Terrence McNally’s Lyrics Expose Our National Gullibility

by Mary Lou Herlihy

“Catch Me If You Can,” a hilarious high-energy musical made from Steven Spielberg’s film, has us cheering for a pathological liar and con man. Though he’s more crooked than Lombard Street, we root for a disarming fraud and faker. Is THIS how it feels to be a Trumper?

As Frank Abagnale Jr., Danila Burshteyn’s pitch-perfect performance hypnotizes us with irresistible razzle-dazzle. Burshteyn speaks directly to us, narrating Frank’s story. He shoots knowing glances, keeping us on HIS SIDE. We’re putty in his hands, like all the suckers he fools.

FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (hilarious Nelson Brown) is always a few paces behind Frank—a noirish nerd to Frank’s hip kid. A cleverly staged scene puts Frank and Carl on opposite sides of the stage. Frank is, of course, on the FAR-RIGHT. It’s Christmas Eve and they sing “My Favorite Time of Year,” pairing two lonely, workaholic bachelors—a lawman and a con man.

Set in a Hollywood version of the 1960s, when color televisions put glamour into our homes, a huge Hollywood-style film camera wheels around, capturing Frank Jr.’s endless trickery. Frank Sr. (charming Arup Chakrabarti) buys the biggest TV on the block to announce his success. In the song “The Pinstripes Are All They See,” Frank Sr. shares his lessons on the importance of APPEARING successful.

Enrico Banson directs a large and joyful team with aplomb while Music Director Camden Daly leads six talented musicians. Catchy songs and clever lyrics resonate beautifully in the stellar voices of Burshteyn, Brown, and Nicole Stanley, who plays Frank’s girlfriend, Brenda. The ensemble fills the stage with lovely harmonies, period props, playful costumes, and frisky choreography.

Starkly beautiful projections whisk us to seductive cities and simple household props bring them to life. One delightful scene projects soft, colorful bubbles behind Frank’s enigmatic mom, Paula (mesmerizing Shay Oglesby-Smith). She gently sways and sings, “Don’t Be a Stranger.”

Like Paula, the 60s women in “Catch Me” lust after more than just a rich husband. With a BIG WINK and plenty of sexy sizzle, a clutch of uniformed nurses turns up the heat, singing “Doctor’s Orders.” And because it’s a rom-com musical, one special nurse captures Frank’s heart.

The love scene between Frank and Brenda shows us Frank’s vulnerable side and features their blended voices in a duet. He’s willing to throw his lies away for the love of a caring woman. And he’s no longer looking at us with an ironic wink.

In a heartbreaking moment, when Frank Jr. goes to his dad for advice on love, his dad sings “Little Boy, Be a Man,” revealing the father’s calculated and unloving nature. In a fanciful twist, Frank Jr. has no idea how to end his own story.

We are waiting anxiously, too, for the end of Trump’s version of “Catch Me If You Can.” As a much-needed balm for the daily cons and horrors out of Washington, Masquers’ musical comedy fills us with hopeful laughter.

“Catch Me If You Can” –libretto by Terrence McNally, score by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, directed by Enrico Banson, at Masquers Playhouse, Point Richmond, California.

Info: masquers.org – to December 7, 2025.

Cast: Danila Burshteyn, Nelson Brown, Arup Chakrabarti, Nicole Stanley, Shay Oglesby-Smith, Harrison Alter, and Alicia von Kugelgen.

Ensemble: Ron Abina, Kristy Aquino, Jonah Ben-Amotz, Sierra Bolar, Erika Coyne, Justin Daily, Michelle Freschi, Kamaria McKinney, and David Patiño.