“Catch Me If You Can” – Thoughts on the Winter Play BY SAMUEL HIERS

The musical numbers were very catchy and infectious, and there were a lot more gags and comedic relief throughout the play. The best part, though? The talent! There was a lot of new blood with a lot of Freshmen in the play, and the actors who played the lead roles were phenomenal and very charismatic. If you had a chance to see the show, then good for you! But if you haven’t checked out what CHS Drama has to offer, I encourage you to “catch” the next show coming in the Spring “if you can!”

Perhaps one of the biggest things to do for many CHS students around this time of year is to see (or even act in) the school’s annual fall musical. With all of the holiday festivities and busy schoolwork going on around the same time, the time and effort that CHS Drama puts into the show can often get overshadowed. But in my and many others’ opinions, this year’s show, “Catch Me If You Can”, definitely wasn’t something to miss!

To sum up the plot, the story centers around the somewhat true story of Frank Abagnale Jr, a young man raised by a rich family in New York. He feels insecure after his con-artist father has financial troubles with the IRS and his mother has an affair. After his parents get a divorce, Frank decides to run away and fake his identity. He poses as a Pan-Am pilot, a doctor, and other occupations in order to pocket immense sums of money and hook up with women. Meanwhile, FBI agent Carl Hanratty and his team catch wind of Abagnale’s crimes, beginning a hectic chase around the country that ends in Abagnale’s arrest. After being caught, Frank learns from Hanratty of his father’s death, causing him to wake up to reality and the consequences of his actions.

The reaction that all of my friends had after seeing the musical was, to put it simply, amazed. Four of my friends went with me to the Friday night showing, and all of them had never been to a CHS Drama production before (this was also only the second show I saw). Many of them had no idea that some of their fellow students were so talented, and they had no clue why they had not bothered to attend a school play before. “It was something else,” an anonymous friend said after the show, “the musical acts were pretty good. And the show was honestly hilarious!” We all had a lot of good laughs, as some of the roles were very comedic.

Not only was the play well received by audiences, but cast members really felt that their hard work had paid off. Ben Dussault, a Freshman who played one of the FBI agents as a supporting role for Carl Hanratty, shared his behind-the-scenes experiences. 

“We rehearsed for about two and half months through different sets of rehearsals: music rehearsals, walking rehearsals, and full sets,” Dussault said, “The last week was just full run throughs.” The different aspects of musicals were especially hit on through the devotion of time to singing or choreography in specific rehearsals, and for Ben, it was grueling because of the time needed to do so! “It was a very huge commitment. At first, the rehearsals were very short, but then they got longer and longer until they were five hours long,” Dussault remarked, “You wouldn’t even see the sun!” 

You would think that being part of the cast, it would be a huge sacrifice of your schoolwork and your free time. Ben felt the same way, but he believed that being part of the production was very memorable for him. “I was still able to finish schoolwork, and a lot of my friends acted alongside me,” Dussault said, “I felt like I made many valuable connections backstage.”

Overall, I think that “Catch Me If You Can” was outstanding. Even though it is only the second musical I have seen here at CHS, it was far better than last year’s show. The musical numbers were very catchy and infectious, and there were a lot more gags and comedic relief throughout the play. The best part, though? The talent! There was a lot of new blood with a lot of Freshmen in the play, and the actors who played the lead roles were phenomenal and very charismatic. If you had a chance to see the show, then good for you! But if you haven’t checked out what CHS Drama has to offer, I encourage you to “catch” the next show coming in the Spring “if you can!”