CATCH ME IF YOU CAN to Open on Broadway April 10; Previews March 7, 2011

Lead producers Margo Lion and Hal Luftig announced today that the new musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will open on Broadway Sunday, April 10, 2011 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced. This new musical, created by a team of Tony winners, features a book by Terrence McNally, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell and is directed by Jack O'Brien. Previews begin March 7, 2011. Casting and additional design team will be announced shortly.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on the book and hit 2002 DreamWorks film of the same name directed by Stephen Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN captures the astonishing true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist who passed himself off as a doctor, a lawyer, and a jet pilot-all before the age of 21. With straight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on Frank's trail, we're off on a jet-setting, cat-and-mouse chase, as a jazzy, swinging-sixties score keeps this adventure in constant motion. In the end, Agent Hanratty learns he and Frank aren't so very different after all, and Frank finds out what happens when love catches up to a man on the run.

A BRIEF HISTORY BY SHAIMAN & WITTMAN:

We were at The Drama Book Shop researching an idea for another show when a new book about the film "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN" caught our eye. "We'd rather make a musical of THAT" we said in tandem and promptly arranged a meeting with Stephen Spielberg. Our idea was to musicalize "CATCH ME" with a score that would use as its inspiration the idea of a classic Ed Sullivan Show (since that was the time you might see and hear Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Judy Garland and Aretha Franklin all on one evening's entertainment) and he said yes right away! We began devouring the book the film had been based on, the true life story of the incredibly young con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr.

As we began writing, we immediately involved our favorite collaborators Jack O'Brien & Jerry Mitchell, who made the exciting suggestion of inviting Terrence McNally in, as well. As we wrote, we presented the work to the Broadway producers we had strong emotional connections with; luckily for us, Margo Lion and Hal Luftig found themselves attracted to the project and for the same reasons we were - a chance to create a "business man's musical" featuring beautiful long-legged girls in swinging mid-60's fashions combined with a soulful look at the bond between fathers and sons, whether related by blood or discovered. A Musical For Men -- and the women who love them!

Writing a musical about a real live living person is daunting, but getting to meet the actual Frank Abagnale Jr. (at least, we THINK that was him!) made the experience incredibly fulfilling. His story of learning what is really true in life - and how he learned it - is a fascinating, actual tall tale. A true story of a brilliant young man's joy and heartbreak as he searches for someone to tell him to do what's right, "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN" caught us right in the heart and we are truly excited to share it on Broadway, with a great big orchestra!

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is produced by Margo Lion and Hal Luftig.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opened at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre for a limited engagement from July 23 - August 14, 2009.

More Articles by This Author...