Closing!!! 'Catch Me If You Can' Musical To Close in NYC

The marquee and the cast at the opening night curtain calls
(photos credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd)

Three musical adaptations of a feature film that opened this past Broadway season have been struggling at the box office. 'Sister Act' and 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' are not yet ready to give up their theaters just yet. But producers of 'Catch Me If You Can' announced the musical will close on Septembver 4, 2011 after 32 previews and 170 performances. The production opened at the Neil Simon Theatre on April 10.

The show budgeted at $13 million was nominated for four Tony Awards (musical, orchestrations, sound design) and won the best actor award for Norbert Leo Butz in the role of Carl Hanratty, the detective on the hunt of the young con man Frank Abagnale, Jr played by Aaron Tveit. Musical is based on the 2002 Dreamworks film that starred Leonado DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Despite the talents of Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (music and lyrics), Terrence McNally (book), Jerry Mitchell (choreography) and Jack O'Brien (director) most of whom collaborated on the hit 'Hairspray' the musical failed to attract audiences. The musical was developed in Seattle in 2009 and though changes made  for the Broadway production, the decision to keep Tveit as narrator of a story told through a 60's era television variety show was retained.

From my review of of the show: "Make no mistake -- I do not dislike this musical. Just the variety show device. Good songs are there and good performances keep the show entertaining. But this musical could have been something great." Click HERE to view more production photographs and read the full review.

Though investors are expected to lose their entire investment, a national tour will launch at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island in the fall of 2012.