Rachel de Benedet: “CATCH ME IF YOU CAN means the world to me”

Rachel de Benedet created the role of Paula Abagnale in the world premiere of the new musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre. The show is based on the book and hit 2002 DreamWorks film of the same name directed by Stephen Spielberg.

After a successful run in Seattle in the Summer of 2009, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opened at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre on April 10th 2011 directed by Jack O’Brian with a cast leaded by Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit, Tom Wopat, Kerry Butler and Rachel de Benedet. The show recently received four Tony Awards nominations, included Best New Musical.

Rachel de Benedet, who has an extensive career on Broadway, where she has worked in shows such as THE ADDAMS FAMILY, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and NINE, tells us about her work in this brand new musical.

‘CATCH ME IF YOU CAN’ OPENED ON BROADWAY LAST 10TH APRIL. HOW HAS BEEN THE AUDIENCE REACTION SO FAR?
The audience goes crazy!! The teenage girls (and some much older!!) swoon whenever Aaron Tveit is on stage, and after Norbert Leo Butz´s big act 1 number and Kerry Butler´s act 2 number, the cheering stops the show!! There are also moments where in a theatre full of people you can hear a pin drop from the tension and emotion.

‘CATCH ME IF YOU CAN’ IS BASED ON THE FILM OF THE SAME NAME. HOW FAITHFUL IS THE SHOW TO THE ORIGINAL FILM?
It is very similar, as I recall (I haven´t seen the movie since it came out, because I didn´t want too many images in my head,) although a few things have been omitted for time´s sake. Plus, of course, we sing and dance!!!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TAKING PART OF THIS SHOW AND PERFORMING THE ROLE OF PAULA ABAGNALE?
This show means the world to me. It is the first role I´ve CREATED on Broadway--I´ve replaced people before, and I´ve created a few roles Off-Broadway, but this is a different endeavor and honor for me. I think Paula is a complex woman, and eminently human in her flaws and strengths. I try to make her case as best I can, which is difficult some times. (She leaves Frank Abagnale Jr´s father near the beginning of the show, leading Frank Jr to run away from home, beginning his life of crime.)

YOU CREATED THAT ROLE IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SHOW IN SEATTLE AND NOW YOU PERFORM IT AGAIN ON BROADWAY. HOW HAS EVOLVED THE SHOW SINCE THEN?
Most definitely. In Seattle, if there was a villain in the story, it was Paula. She was a bit of a gold-digger. Now it´s more clear that she was a war-bride in WWII who married much too young and then grew into a different person. For the show as a whole, the exposition at the beginning is much more stream-lined and we get to the action faster. There are also two new songs, which are fantastic, and help so much. We learned a lot putting it in front of Seattle audiences--what we wanted to do and NOT to do. Plus all of the principal actors in the company have returned, so our on-stage relationships have a lot of history by now, which definitely helps.

YOU HAVE RECENTLY WORKED IN TWO NEW BROADWAY MUSICALS, ‘CATCH ME IF YOU CAN’ AND ‘THE ADDAMS FAMILY’, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TAKING PART OF THE CREATION OF A MUSICAL SHOW? HAS THE REHEARSAL PROCESS OF EACH SHOW BEEN VERY DIFFERENT?
The two shows have had wildly different rehearsal processes! I was with both of them from the workshop stages. ADDAMS FAMILY was an original story based on the cartoons by Charles Addams, but the story had to be created from scratch. CATCH ME not only had the book and the movie as source material, but it´s based on the life of a real person!! (The real Frank Abagnale has been around quite often.) ADDAMS FAMILY was definitely written as a star vehicle for Nathan Lane and Bebe Newirth. CATCH ME has definitely been shaped on Aaron and Norbert, but it has been a different dynamic. The creative team on ADDAMS FAMILY was put together for that show and none of the cast had ever worked with them before. With CATCH ME, there are so many of us who have worked together before: I did the original company of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS with director Jack O´Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and Norbert and 3 other cast mates, and there are several people from the original company of HAIRSPRAY as well, which had most of the same creative team, including the lead producer, Margo Lion. I guess what that meant was that the rehearsal process had a level of trust in it from the very beginning. The "room" as we call the rehearsal time, was incredibly calm, even with all of the changes, because we all trusted Jack.

WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAST MEMBERS NORBERT LEO BUTZ, AARON TVEIT, TOM WOPAT AND KERRY BUTLER? HOW IS IT WORKING WITH THEM?
They are all incredible, consistent performers. I have never seen anyone absorb as much material as Aaron did during this process; he sings like a dream and is completely present in all of my scenes with him every night. Norbert is sheer genius, both comedically and dramatically. Tom has a very hard job, playing a man who is self-destructing, and he is brilliant at it, as well as a really accomplished singer. Kerry has a miraculous voice, and a keen sense of character.

YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN ASTAIRE AWARDS FOR YOUR WORK IN THE SHOW. WHAT DOES THIS NOMINATION MEAN TO YOU?
I have more respect for real, serious dancers than I can explain. They work harder than anyone else in a show and get less of the glory (and most of the injuries!!) So to be included in this honor is very moving to me. I owe it all to Jerry Mitchell, who knows how I move and choreographed for my strengths. I play a character who expresses herself partially thru how she moves, and I am humbled to be recognized by the nominating committee.

YOU WORKED WITH THE SPANISH ACTOR ANTONIO BANDERAS IN ‘NINE’. HOW DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS SHOW AND WORKING WITH ANTONIO?
Antonio. Antonio. I think I remember him... NO! I´m just kidding, of course!! He was one of the most talented, kindest, most professional people I´ve ever worked with. He was a wonderful leader of a company of actors--not everyone is that. I was so thrilled to be cast in that show, for many reasons, but largely because I had been watching Antonio in Almodóvar films for many years and adored him! He completely blew Broadway away!!! Few people here realized that he came from a theatre background in Spain, or that he could SING LIKE THAT!!! Guido is not an easy role to sing for serious singers, and he nailed it every night!!

COULD YOU COMMENT ON YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS?
Well, I will be in CATCH ME for at least the next year. But in the mean time I am doing readings of new plays and musicals. I have had four readings in the past turn into full-fledged New York productions!! So who knows what will come of these. I was recently involved in a reading of a musical version of the Sigourney Weaver movie ‘Heartbreakers’ and am hoping that one will "have a life." It´s really fun.

Rachel de Benedet in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN