The Firehouse Theatre presents Big Fish – Small Cast Edition
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Book by John August
Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture
Directed by Alex S. Freeman
My thoughts on Big Fish or love, tall tales, and daffodils.
It’s almost impossible not to be drawn into the world of Big Fish. Edward Bloom is a flawed, but charismatic, character whose tall tales at first fascinate, but then alienate, his son Will. It is the strained relationship between father and son which creates most of the tension in the musical. However, those tall tales that are problematic for Will, are fascinating to watch unfold as a theatergoer. Who can resist witches, giants, mermaids, and the circus? And when you have those stories set to Andrew Lippa’s wonderful music, prepare to be charmed.
The scenic design by Patrick Ulrich consists of a wood wall behind several crisscrossing plain paper banners. If those banners are supposed to represent something, it escapes me, but they do allow for some excellent lighting effects by Gabe Coleman. The simplicity of the design here makes Bloom’s stories appear even more colorful. Dayna Dutton costumes all the exotic characters who populate the tales with wit and style. Choreographer Kelsey Jordan Ward provides some terrific dances, especially the rousing “Alabama Stomp” and Music Director Jason Philip Solis gets splendid vocals, enhanced by Dylan Hearn’s sound design, from the entire cast.
And what a cast this is! Esteban Vilchez as the fabulist Edward Bloom, is a dynamic vocalist, whose voice almost shakes the walls of the Firehouse. Whether the song is up tempo or a ballad, Vilchez delivers. I kept thinking what a great Jean Valjean he would make. The incomparable Lucy Shea as Edward’s wife Sandra, even with a broken foot and relying on a wheelchair and crutches to perform, is perfection. In addition to her lovely voice, Shea possesses the rare skill of being able to make an almost immediate emotional connection with the audience that makes her a most compelling performer. As Will, Jason Craig West, also a talented singer, conveys the conflicting feelings he has for his father with heartbreaking reality. The three leads receive top-notch support from the total ensemble. Emily Frerich, who is making her professional stage debut, is touching, and assured as Will’s kindhearted wife Josephine. Braylen Nelson is an exuberant and winning Young Will. Bradford J. Reilly and Micah B. Hardt as Don Price and Amos Calloway respectively, are so confident and dynamic on stage that they should never be without an acting job. Christopher Ryal makes Karl the Giant a most appealing character and it is great fun to watch his transition from cave dweller to circus star with a mind for math. Bailey Maxwell, in her Firehouse debut, is a most enchanting mermaid. Will Shafer and Rebecca Litsey are both outstanding in multiple roles that show the range they have as actors. The radiant Ash Hood as both the Witch, who tells Edward how his death will come about, and Jenny, whose enduring love for Edward goes unrequited, is simply uncanny. She mesmerized me as the Witch and touched my heart as Jenny. Hood is so present, so “in the moment,” that she brings reality to the unreal.
Skilled Director Alex S. Freeman manages to keep the multiple tales and the trips back and forth in time in Big Fish flowing seamlessly and each scene is expertly paced. Freeman creates a particularly beautiful scene at the end of Act I, when the stage is covered with daffodils, the favorite flower of Sandra Bloom and the defining symbol of the play.
Big Fish may be set in Alabama, but its truth and life lessons reach far beyond state borders and will reside in the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to see this production. Don’t let this be the Fish that gets away.
Where: The Firehouse Theatre
2535 Valley View Lane
Farmer’s Branch, Texas 75234
When: May 12 – 29, 2022
