Courtney Piccoli is embarking on Year 26 of a Lincoln tradition that — even more than the dance studio that bears her name — is becoming her legacy.
On Thursday, when the curtain rises on "Catch Me If You Can," the 73rd annual Pinewood Performing Arts summer production, it will mark Piccoli's 26th show — and 15th as its director
She's also acted, danced, sang and served as choreographer in 11 other shows at Pinewood Bowl, the Pioneers Park amphitheater.
"This is what I do in the summer," said the 55-year-old wife, mother and owner of Piccoli Dance Theatre.
"Catch Me If You Can," is based on the 2002 movie of the same name that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and tells the story of a con artist named Frank Abagnale Jr.
"It's a fast-paced show that's really been a lot of fun to work on," Piccoli said.
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And it's entirely different from last year's production of "Newsies," which featured a huge cast and a number of labor-intensive dance routines.
"Last year was very dance heavy," she said. "This year we have a lot of dancing transitions, but not a lot of big-production numbers."
The cast is also exponentially smaller. There are just 29 members in the entire cast — one-third the number that took the stage for "Newsies" in 2022.
"This show has been a whole lot of fun," said Emily Maldavs, who is producing her third straight Pinewood summer production. "I like that it is a little bit of a departure from the Disney shows we have been putting on recently."
She has nothing against shows like "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Newsies," — all of which were immortalized on the silver screen by Disney — but it's good for Pinewood to be expanding its reach.
"It's something different," she said. "It keeps us from getting pigeonholed into just doing kids shows. We want to have something for everyone."
Bede Fulton plays Abagnale and brings a con artist-like charisma to the role that makes him believable, Maldavs said.
It's similar to the on-stage presence he had last year when he played Crutchie in "Newsies," but different, she said.
"Last year he had a cute, puppy dog charm to him," Maldavs said. "In this role, he still has that charm, but it’s more grown up.
"He’s got James Bond charm, more suave.”
IF YOU GO
Pinewood Performing Arts 73rd annual summer production
Catch Me If You Can
Where: Pinewood Bowl, Pioneers Park
When: Thursday through Sunday, 8 p.m. July 20-23, 8 p.m.
Director: Courtney Piccoli
Producer: Emily Maldavs
Cast: Bede Fulton, Sam Ninegar, Grant Schirmer, Claire Wilkinson, Karen Freimund-Wills, Ashley Bolton, Shawn Carlson, Alex Rownd, Adian Upton, Joe Hanson, Olivia Sis, Bryson Cole, Annaliese Saathoff.
Tickets: $15 at Russ's, $16 online, $18 at the gate.
Seating: You may bring in your own lawn chairs and bag chairs. The areas closest to the stage is a blanket-only section. Bench seating is also available.
More Information: pinewoodbowl.org