Marriott Theatre

Catch Me If You Can – Marriott Theatre – Through Oct. 19, 2025

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Catch it if you can. It’s a wonderful show. I’m a big fan of Marc Chaiman/Scott Wittman music and lyrics (who doesn’t love Hairspray, among others) and this production is just another example of why. It’s one very enjoyable song after another by a very strong cast, led by JJ Niemann as Frank Abagnale, Jr., Sean Fortunato as Frank, Sr. and Nathaniel Stampley as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, with an additional special shout out to Mariah Lyttle, as Brenda Strong, who takes full advantage of her moment in the spotlight with the ballad Fly, Fly Sway.

The plot is, of course, ridiculous, but wait, it’s the true story first brought to a lot of people’s attention by the 2002 movie of the same name. Or not. Research suggests that the supposed exploits of Frank Abagnale are greatly exaggerated.

But it’s a fun ride anyway. Suspend your disbelief for a couple hours. (I pretty much do it all the time now anyway.) Listen to the great orchestra and don’t forget to pay attention to all the design elements of the show. In that regard, don’t sleep on the visuals accompanying the song Seven Wonders.

I even got a kick out of watching the 20 cast members making their entrances and exits using the aisles in this theatre-in-the-round. I would love to see the stage manager’s prompt book detailing the stage directions for this fast-moving show. Snagglepuss saying exit stage left doesn’t work when there is no stage left.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Marriott Theatre – December 3, 2023

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For those of us of a certain age, Carole King’s music is fundamental. And, for me, seeing a member of the extremely -talented Mueller family playing a part in King’s story is also basic.

In the first national tour I saw Abby Mueller, replacing her Tony award-winning sister Jessie in the part of King, and now I’ve seen brother Andrew as Gerry Goffin, after loving him in the off-beat Ernest Shackleton Loves Me earlier this year.

I also have now seen Erica Stephan, who plays Cynthia Weil, in four shows in just over a year – Clue, Cabaret (Jeff Award as Sally Bowles), Damn Yankees and Beautiful. There’s a reason she’s so in demand.

But, of course, Kaitlyn Davis, who, based on her bio, apparently was born to channel Carole King, is the star. And though the music is what draws people in, as it does in any jukebox musical, the show provides enough story such that the biggest round of applause of the night was when Davis, as King, tells her husband and lyricist Goffin, that she’s through with him and his philandering ways and sends him on his way.

Another appeal of the show for me is the complementary story of Weil and Barry Mann, King’s friends from the start of her career, who also wrote a myriad of hit songs, half a dozen of which are part of the score, and also are in the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and who, unlike the other couple, remained married for 62 years, until Weil’s death this year.