By Giuliana Sagese, Milla Duckfield, and Olivia Quiñones
“You’re gonna have to catch me first!” Carey high school presents Catch Me If You Can - the musical! With its talented cast of singers, dancers, band members, and stage crew, this performance with a little bit of comedy, catchy songs, incredible acting, and dancing is guaranteed to keep your eyes glued to the stage and you on the edge of your seat! The musical is based on the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale, played by Jack Lewinger in the Carey production. The plot is about a teenager who turned into a con artist, motivated by his yearning to make a name for himself after his parents’ divorce- and put his family back together once and for all. Passing himself as a doctor, lawyer, and even a pilot, he was able to cash $2.5 million worth of bad checks from his false life, making him famous and becoming the most successful bank robber in the United States. This resulted in FBI agent, Car Hanratty (played by Daniel Jeremias), making it his mission to track down Frank and arrest him once and for all. The message of this production is to emphasize that money and status isn’t enough, what’s most significant is to be loved by others. It highlights ethical dilemmas and deception, as well as rewards and consequences. It’s worth giving your undivided attention to this riveting play, as the amount of expertise and effort put into it will surely go unnoticed! Behind the scenes!
Want to learn more about the production? Curious about how it all works? Wondering if you could potentially be a part of the next production? Take it from our very own Milla Duckfield who was a part of the ensemble in the musical! In order to prepare for the show, the cast rehearses vigorously to prepare for an amazing experience for the audience. From reading the scripts and memorizing lines, to learning fun yet stressful dance routines, we rehearsed everyday from the first day back from holiday break to the last showing of “Catch me if you can!”. Since Catch Me If You Can was set in the 1960s, there was a lot of effort put into keeping the time period consistent. Female roles were expected to have big hair and bright makeup, while male roles were expected to have slick hair. Additionally, a good portion of the shows’ budget was spent on the costumes. Each cast member had an individualized costume aside from the matching outfits for the group dance numbers. These costumes were for numbers where crowds were needed or the scene was set in a public setting. The costumes were tailored to fit the time period as well and many of the outfits were very different! Aside from the cast, stage crew was a vital part of the production's success since this show required an elaborate set with multiple staircases to enter on top of the balcony. The stage crew invested countless hours into providing the cast and pit orchestra with a safe and beautiful set. On top of the set, the stage crew was also tasked with the job of learning the enormous amount of light cues that enhanced the magic of each scene. Many of the scenes revolved around lighting to set the mood of the dialogue or lyrics. And of course, what would the show be without microphones! The stage crew worked very efficiently to ensure that everyone’s mic was working and correctly adjusted for clarity. Last but not least, the HFC Theater Department prides itself on our diversity and mutual respect and love for the arts, which allows us to behave as one big family. Some of our traditions include paper plate awards, multiple cast parties, and even pre show rituals. It truly takes a great deal of effort from many different groups of people, to crest one unified team all focused on the same goal; to give our audience the time of their lives! So next time you want to join a club or find a creative outlet, remember the multitude of ways you can be apart of future productions with the theater department
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