Catch me if you Can Preview Thread — Page 2

i was there... i WANTED to like it...

here's how i felt...

http://thetheaterbuff.typepad.com/the-theater-buff/2011/03/catch-me-if-you-can-first-preview-thoughts.html

good night... oh wait, first, i want to read what you guys thought!!!

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well, we certainly have DIFFERENT opinions...

too funny!!!

night!

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Does anybody know how the whole Understudy/Standby works? Like is this similar to Spiderman where the Understudy performs during the matinees?

I am seeing this on Thursday Night May 12 and I am DYING to see AARON TVEIT play the lead. To be honest, he is the reason why I am so excited to see this show!

But loved reading all of your reviews on here! This just got me even more pumped to see this!!

I'm so pleased this is doing well from the outset. It's so nice to come into a thread and read (mostly) positive things about a show. It makes such a change. I'm not going to get to see it until April but I'm pleased Aaron is good as everyone expected. I assume from everything there were no major mistakes or stops, proof that you can open a new musical on Broadway and not****it up!

Kyle's blog entry was really interesting because he brought up the issue of having the orchestra onstage, and how large the bandstand is.

Since we were siting in the orchestra, I never saw the drummer milling about during scenes.

CATCH ME, structurally, is like CHICAGO. But the convention is that they're telling his story as he sees it in his head, as a big, splashy TV special with dancing and costumes and sets pieces that pop up out of the floor and drop down from the ceiling.

In essence, this is an Aaron Tveit concert with guest stars.

What I hear in your review is that you didn't care for this convention.

I probably would have agreed with you when I was first discovering musical theater. I didn't like presentational shows, either. I just wanted the drama to unfold like a movie.

I thought the score was particularly good because the music felt "period" but not derivative. And McNally did a great job of interspersing plot-propelling scenes between the verses to keep the action rolling along while the music played on.

Norbert's genius is that he played this totally real. And, consequently, he got every laugh. We recently saw another comedy where everyone was doing double takes and "trying to be funny." Results were disastrous.

I think the reason the main love story plays not as strongly as it might is because this is really a show about the relationship of the two men. We hear Frank tell us how much he loves the girl, but it's more like a side plot.

Everything else works so well, perhaps they'll address this during the previews, but I think it is what it is. The show isn't about the girl.

Aaron Tveit is electrifying. His VOICE is so CLEAR and strong on the high notes. And he moves beautifully -- and is, of course, beautiful to look at. I have to figure out how to get him to sing some of my songs.

Steve Schalchlin
Living in the Bonus Round

I am so excited to see that the show has come together so well. I was wondering if any had knowledge of the changes since I saw it in Seattle. I said then that this would sweep the Tony awards and it looks like it will. The score is gorgeous and Tweit deserves the Tony hands down. Norbert and Tok will both be nominated. What I find odd is the so far reaction to Kerry Butler. When I saw it down in Seattle, I left thinking Kerry Butler will win Best Featured Actress hands down. Her Fly Fly Away was so effortless and gorgeous and she had a hilarous scene when she first met him. I wonder f she was vocally tired cause like people said she is almost always vocally on top. I stll have a feeling she wo get better through previews. Also was the Act I finale Christmas is my Favorite time of Year or has that been cut? In Seattle act I ended in a very low key way with Frank And Hanratty singing in two telephone booth I believe. Also can someone post the song list? I am very interested to see what other songs were taken out. This has gotta to be one of my favorite new scores of the year. It is so versatile and so beautiful. Goodbye (despite cliche lyrics) and Live in Living Color are among my other favorites.

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I believe act one ends, after the Christmas number, with the Norbert waving to Frank, as he sees him in the street. And he says, "He's just a kid!"

But I've only seen it once, so I can't say.

Don't know why Kerry's song gets lost in this except for reasons stated above. I think, ultimately, it's hard to care about her character. We don't meet her, really, until late. And she figures into the plot only in the sense that she's the reason he gets caught.

Esparza - It's not that Kerry is vocally tired. She sounded great. It's just odd to hear an 11 o'clock power ballad from a character that we haven't invested in. Additionally, someone commented about Norbert playing everything real. Kerry should be doing the same thing. Her character is resistant to the "performance" concept of Frank Jr.'s confession. But Kerry is playing Brenda as a huge caricature (which works in shows she has previously done, but not in Catch Me). Hanratty (Norbert) and Brenda (Kerry) should be our constant links to the fact that this really happened.

Also as great of a song as Fly Fly Away is...what does it tell us? Nothing. She says, "I'll be your alibi." We are lead to believe she is ready to make the change to be a strong woman...and then 5 minutes later...she has turned him in. So what was the point of Fly Fly Away, other than the composers giving Kerry Butler a number that will undoubtedly be the next overdone audition song.

The Act I finale is still the Christmas song. Although, I think the parents could be cut from it. Keep it about Hanratty and Frank Jr.

Pinstripes is the only new song (I think). Felicia Finley's "You Gotta Pay for Love" is cut as well as Hanratty's first song "Here I Am". Everything else is there.

I know I'm going against the popular opinion here, but for me personally, I would hand the Tony to Norbert before Aaron (though I thought Aaron was fantastic.)

For anyone who is familiar with the Seattle incarnation of this show and saw the first preview, is that dreadful New Orleans/"Bury Me Beside the One I Love" sequence cut completely or trimmed down? It stopped the show cold during the Seattle tryout.

Also, is the real Abagnale still married to the Brenda Strong analogue from his real life today? That would be kinda cool.

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I don't recall a New Orleans number, so I guess it's been cut.

I am seeing the show on Tuesday and I am soo excited! Reading all your post is making me even more giddy!LOL

Can someone please post the list of musical numbers?