‘Catch Me If You Can’ review
‘It is undeniably an excellent production’
Catch Me If You Can is based on the 2002 crime/comedy movie, which bears the same name. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. and Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, who Cheng Hsin and Adheeb Razmi fabulously played. The Collingwood Woodplayers put on an exceptional show, which captivated the audience, and a huge thanks must go to all of the production and cast who have given up their precious time during summative season to put on this performance. In particular, Charlotte Blair as Director, William Andrews as Musical Director, Jamie Duncan as Producer, Alex Bonsall and Zahrah Santos Califano as the Co-Choreographers and Cassia Thurston as Production Manager. They ensured the readiness of the cast and crew, which allowed for the excellent production.
Setting a musical in the round creates a uniquely immersive experience by placing the audience on all sides of the performers. This configuration requires meticulous planning by all, as actors must constantly shift their focus to ensure that no single area of the audience is excluded from the action for too long. All actors carried this out remarkably well, and the stage management team, as a collective, did a brilliant job ensuring that different sets were placed with different areas of the audience in focus.
As already mentioned, Cheng Hsin (Frank Abagnale Jr.) and Adheeb Razmi (Carl Hanratty) immersed themselves in their roles fully, but the audience loved the rest of the cast, too! Isla Reid (Brenda Strong), James Butler (Roger Strong), and Camille Thornton-Izzard (Carol Strong), formed a remarkable trio that had the audience in stitches as the dinner scene played out when the family met Frank for the first time. In addition, the dynamic duo of Tabby White (Paula Abagnale) and Leon Perry-Masey (Frank Abagnale Sr.), who play out the roles of Frank’s parents, charmed the crowd during their intense scenes. The agents who acted as a unit - played by Harry Graves, Rocco Ferguson, and Henry Smith - caused carnage for Hanratty in his desperate chase of Frank Jr. The ensemble group, too, should be applauded for playing an infinite number of roles in an infinite number of costumes.
The overall atmosphere of the musical was exaggerated by the incredible work of the tech crew to enhance the lighting (Alex Richardson) and sound (George Jones & Tom Haigh), as well as the band, who were set just off the stage, creating the very heartbeat of the show. They helped ensure seamless transitions, the generation of tone changes and a classy overall ambience.
I’m sure the musical will only improve from the actors’ perspective, who think about every minor detail; however, the audience hardly noticed any problems. It is undeniably an excellent production.
By Tom O’Connor.