While students can enjoy the recent theatrical works of Columbia students and alumni at Lerner Black Box, Riverside Theater, and other local venues, they can also head straight to Broadway to enjoy the latest work from a Columbia alum.

Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning producer Hal Luftig, SoA ’84, along with Margo Lion, presents “Catch Me If You Can,” a musical based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., and on the 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. From the creators of “Hairspray,” the show chronicles Frank’s escapades throughout the world as he cons his way into becoming a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, among other things—all with the FBI on his tail.

Aaron Tveit, of “Gossip Girl” and “Next to Normal,” shines as the charismatic Frank Abagnale, Jr., exuding the confidence and ingenuity that is required to get away with creating $2.5 million in fraudulent checks, at least for a short period of time.

But Norbert Leo Butz, as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, steals the show with a surprisingly robust singing voice and nimble dancing feet. Playing up Hanratty’s curmudgeonly personality with graying hair and a slight hunch from sitting too long at a desk, he stuns the audience when he unexpectedly breaks into a jazz dance number for the scat-inspired “Don’t Break the Rules.”

Because Frank is the central narrator of the show, his inner turmoil is often masked by his confident cons and positive attitude. Only at the end of the show does Frank’s artificial persona crumble as he performs “Goodbye,” and Tveit allows the real Frank, an insecure teenager who misses his father, to appear. However, as Hanratty hurriedly explains Frank’s fate—working for the FBI, becoming a family man, and staying life-long friends with Hanratty—Frank’s cool swagger and bright attitude immediately return.

Despite the entertaining dance numbers and witty—albeit cheesy—dialogue, the show lacked a unifying musical theme to pull it together. Perhaps a musical number titled “Catch Me If You Can” was too obvious for the producers and creators, but with so much exposition included to move the storyline along, the show would have benefitted from a central musical theme to stay with the audience as they leave the theater. “Live in Living Color,” the opening number, was reprised twice during the production, is enjoyable enough to bring the audience into the show but remains forgettable.

“Catch Me If You Can” is old-school musical theater: fantastical numbers with bright colors and bodacious dancers, charming dialogue with just enough self-referential winks to diffuse its saccharine nature, and a plot that is at first compelling but in retrospect unmemorable. In that sense, the audience may be conned into loving this musical, but they will be smitten during the experience nonetheless.While students can enjoy the recent theatrical works of Columbia students and alumni at Lerner Black Box, Riverside Theater, and other local venues, they can also head straight to Broadway to enjoy the latest work from a Columbia alum.

Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning producer Hal Luftig, SoA ’84, along with Margo Lion, present “Catch Me If You Can,” a musical based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., and on the 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. From the creators of “Hairspray,” the show chronicles Frank’s escapades throughout the world as he cons his way into becoming a pilot, doctor, and lawyer, among other things—all with the FBI on his tail.

Aaron Tveit, of “Gossip Girl” and “Next to Normal,” shines as the charismatic Frank Abagnale, Jr., exuding the confidence and ingenuity that is required to get away with creating $2.5 million in fraudulent checks, at least for a short period of time.

But Norbert Leo Butz, as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, steals the show with a surprisingly robust singing voice and nimble dancing feet. Playing up Hanratty’s curmudgeonly personality with a slight hunch from sitting too long at a desk and graying hair, he stuns the audience when he unexpectedly breaks into a jazz dance number for the scat-inspired “Don’t Break the Rules.”

Because Frank is the central narrator of the show, his inner turmoil is often masked by his confident cons and positive attitude. Only at the end of the show does Frank’s artificial persona crumble as he performs “Goodbye,” and Tveit allows the real Frank, an insecure teenager who misses his father, to appear. However, as Hanratty hurriedly explains Frank’s fate—working for the FBI, becoming a family man, and staying life-long friends with Hanratty—Frank’s cool swagger and bright attitude immediately return.

Despite the entertaining dance numbers and witty—albeit cheesy—dialogue, the show lacked a unifying musical theme to pull it together. Perhaps a musical number titled “Catch Me If You Can” was too obvious for the producers and creators, but with so much exposition included to move the storyline along, the show would have benefitted from a central musical theme to stay with the audience as they leave the theater. “Live in Living Color,” the opening number was reprised twice during the production, is enjoyable enough to bring the audience into the show but remains forgettable.

“Catch Me If You Can” is old-school musical theater: fantastical numbers with bright colors and bodacious dancers, charming dialogue with just enough self-referential winks to diffuse its saccharine nature, and a plot that is at first compelling but in retrospect unmemorable. In that sense, the audience may be conned into loving this musical, but they will be smitten during the experience nonetheless.