Christian Drollinger, Samuel James Apollonaris O'Brien, Farris Abou-Hanna, and Alexander Siron in the City Circle Theatre Company's "Catch Me If You Can" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- July 19 through 28
Friday, July 19, through Sunday, July 28
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
A Steven Spielberg movie smash becomes a lavish, tuneful, funny, and romantic City Circle Theatre Company presentation in Catch Me If You Can, the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit that runs July 19 through 28 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, and a show that Variety magazine praised for its “swinging orchestrations” and “considerable entertainment value.”
Adapted from the Oscar-nominated 2002 adventure comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken, the musical version of Catch Me If You Can arrives with a book by Tony winner Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime) and a thrilling original score by Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray). Based on the unbelievable true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., one of the most famous con artists in history, this rousing, 1960s-set saga begins as Frank is captured by Agent Carl Hanratty after years of pursuit. Frank, however, thinks the audience deserves to hear his version of the truth, and narrates his life as a hip, dance-heavy variety television show. We see Frank, as a teenager, run away from his unhappy home to live a life of great adventure, conning people by assuming a multitude of identities: airplane pilot, doctor, and lawyer, to name a few. A fast, rollicking entertainment nominated for Tony Awards including Best Musical (and winning for Norbert Leo Butz's portrayal of Hanratty), Catch Me If You Can tells the tale of an ingenious yet lonely boy looking for his place in the world.
Directing the City Circle Theatre Company's summertime presentation is Kent Reynolds, who states, "As a kid, I went through so many different phases of ‘what I wanted to be when I grew up.’ There was a time I wanted to be an astronaut, a mailman, a teacher, an architect ... . The list goes on and on, but it wasn’t until I found the world of theatre that I realized there was a place where I could be all those things. Frank Abagnale Jr. shows us, albeit in some unconventional and often illegal ways, we can be anything we set our minds to. If there is something you want, set your sights on it and shoot for the stars ... just maybe don’t break several international laws to get there.”
With Frank Jr. played by Owen Abel and Hanratty by Farris Abou-Hanna, additional members of Reynolds' cast include: Farris Abou-Hanna; Royce Blackburn; Tatum Calderwood; Christian Drollinger; Jen Ford; Shelby Myers; Sam O'Brien; Eric Page; and Alexander Siron. Featured in the Catch Me If You Can ensemble are: Connor Ahrens; Emily Ash; Karissa Burkhardt; Kinsey Collins; Samantha Croco; Tess DeGrazia; Andrew Forcier; Austin Gordley; Eliza Kang; Laura Kome; Madeline Nuss; Savannah Page; Reef Persons; Micah Rees; Abby Schweitzer; Ellen Welch; and Cassie Williams. And joining Reynolds on the show's creative team are music director Jessica Palmer, choreographers Katie Colletta and Keegan Huckfeldt, stage manager Lindy Rublaitus, and set designer Marianna Coffey.
City Circle Theatre Company's Catch Me If You Can runs at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from July 19 through 28, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $16-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
