Marie Clark Musical Theatre. Arts Theatre. 28 May 16
Frank William Abagnale gained notoriety as a conman in the 1960s by scamming banks and other organisations out of millions of dollars. He allegedly spent only 5 years in prison before taking up employment with the American Federal Government. DreamWorks gained the rights to make the film in the late 90s and under the skilful direction of Steven Spielberg went on to gross over $350 million worldwide with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of Abagnale.
The 2011 Broadway musical of the same name received four Tony Award nominations.
Marie Clark Musical Theatre have taken on this mammoth production and in many ways do it justice, particularly in their casting of the two leads, Abagnale and his nemesis, FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Jason Bensen (Abagnale) and David MacGillivray (Hanratty) carry this production high on their shoulders.
We are greeted by the cast in the foyer on arrival. Mingling amongst the audience, and in character, they chat about this and that, until it is time for boarding, and we are ushered to our seats by some lovely stewardesses for the start of the show; it’s a lovely touch.
Directed by Charissa McCluskey-Garcia, and with Musical Direction by Ben Stefanoff, this production of Catch Me If You Can is very hit-and-miss, however. One moment it soars with all of the production qualities and skill of a professional performance and the next is undone by either bland lighting, poor sound tech, lacklustre choreography, or odd blocking descisions. It truly is a mixed bag, overflowing with unrealised potential.
The talented cast of leads and ensemble are more than up for the task and, at times, deliver perfectly polished numbers with equally outstanding production values to support them.
As Frank Abagnale Junior, Jason Bensen has a wonderful tonal quality. Bensen carries the extremely difficult vocal line with finesse, and demonstrates great control over his falsetto. Bensen is also incredibly charming and very charismatic. His suave and commanding presence single-handedly holds the audience’s attention when there should be much more going on to support him.
David Macgillivray is an outstanding talent and delivers an emotionally grounded performance. Don’t Break The Rules stands out as one of the best numbers in the show and - along with an incredibly strong male ensemble, excellent choreography, sound, and blocking in this number - shows what this cast and production team are capable of achieving. His solo rendition of The Man Inside The Clues is the most moving number in the show.
Shelley Crooks emerges from nowhere in Don’t Be A Stranger and puts Paula Abagnale on the map with a beautiful rendition that soars. Gavin Cianci as her husband, Frank Abagnale Senior, never seems to quite settle despite delivering a relatively sturdy performance overall.
For a bit of comic relief one cannot go past the combination of Buddy Dawson and Damien Quick as FBI Agents Cod and Dollar. Paired with James McCluskey-Garcia as Agent Branton and MacGillivray, they never fail to amuse.
Stefanoff’s orchestra are in fine form, particularly amongst the reeds (Nicole Molloy, Samantha Webber, Kara Williams), kudos for the delicious saxophone work! There were a few odd levels amongst the mix however, and the vocal line was regularly set too low or not turned up in time.
Catch Me If You Can is a big Broadway musical which relies on big Broadway numbers. Rachel Dow's and Rebekah Stonelake’s choreography has solid structure, but the execution and production quality just falls short of celebrating some of those really big numbers. Better lighting design and overall production values could have done more to truly make it shine.
Marie Clark Musical Theatre’s Catch Me If You Can is commendable for an amateur production and certainly qualifies as an entertaining night at the theatre. It will improve if the pace picks up and the sound issues are rectified. Regardless, Adelaide amateur theatre needs our support, and this show is definitely worth a look.
Paul Rodda
When: 27 May to 4 Jun
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: marieclark.asn.au
