Broadway is a weird place. Sometimes you get a show that everyone thinks is a slam dunk—Steven Spielberg source material, a score by the guys who did Hairspray, and a massive budget—but it just doesn’t stick the landing for more than a few months. That’s basically the story of the catch me if you can musical cast, a group of performers so talented it almost felt unfair, yet they were working inside a show that struggled to find its identity.
I remember when the show opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in 2011. There was this buzzing energy because of the leads. You had Norbert Leo Butz, who is essentially a human lightning bolt, and Aaron Tveit, who, at that point, was the golden boy of musical theater. People forget that this cast wasn’t just a random assortment of actors. It was a calculated strike team.
The Powerhouse Duo: Tveit and Butz
The heart of the catch me if you can musical cast was the cat-and-mouse game between Frank Abagnale Jr. and Carl Hanratty. Aaron Tveit played Frank. He had this impossibly smooth tenor voice that made songs like "Goodbye" sound easy. It’s not. It’s a throat-shredder. Tveit brought this specific brand of boyish arrogance that made you root for a criminal.
Then there’s Norbert Leo Butz.
Honestly, Butz stole the show. He played Agent Carl Hanratty. While Tveit was the flash and the glamour, Butz was the sweat and the desperation. He won his second Tony Award for this role, and if you’ve ever seen the footage of him performing "Don't Break the Rules," you know why. He’s frantic. He’s hilarious. He’s completely grounded in a way that the rest of the technicolor show wasn't. It’s one of those performances where the actor’s sheer charisma outpaces the script.
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The Supporting Players Who Held the Jet Together
While the boys got the headlines, the women in the catch me if you can musical cast did a lot of the heavy lifting. Kerry Butler played Brenda Strong. She’s a Broadway veteran, and she had to take a character that was, frankly, a bit underwritten and make us care about her in about twenty minutes of stage time. When she sang "Fly, Fly Away," the room stopped.
Then you had the parents.
- Tom Wopat played Frank Sr. He brought that rugged, mid-century masculine tragedy to the role.
- Linda Hart was Paula Abagnale. She had to play the "French femme fatale who is also a tired mom" vibe, which is a weird needle to thread.
The ensemble was also incredible. They were dressed as 1960s flight attendants and pilots, choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The movement was sharp, athletic, and very "TV Variety Show," which was the framing device of the whole musical.
Why the Show Didn't Last Despite the Talent
It’s a bit of a mystery. On paper, this cast should have run for five years. But the show only lasted 170 odd performances. Why?
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Kinda comes down to the structure. The musical tried to frame Frank’s life as a 1960s television special. It was meta. It was self-aware. But sometimes that distance makes it hard for the audience to feel the stakes. When the catch me if you can musical cast was singing their hearts out, they were fighting against a book that felt a little thin compared to the movie.
Also, the competition was brutal that year. The Book of Mormon had just opened. It was a juggernaut that sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Every other show in 2011 was basically fighting for second place.
The Legacy of the Cast Recording
If you haven't listened to the cast album, you’re missing out on some of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s best work. The jazz influences are heavy. It feels like a Sinatra record had a baby with a Broadway pit orchestra. Because the catch me if you can musical cast was so vocally gifted, the recording is flawless.
- "Live in Living Color" is the perfect opening number.
- "Don't Break the Rules" is a masterclass in character acting through song.
- "Seven-O-One" shows off the ensemble’s tight harmonies.
What the Cast is Doing Now
It’s fun to look back and see where they went. Aaron Tveit eventually got his Tony for Moulin Rouge!. Norbert Leo Butz is everywhere—TV, film, and still crushing it on stage. Kerry Butler went on to be a staple in shows like Beetlejuice.
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The catch me if you can musical cast was a launchpad for some and a victory lap for others. It remains a "cult classic" in the Broadway world. You’ll see high schools and colleges performing this show constantly now because the roles are so juicy for young performers.
How to Experience the Show Today
Since you can't go back to 2011, you have a few options. First, the cast recording is essential. It’s on every streaming platform. Second, look for the Tony Awards performance. It captures the energy of Butz and Tveit better than any review could.
If you're a performer looking to study the catch me if you can musical cast, pay attention to the phrasing. Tveit uses a lot of pop-rock techniques blended with traditional musical theater, while Butz uses a more rhythmic, almost percussive way of singing.
Final Thoughts on the Production
The show was a bright, loud, slightly messy tribute to the art of the con. It didn't have the staying power of Wicked or Phantom, but for a few months in 2011, it was the slickest thing on 52nd Street. The catch me if you can musical cast took a screenplay we all knew and breathed a different kind of life into it—one filled with brass sections and high belts.
To really understand the impact, watch the "Goodbye" performance from the West End or regional revivals. You'll see how much the original Broadway cast influenced the "DNA" of these characters. They set the bar incredibly high.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
Start by listening to the "Live in Living Color" opening track to hear the full brass section and ensemble blend. Then, compare the Broadway cast recording with the 2022 London revival cast to see how different actors interpret the roles of Frank and Hanratty. This gives you a much deeper appreciation for the original 2011 choices. If you’re a singer, grab the vocal selections book—specifically the "Goodbye" sheet music—to see the technical difficulty of what Aaron Tveit was doing eight times a week.