On Broadway #2: I surely would catch him if I could...

And now, for the posts you've really been interested in: my recap of the Broadway shows I saw in New  York. I'll give you the low-down on the plays (all musicals) in the order in which I saw them.

Here is the second of five:

Catch Me if You Can

The second play we saw was based on the real-life story of teenage con-artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. When his parents split up, he went into crisis mode, forged checks (stealing over $2 million from various banks around the world), and eventually impersonated an airline pilot, an ER doctor, and a lawyer before finally getting caught and going to jail. The story explores his adventures, and how he was caught by FBI fraud investigator Carl Hanratty. It's a fascinating story! Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a movie version several years ago. I might need to read Abagnale, Jr's book now.

I loved how retro-60s everything was! The musical is new this year, but as stage-Frank shared his story, he did it in a way that would have been contemporary for him. Jazz, christian, folk, rock 'n' roll -- it was all there. It was easy to step into the sixties and immerse myself into the story.

I'll be honest, Aaron Tviet (Frank, Jr) reminded me a LOT of my high school boyfriend, who also had blue eyes, dark hair, a fantastic singing voice, and an innocent, sincere, easy-going demeanor. I didn't quite believe him as a 16 year old, but routed for him anyway!

Norbert Leo Butz (antagonist Carl Hanratty) needs to win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. Fine, I didn't see any of the other nominated actors, but he was so brilliant that if anyone else wins I hope they really deserve it! It was fun to see him convincingly play a  character 10-15 years older. You'd link that would be easy, but I've done "older" acting, and it's much easier to play significantly older or younger. My favorite, favorite number in the show was "Don't Break the Rules" where Carl dances stiff-legged and awkwardly alongside his FBI cohorts. Only a really good dancer could pull that off. Seriously, I could have watched him dance badly all day. This video doesn't do it justice, but watch it anyway:

It was fascinating to watch these two characters onstage together: a dichotomy of the lonely, socially-awkward FBI agent and the lonely, suave, handsome teenage boy who needed each other. They had such a great chemistry.

When I researched the show beforehand, I kept watching videos on playbill.com and in interviews everyone would talk about the chorus girls and their long legs. I rolled my eyes and laughed... until I actually saw the show. Holy granola! Every single one of those girls had six-pack abs and legs to their neck. I was sitting in the balcony and could see how cut their abs were in their first-number, bare-midriff costumes. (I tried hard not to think about how out-of-shape I am.) They were mostly tall anyway, but those legs, paired along with short skirts and tan shoes... yep. Freakishly long legs. Again, it was fitting to have these freakishly gorgeous, more-or-less exploited women in this sixties-mentality show!

So it was a relief when the girl Frank fell in love, Brenda, with was an adorable, "normal" girl! She stomped on the stage in the midst of all those chorus girls, and everyone cheered! Keri and I agreed afterward that Larissa needs to play that part someday. She would totally kill it!

My experience was only slightly marred by an over-enthusiastic guy sitting a couple of rows behind me. (Welcome Broadway rant #2.) I'm pretty sure he'd seen the show multiple times -- or maybe he just really liked it -- but applause was never good enough. Every time anyone finished their song, he'd elicit a sharp "Woo!" and start applauding wildly. Granted, a lot of numbers were very good, but few deserved that level of appreciation. Plus, he was in the balcony, so it's unlikely that the folks onstage could have heard him anyway. I'm sure Aaron DID hear this kid should "Marry me!" at the end of the ll o'clock hour song. I am very proud of myself for not punching the kid. I get it! Aaron's fabulously talented and you enjoy the show. SHUT UP ALREADY AND LET ME ENJOY IT!! I am probably the only person this bothered. Still, it bothered me!

Anyway, I am a big fan, and will be buying the soundtrack and hope it does well at the Tonys (I'm excited to see what number they perform). My parents will be traveling to NYC in the near future and have tickets for this show. I can't wait to hear what they think! The entire time I was watching, I thought, "My parents are going to love this!" I hope they do!

For another opinion on the show, check out Larissa's and Keri's review.

*SPOILER BELOW (if you don't already know the story)*

My favorite line was, "You want to put me in jail, then let me out, then pay me for what you put me in jail for?"

Hey, after watching this show, I'd want to keep Frank around, too!