Kerry Butler 'Caught' for 'CATCH ME IF YOU CAN', Signed for Role of 'Brenda'

Tony Nominee Kerry Butler has been cast in the the upcoming musical adaptation of "Catch Me if You Can," by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the team behind "Hairspray." 

An excited Butler confirmed to BroadwayWorld that she's been signed to play the role of Brenda, originally played in the movie by Amy Adams.

She recently performed one of her songs from the musical, "Fly, Fly Away" at Defying Inequality and you can "catch" Kerry being interviewed by Seth Rudetsky on Sirius XM Live On Broadway (Channel 77) and XM (75) on Friday 2/27 at 7pm EST, Sunday, March 1st at 11pm EST and again on Wednesday, March 3rd at 12 Noon EST. During the interview, Kerry performs "Fly, Fly Away".

Kerry Butler will also be seen on the small screen in upcoming episodes of 30 Rock and the new ABC series, CUPID. Butler released her solo debut CD entitled, "Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust" on the PS Classics label on May 13th, 2008.

The musical is scheduled to premiere at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, in Summer 2009, with Jack O'Brien serving as director, and Jerry Mitchell choreographing the same duties both filled for "Hairspray".

Variety reported earlier this year that Shaiman and Wittman first considered setting Spielberg's movie as a musical after spotting the published script in a bookshop. "The emotional life of its characters are rich and moving, lending themselves to the kind of expression so right for a musical with heart and soul," Shaiman told the entertainment daily.

The musical had a reading in 2005, directed by Jack O'Brien, with Nathan Lane, Tom Wopat, and Matthew Morrison, private workshops were held in July 2007, O'Brien was again director, with Nathan Lane and Christian Borle portraying the leading roles.

Recent readings have included Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz and Tom Wopat, all of whom are expected to continue with the production. 

Catch Me If You Can, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Terrence McNally is based on the 2002 film, about a young con artist's pursuit by an FBI agent, that featured a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, based on the book by Frank Abagnale Jr., and was directed by Steven Speilberg. Leonardo DiCaprio co-starred with Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken.

In addition to Xanadu, Kerry Butler has starred on Broadway asAudrey in Little Shop of Horrors (Outer Critics Circle Award nom.), the original Penny in Hairspray (Clarence Derwent Award; Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle noms), Belle in Beauty and the Beast (NY and Toronto), Eponine in Les Misérables and Ms. Jones in Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway, she originated the roles of Shelley in Bat Boy: The Musical, Maddy in Prodigal, Isabelle in Miracle Brothers and DeeDee in the musical The Opposite of Sex. Other: The "I" Word, The Folsom Head. Workshops include: The Man in the White Suit; Pandora's Box; L'amore; and Bright Lights, Big City. On film she has been seen in Borough of Kings and Campfire Stories. On TV: CBS's "Second Honeymoon"(with Roma Downey), "Another World," "Sesame Street," "Hometown" and "One Life to Live" (Claudia Reston).

More information about Kerry can be found on her official website: http://www.kerrybutler.net

Photo Credit: Linda Lenzi