Catch Me If You Can to Kick Off Season at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre

The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle has announced its upcoming 2009-2010 season. Kicking off with the world-premiere production of the much-anticipated new musical Catch Me If You Can, the theater will also host revivals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, On the Town, Candide, Broadway productions South Pacific, Legally Blonde and a return engagement White Christmas.

Based on the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me If You Can features a book by Terrence McNally Ragtime, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman with music & lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the Tony Award-winning pair behind Hairspray. Based on a true story, the show involves a young con artist who posed as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor and lawyer and made off with millions. Performances begin July 23 with a closing set for August 14. No casting has been announced.

A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat begins performances on October 13 and is scheduled to close on November 1. Following its sold-out Seattle debut in 2006, the holiday musical White Christmas returns to 5th Avenue on December 1 and will run through December 20.

Director Bartlett Sher, who heads the Intiman Theatre in Seattle, will kick off 2010 with his Tony Award-winning production of South Pacific, which will play from January 29 to February 18. It’s followed by Legally Blonde February 23 through March 14, On the Town April 13 through May 2 and Candide May 25 through June 13.

The Seattle theater hosted the pre-Broadway tryouts of Shrek and The Wedding Singer.