Dear cast, crew, musicians, volunteers and “Catch Me If You Can” Directors,
Thank you for yet another tremendous experience working with amazingly talented individuals. I am always so humbled by the willingness of the young people at this school who, year after year, bravely share their gifts and creativity, usually without too much complaining or trepidation. I loved that you tried almost anything I threw at you. This was quite a different endeavor working with so many kids and multiple casts but you took the challenge and succeeded to show your true colors as kind, loving, and intelligent young men and women who are going to do great things in the future. Hopefully, you will remember this show as a fond part of your Warrior history and look back on it with great affection.
All my best,
Lisa M. Wainwright
To everyone who made “Catch Me If You Can” a reality,
I’m often asked how I choose the musical for the upcoming school year. With auditions three to four months into the year, and not knowing who will try out for the show, how do I select a show that will correspond to West’s pool of talented cast members? The answer is, rather simply, I don't; I pick well-written musicals and let the show itself entice the students to audition. When I first heard the music to “Catch Me If You Can”, I tried to come up with reasons why we couldn’t do the show, but I quickly realized none of them stood up to criticism. The more I listened, the more the music inspired me. “This is a show that will be good for West”, I thought. “This will challenge them more than any show we’ve ever done.” Boy, was I right! Our phenomenal jazz band pit orchestra, our amazing cast of characters, and especially, our passionate and devoted directors have made this show an inspiration to everyone in our community. The challenge was thrown down, and over 100+ students, alongside parents and directors, picked it up with equal enthusiasm. Bravo tutti to you all; you have made this show your own!
Mr. Venutolo
First, I want to thank Beth Schnura-Wilson for leading me here to West. It has been a whirlwind of a year and I am so grateful to the administration, faculty, parents and especially the students for welcoming me.
So much hard work was put into this production and all the stars were aligned to make it happen!
My heartfelt gratitude to Tom and Lisa for sharing your talents, passion and enthusiasm with all of us! Lisa, your friendship and insight has been a blessing. Thank you to Mark Smetana for your marvelous design and Jim Perkne and team for all your hard work in making this beautiful set come to life! To Barb Radeke, Nancy Tompulis and all the costume/hair and makeup moms, thank you for all of your ideas and help in making this cast look fabulous! We couldn't do this without you! Thank you to all parents, family and friends who lent a helping hand in making this show a success. To our fantastic orchestra led by Mr. Tom Venutolo! To Tyler Dawson, Matt Motto, Bridget Quealy and our fabulous Stage/Tech Crew, I am so thankful for your great creative minds and for running this show so smoothly. Best team ever! Thank you also to my family and friends for their constant love and support.
Finally to this wonderful cast. Thank you for your faith in us and for all the hard work and fun you brought to rehearsals. This year's musical was an ambitious project. From auditions on you proved that you were up for the challenge. Words cannot express how proud I am of all of you. Acting is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to pour your soul onto that stage. It has been an honor to guide you and watch you grow over the last few months. I have learned so much from you as well. What a wonderful show you have! Enjoy every minute!
Ms. Marta
