by Claire DeMarco
Will Bloom (Timothy Macuski) is about to be married. He approaches his dad, Edward Bloom (Evan Krug), with a request, a plea, not to inundate his bride, Josephine (Hopi Myers-Arrigoni), with his outrageous tales. Edward’s tendency to embellish life with fairy tale stories and magical events has plagued Will from his youth.
Edward is a successful salesman, an ambitious man whose life doesn’t exist entirely in this fairy-tale world. He sees these magical moments as a means to make life a little more interesting and exciting.
Will is a reporter, a realist. He’s looking only for the facts. Having been subjected to his father’s tales for years, he is adamant that he wants no more of what he conceives as nonsense as he pursues married life.
To counter Will’s wishes, Edward begins a trip down memory lane, reliving his wonderful fairy tales and exaggerated characters. He tries to entice Will to remember the stories he told.
Memories and real life intertwine as we relive those stories Edward told his son and travel between the present and the past. Edward’s magical dreams blend fiction and truth, and many of his creations are composites of friends and family, sprinkled with a dash of fairy dust.
We see magical and real-life characters through Edward’s eyes – The Witch (Maddie Kocur), Karl the Giant (Trenton Antill), antagonist friend, Don Price (Mike Good), and school chum and former girlfriend Jenny Hill (Mairead Roddy).
“Big Fish” dissects the relationship between a father and son whose vastly different outlooks on life reflect their relationship. As Edward faces serious health issues, his magical memories are especially poignant.
What a stellar performance from Krug. He weaves comedy between huge emotional swings as his life changes. His transition from one time period to another is smooth, as are the many physical movements that the role requires. His vocals are excellent, and he and Eveland sing a lovely rendition of “Daffodils”.
Macuski does a great job balancing his frustration and sometimes anger at his father with his never-ending attempts to figure out what makes Edward tick.
Madison Eveland (Sandra Bloom) is the steady, stable, supportive spouse and Ed’s anchor.
Roddy delivers as Jenny Hill, a role that requires a drastic change in character. She changes from a young girl enamored with Edward to an aging, lonely, sad, and sullen adult.
Andy Coleman plays ringmaster Amos Calloway as a sharp-witted, devious figure, adding a hint of sarcasm to the mix—great comedic timing.
Praise to the entire cast! Job well done.
Kudos to Choreographer Caroline Connell on the wonderfully done choreography design and dance movements.
A special acknowledgment to Costume Designer Alex Righetti not only for the sheer magnitude of the production’s costumes, but for their detail and creativity as well.
Excellent music provided by Ben Brosche, Gavin Nist, Aldo Diianni and Kamran Mian.
Music and Lyrics for “Big Fish” by Andrew Lippa with Book by John August.
“Big Fish” was based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Pictures motion picture written by John August.
-CED
“Big Fish” is a production of Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive South, Canonsburg, PA 15317. Performances run from September 10th to September 27th. For more information, click here.
