“Big Fish” is a story not easy to understand. When flipping back and forth between someone’s present and past a viewer can easily be confused, especially when that story is one stage and the character is played by the same actor during both ages. With that point it sounds like the 2003 movie directed by Tim Burton may be the way to go. The issue with that logic is that many critics have rated the musical adaptation by John August better than the movie. So, then you’d be led to believe you should watch the story in a theater production. It all becomes so confusing with a story already so confusing in itself.
Millbrook High School theater is presenting the 2013 broadway musical, “Big Fish” (the school edition) on March 19th, 20th and 21st. Unlike their last production of “Clue” (high school edition), it’s hard to convince people to see the show, because no one knows what it’s about. Some cast members of the Millbrook production can even struggle to give out a basic summary without explaining the whole show in long, dramatic detail. So why would Millbrook theatre director, Mr. Kotzian, pick such a confusing musical? Because the story itself is famously beautiful.
The Broadway production opened in 2013 in Chicago and made it to Broadway in the same year. A total of 98 performances ending off west end in 2017. The musical wasn’t a big hit when it first opened but as local theatres, high schools and universities started performing the show it gained more traction. The show contains moments that speak to people. Junior Jayden Paulson, who plays Edward Bloom in the Millbrook High School Production of Big Fish said, “my favorite part about the show is the singing time stops, the whole stage stops except Edward and Sandra, it really showcases the feeling of love.”
Surprisingly to enough people the story in the movie and production are not the exact same. There are many differences between the movie and live production including a change in the age of a key character and a whole town being erased. These changes don’t take away from the main plot but are noticeable changes for fans of the original movie. The character of Jenny Hill was a young child and later on adult in the movie, but in the show she starts off as Edward’s age, and his high school sweetheart girlfriend. In the movie Jenny Hill was also from the town of Spectre which was very important to Edwards story but in the show that town was erased and Jenny was from Ashton like the rest of the characters.
If someone is planning on seeing the Millbrook production of “Big Fish” cast members and the director think you should go into the show blind if you can. Show director Mr. Kotzian said “I think that with this being an unfamiliar show, it’s like seeing something brand new and you don’t know what to expect, meeting new characters, watching new scenes unfold, it’s a new experience.” The story is hard to be explained in short and many cast members who have come into the production knowing nothing have had the joy of experiencing the world of “Big Fish” and the crazy town of Ashton.
Millbrook High School’s theatre production of “Big Fish” (the school edition) opens on March 19th and continues nightly until the 21st. The show starts at 7pm and will be sure to be an experience that makes it feel like time stopped.
