This week, Ithaca College bravely tackled the challenge of staging the Tony Award nominated musical “Catch Me If You Can,” based on the real story of Frank Abegnale Jr. With loud dance numbers and emotional realizations, this performance has something for everyone. The performing arts school was definitely successful in putting their own spin on the well-known Broadway musical.
Our main lead, Frank Abignale Jr. was played to perfection by the extremely charismatic Grant Halliburton. He walked the stage as our enthralling narrator that crossed the fourth wall perfectly, connecting with the audience like an actor straight off of broadway. From school student to pilot to doctor (though not in actual certification at times) the audience could not help but be charmed by this performance. The rest of the cast was just as incredible, however, I personally found that the show was stolen by Anthony Llerandi, playing Carl Hanratty. As the leader of the comedic detective group of FBI agents tailing Abagnale, Llerandi made us both laugh, and at times break down emotionally, with his very intricate acting. Playing a lonely, workaholic detective whose only solace in life seems to be to catch Abagnale, he also manages to achieve a booming and bombastic air with his exasperation at not being able to capture the suspect he is tailing.
The choreography, created by brilliant lead choreographer, Tuan Malinowski, was really what pulled everything together for me. The ensemble was extremely memorable, with costuming created by Jules Elcik, and each member performing so that it felt very cohesive as a group but also as if each had their own style of movement.
What I thought was extremely brilliant was the combination of scene and costume design. The only constant piece of setting used during the entire performance was a secondary stage on top of the main one with three platforms and steps leading up to it. This was a place where lighting paired with other set additions created some of the most interesting directional choices. This is the place from which the ensemble would exit and enter, the place where dichotomy was created during conflict such as the Abagnale family’s divorce. Other set designs were added to it during different moments in the musical — flashing signs were lowered from the ceiling, different aspects of the set were brought in from the sides (such as beds, doors and even a bar). My personal favorite part of the setting was when there were a few chairs lining the two sides of the stage under a sign saying “Miami International Airport,” representing both the starting and ending place of the musical. What really made it feel like an airport, however, was the people wearing different clothes, walking in different directions and carrying various luggage. It functioned as a very poignant moment to realize just how much the costumes and props played a role in being a part of the setting as well.
As the Scenic Designer and Costume Designer respectively, Cady Loeb and Jules Elcik balanced creating a sense of space through both costumes and setting. At times we can identify where we are based only off of costuming such as with the school-clothing of the boys that Abagnale teaches as a fake French teacher. At others we are brought back to having actual set design, with the airport being the main setting. This has always been such a brilliant move when it comes to working in theater, where sometimes a simplistic set compensated for by brilliant costuming (especially for the ensemble) works so much better to create location while also leaving some space for the imagination of what these places look like.
The airport, being the start and end of the musical, is the center of the emotional rollercoaster of the story. This is the place that Abagnale goes to when chasing excitement. This is where he returns to when he has come to terms with the fact that all he was seeking was place, family, purpose.
The cast and crew perfectly depict the highs and lows of Frank Abagnale’s journey: from thrilling travels to the resignation of knowing what truly matters is family and having people in your life that care about you. A lovely addition to this was the “bromance” that was formed by Hanratty and Abagnale. The two actors truly worked hard to depict how similar these two characters were when it came to how they felt as a result of their life circumstances. Successfully done, they showed us the understanding that two very different people can share.
Staged at the Dillingham Theater of Ithaca College’s School of Music, Theater and Dance “Catch Me if You Can” is running from Friday, Nov. 8 to Wednesday, Nov. 13. So catch it if you can!
Lusine Boyadzhyan is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].