Review Roundup: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Tour

Troika Entertainment, LLC kicked off the CATCH ME IF YOU CAN national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI October 7, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

The charming, high-flying con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. will be played by Stephen Anthony and Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who is always on Frank’s tracks, will be played by Merritt David Janes. Additional casting includes Aubrey Mae Davis as Brenda Strong, Caitlin Maloneyas Paula Abagnale, Amy Burgmaier as Carol Strong, D. Scott Withersas Roger Strong, Travis Mitchell as Agent Branton, Ben Laxton as Agent Dollar, DerRick Parks as Agent Cod, Amanda Braun, Ashley Chasteen, Taylor Collins, Vanessa Dunleavy, Michael Graceffa, Colleen Hayes, Mary Claire King, Trevor Leaderbrand, Casey Renee Rogers,Daniel J. Self, Allyson Tolbert, Nadia Vynnytsky, Bradley Allan Zarr, Dominic Fortuna (Frank Abagnale, Sr.) and Esther M. Antoine. For more information visit www.CatchMeOnTour.com.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Veronica Bruscini, BroadwayWorld: Catch Me If You Can is entertaining, smart, highly enjoyable, and, at its core, has a lot of heart. The production certainly sparks an interest in learning more about Frank W. Abagnale, Jr.’s remarkable youth, and his life and work in the years following this story’s close.

Greg Sullivan, Herald News: Stephen Anthony as Frank Abagnale Jr. was cool, funny and energetic. And the fact he resembled (at least from Row 3 in the loge) a young Matthew Broderick, made it work even more for me: Broderick was Ferris Bueller and Bueller was a lovable con man.

Leah Michaels, WBRU: Someone once wrote “all that glitters is not gold.” Catch Me if You Can is certainly glittery, but underneath that sparkly facade there isn’t much gold. It’s a shallow though aesthetically pleasing attempt at a con story with enough jazzy song and dance numbers to keep you distracted from its lack of substance.

Bill Rodriguez, Providence Phoenix: Unlike many musicals, where slow songs are too often sentimental stem-winders, the slow-tempo ones here propel the characters, such as Hanratty's thoughtful "The Man Inside the Clues" and "Don't Be a Stranger" by Frank Sr. Not that the upbeat songs are slouches. Frank runs away from home to the driving "Someone Else's Skin," which gives emotion to his motivation, and Hanratty's energetic "Don't Break the Rules" does the same while providing an exciting production number and FBI agent kick line. This musical is a mischievous treat. Catch it if you can.

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