Review: 'Catch Me If You Can The Musical' at Center Stage In Shelton

By Nancy Sasso Janis

SHELTON - Center Stage Theatre presents the Youth CONNection production of “Catch Me If You Can The Musical.” This is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught.

Seeking fame and fortune, precocious teenager, Frank Abagnale, Jr., runs away from home to begin an unforgettable adventure. With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer – living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. When Frank's lies catch the attention of FBI agent, Carl Hanratty, though, Carl zealously pursues Frank across the country to make him pay for his crimes.

Liz Muller directs the huge cast of 48 actors, actually divided into a Red and Blue Cast to allow more young performers to play the leading roles, and also serves as their music director. The delightful Justin Zenchuk was their energetic assistant director and the team of choreographers included Youth CONNection alum Stephen Kallas, Katherine Sedlock and Kelsey Sullivan, who appeared in her first YC show when she was five.

This big musical, filled with production numbers, is based on the Dreamworks Motion Picture of the same name, with a book by Terrence McNally, wonderful music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman.

I saw the Blue Cast perform on Saturday evening, although it was frustratingly difficult to determine which cast was performing, since it was not announced and I could not find a schedule in the printed program or on social media. (Hint: the cast is indicated on the ticketing site, but you have to dig for it.)

With the Blue Cast, Jaxon Beirne leads the cast as Frank Abagnale Jr., the very young con man. “He’s a kid!,” says FBI Carl Hanratty at the end of Act 1. Beirne, who displays his strong singing voice, is a senior at WestConn where I saw him in “Marat/Sade,” “Bat Boy,” and “Ernest and the Pale Moon.” He shares the role with Spencer Fiske, who was Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” and Cecil in “The Play that Goes Wrong” at Amity High School, and is headed to CU Boulder this fall.

UConn graduate Matt Sullivan (Rev. Moore in “Footloose) gives a great performance as Hanratty (above at left.) He shares the role with Paul Keegan, a recent Sacred Heart University graduate (“The Crucible,” “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change”) making his Center Stage debut. Hopkins School senior Zack Haywood plays Agent Branton, Nicholas Gugliotti, a student at the University of New Haven, plays Agent Cod, and Shelton High School junior Ben Souza plays Agent Dollar at all performances. WestConn senior Julie Hoff plays Cheryl Ann.

Zachary Simonetti (above left), a rising senior at Fordham University, takes on the role of Frank Abagnale, Sr., playing much older very well. He shares his role with Hunter Smith, who played Chuck Cranston in “Footloose” with this group. Amity High School Zola graduate and WestConn student Zola Kneeland (above right) portrays Frank’s French mother Paula. I saw this actress as Tanya in Amity’s “Mamma Mia!” and Leanne in “Puffs.” Cora Welsh, a senior at Southern CT State University, plays the role with the Red Cast.

Shay Marie Neary (above left with Jaxon Beirne), who is headed to Fairfield University in the fall, is a lovely Brenda Strong, the nurse who captures the heart of Frank, Jr. Kate McPadden, a rising Shelton High School senior who received a nomination for a Stephen Sondheim best actress award for Gertrude in “Seussical,” plays Brenda with the Red Cast. Jessica Nivison, making her Center Stage debut, shares the role of Brenda’s mother Carol with Melanie Byron. Wagner College senior Nick Nunez plays her father Roger, and Harry Rosenay, who is headed to Quinnipiac University in the fall, plays him with the Red Cast.

The large ensemble has a lot to do in this show, especially during the large production numbers. There is plenty of excellent choreography that all of the dancers perform in perfect unison. “Don’t Break the Rules” is a showstopper, but I loved the opener “Live in Living Color” and “Someone Else’s Skin” as well. Amity senior Grace Kennedy managed to shine in all of her scenes.

The stark black set, designed by constant set designer Ron Baldwin, is backlit with an array of colors, giving “Live In Living Color” even more meaning.

Be forewarned that there are plastic guns used as props, as well as some gunfire.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the annual summer Youth CONNection production, featuring high school and college aged actors, performances run July 21-30. In honor of the program’s anniversary celebration, and the incredible amount of talent that auditioned for this summer’s production, this run features a full ensemble, as well as two casts of lead roles (“red cast” and “blue cast”) that will split performances.

There is a bit of strong language in the script and the aforementioned weapons. View the full schedule and purchase tickets at centerstageshelton.org.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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