the front row (my neck hurt for days afterward), I was glad to see it from a different seat (7th row!). For me, seeing a show from a different section always makes it seem like a new experience. Several of the numbers, especially “Don’t Break the Rules” and “Doctor’s Orders” looked especially nice from where we sat.

Now for the rundown:

The show, which takes full advantage of it’s slick, 60’s inspired variety show set-up, begins with a bang - literally. A supposed “warning shot” aimed at the ceiling by one of the arresting officers snaps all the characters to attention. Unlike other shows which slowly introduce the audience to it’s characters and setting, Catch Me draws the audience in almost immediately, establishing location and plot all within the first 10 minutes. The absence of a “fourth wall” sets the show apart, allowing the audience to be treated more like a listener - like friends of the characters - than a viewer looking in from the outside. Visually, this opens up the stage and allows for less people to be on the stage and more of the plotline to be acted out. However, as I would later come to find, some of what happens in the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., portrayed by Aaron Tveit, is assumed or poorly portrayed due to the lack of visual aids, time, and background information. Overall though, openly addressing the audience makes the real-life narrative, which in actuality is quite sad, more comedic and fun, all while keeping in line with the story.

“Live In Living Color” set my musical expectations high and the show made good on that with several show stopping numbers, my favorite of which being “Don’t Break The Rules.” Some of the numbers (“Doctor’s Orders,” “Jet Set”), despite being executed wonderfully seemed frivolous and unnecessary. Similarly, “Seven Wonders” seems necessary but endless. While the lyrics are beautiful (and are beautifully sung), I couldn’t keep my mind from drifting elsewhere during it’s performance. “Fly, Fly Away” and “Christmas Is My Favorite Time Of Year” are two of the most underrated songs in the show. While neither of these numbers are very elaborate, the music and lyrics shine through, and the actors (Butz, Tveit, and Butler, respectively) do an excellent job of displaying true emotion in their performances. My least favorite number would have to be “Don’t Be A Stranger,” where Paula Abagnale (Frank’s mom), played by Rachel De Benedet, “dances around the subject” by singing in a half-convincing French accent while doing awkward choreography next to a still-as-stone Detective Carl Hanratty (Norbert Leo Butz) who once in a while breaks the silence and injects some of Butz’s impossible to ignore comedic charm. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rachel De Benedet - at the talk-back after the show she seemed charming, witty, and very invested in the show - but couldn’t help but snicker at her fake French accent, which is especially prevalent during this number.

Catch Me plays host to a plethora of spectacular cast members, including Tony award winner Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit, Kerry Butler, and Tom Wopat (above). While some have standard Broadway voices, others (like Wopat) bring a more realistic, jazzy feel to their songs, which, in my opinion, breaks up the musical numbers and brings a more original sound to the production.

The best performance of the night goes to Norbert Leo Butz (as Detective Carl Hanratty) hands down. What I noticed about Butz, above all else, was his ability to stay in character throughout the show. The way he approached every note, every line, every dance step - even the way he walked! - was decidedly Hanratty’s. Up until the second to last number, “Stuck Together (Strange But True),” during which Tveit and Butz almost completely break character, I didn’t catch a single glimpse of Norbert in Carl. Convincing an entire audience that you are twenty years older than you appear to be takes some major talent, and Butz does not disappoint.

Both Tom Wopat and Butz have similar voices in that, while each one has it’s own distinctive identity, they both share a bluesy, Sinatra-esque quality and tone that is not often heard on Broadway. Wopat’s ability to bellow the last note in “Butter Outta Cream” is mimicked at the end by Butz’s character, which, purposely or not, shows great similarity between the two voices. Wopat shines in “Little Boy, Be A Man” (my favorite song of his) while Butz’s take on “The Man Inside The Clues” literally gave me shivers. If I was to choose my favorite song of Butz’s however, I’d have to go with “Don’t Break The Rules,” the upbeat dance number put on during this years Tony Awards show. It’s funny, energetic, and shows Butz’s ability as a true triple-threat.

While Kerry Butler’s character Brenda Strong does not play a large part in the show overall, Butler’s performance as a naive nurse overcome by her love for a mysterious man is thoroughly enjoyable. As my friend said, “She sounds like she’s 15!” While that’s a slight exaggeration, Butler does do an impressive take on a very young girl, slipping out of it only during “Seven Wonders” where she speaks about her ex-fiancee in a very dull monotone. Butler’s performance of “Fly, Fly Away” was by far one of my favorites of the night - no grandiose staging, no intricate dance moves; just Butler, a single spotlight, and a four-poster bed. Simply by standing there, unmoving, Butler was able to humbly express a vast range of emotions - anger, heartache, sadness, hope - in about 5 minutes time. Since then, Alex Ellis (Butler’s understudy) has also gone on to perform as Brenda Strong several times and, from what I’ve heard, does just as well in the role as her predecessor.

Last, but certainly not least, is the man himself, Mr. Aaron Tveit in the role of Frank Abagnale Jr. Tveit’s portrayal of the younger Abagnale man is blatantly full of heart and energy; he is able to be charming and charismatic while still reminding us that his character was only in his teens when the majority of his crimes were committed.My all-time favorite song of the show is “Goodbye,” Frank’s farewell to the seemingly endless hit-and-run life he had lived for so long. I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two when I saw Tveit belting out the chorus; his heart and dedication to the show could clearly be seen on his face and, as an actress, I could tell he believed every word that was coming out of his mouth - he connected with the song in a very special way, which allowed for the audience to connect with the song as well.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to talk about Tveit critically without spewing “OHMYGOD’s” and “HE’S SO HOT’s” all over the place but, I mean, can you really blame me? Don’t quote me on it, but I’m pretty sure that at least 65% of the female audience comes solely for him. I mean, just look at him!

As a fellow blogger has previously mentioned, Catch Me If You Can is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination; it’s not the deepest or most heartwarming show I’ve ever seen. However, it certainly does not deserve to close after only 5 months of performances. I felt good after seeing Catch Me, which is more than I can say for a lot of shows I’ve gone to see in the past. Catch Me provided a fun evening out for my friend and I and, as far as I could tell by the audience’s response during curtain call, the rest of the crowd.

If you can’t get to Catch Me by it’s closing date (September 4th), a nationwide tour will launch in Fall 2012. Get your tickets now!

Stay safe and dry, everyone!