Picture courtesy of Michele Anliker Pictures
Historical past has a wierd manner of re-writing itself. Few characters embody that concept extra absolutely than Edward Bloom, a person whose defining persona trait is telling seemingly inconceivable tall tales as a manner of reclaiming his personal hero’s journey. In a becoming parallel, the musical adaptation of “Large Fish” has undergone a revision of its personal. First printed as a novel by Daniel Wallace in 1998, tailored right into a 2003 movie directed by Tim Burton, after which reimagined for the stage with a e-book by John August and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, “Large Fish” arrived on Broadway in October of 2013 to a muted response. It barely made a ripple. The movie, too, was no blockbuster.
But greater than a decade later, “Large Fish” has quietly discovered its life in regional theaters throughout the nation, the place its sincerity and emotional attain really feel higher suited to extra intimate areas. There’s something about its central query, how the tales we inform form who we’re, that lends itself naturally to the stage. Which will assist clarify why The Dio’s present manufacturing has been promoting out performances quicker than a fish showing after an “Alabama Stomp” due to the irresistible momentum of earworms like “Be the Hero” or “Begin Over.”
That stated, the present’s weaknesses stay, and they’re value confronting. Structurally, “Large Fish” unfolds in a sequence of anecdotes relatively than tightly pushed plot beats, mirroring Edward’s storytelling fashion however on the expense of dramatic urgency. Scenes usually really feel like vignettes stacked atop each other, drifting with out a clear escalation. Extra frustratingly, the musical sidesteps a few of Edward Bloom’s extra problematic traits, choosing sentimentality as an alternative of absolutely reckoning with the emotional penalties of a person who often prizes mythmaking over accountability. The result’s a present that gestures towards advanced emotional baggage with out all the time choosing it up. And but, regardless of these shortcomings, “Large Fish” has a manner of discovering resonance, notably for anybody who has ever struggled to grasp a mother or father or wished for readability solely after it was too late.
The Dio’s trademark resourcefulness is on full show right here. With a scaled-down forged of 12 performers relatively than the thirty-plus usually related to this present, the manufacturing leans into ingenious staging as an alternative of spectacle. Scenic, projection, and lighting designer Matthew Tomich makes sensible use of the house, assembling wooden slats that subtly evoke the musical’s Southern setting whereas permitting for fixed transformation. The addition of LED panels alongside the perimeters of the theatre enhances immersion with out overwhelming the motion, a reminder that suggestion usually serves this story higher than extra.
On the heart of all of it is Steve DeBruyne, who pulls double responsibility as each director and Edward Bloom. His efficiency is marked by a daft pluckiness and an abundance of what would possibly greatest be described as large dad power (complement). In contrast to the movie, which break up Edward between two actors at totally different ages, the musical locations the total weight of the character on one performer. DeBruyne rises to the problem. Whereas the selection of getting the identical actor play the roles often stretches plausibility, that is, in any case, a world populated by witches, giants, and mermaids. Emotional fact issues extra right here than realism, and DeBruyne makes use of that freedom to craft a model of Edward that feels cohesive, layered, and deeply human.
The musical’s elevated concentrate on the father-son relationship proves to be one in all its best strengths. Tyler J. Messinger, as Edward’s son Will, is a welcome presence again on the regional theatre scene. His efficiency balances frustration and tenderness with spectacular vocal dexterity, grounding the present’s extra fantastical impulses in one thing achingly actual. Angela Hench is quietly terrific as Sandra Bloom, Edward’s spouse and Will’s mom, anchoring the narrative with steadiness and heat. Their love story blooms most memorably within the Act One finale “Daffodils,” one of many present’s most lovely and emotionally full moments.
Edward’s life unfolds by means of a sequence of recollections and legends as he confronts his personal mortality. He grows up in Ashton, a fictional small city in Alabama, the place he’s celebrated because the prodigal son, a literal large fish in a small pond. It’s there that his identification begins to take form, eagerly affirmed by a neighborhood prepared to embrace it. One of many present’s nice strengths, amplified by The Dio’s staging, is Lippa’s rating, which is aware of exactly when to erupt into full ensemble storytelling and when to tug again. Characters arrive in musical brushstrokes: Jacqui Blue’s sly and realizing Witch, Michael Bessom’s immediately lovable Karl the Large, and James Fischer’s sensational Amos Calloway, a carnival ringleader harboring secrets and techniques of his personal. The remainder of the forged is rounded out by Jack Fitch (who, in my manufacturing, performed younger Will however you would possibly see AJ Sandstrom!); Anne Koziara enjoying Will’s fiancé alongside different distinguished Dio regulars together with Amy Schumacher, Molly Cunningham, Brendan Martin, and Nicholas Balfour.
For many who love this present, there’s virtually definitely a personality they’ll acknowledge themselves in, and the corporate sounds remarkably sturdy all through. Whereas using prerecorded tracks limits some expressive dynamics, the selection is comprehensible given the venue’s constraints, however the execution stays tight. Credit score is because of Lisa Merte’s music path for sustaining cohesion and power all through. The dinner served earlier than curtain takes on a special power as properly, with quite a lot of new picks, together with a fish-fry and biscuits. I used to be lucky sufficient to get a style of “Josephine’s Butternut Squash Curry” and it was scrumptious.
In some ways, The Dio could be the perfect residence for “Large Fish.” Its smaller scale amplifies the present’s emotional core in a manner that bigger homes generally battle to maintain, particularly when visible spectacle threatens to overpower intimacy. Right here, humanity comes ahead. DeBruyne’s path emphasizes connection over phantasm, reminding us that the closure provided by tales doesn’t need to be grand to be significant. Generally, it is sufficient to be understood, even imperfectly, earlier than the ultimate curtain falls.
The Dio’s manufacturing of BIG FISH continues by means of Could thirty first. Reservations, which embrace dinner and a present, might be made by clicking right here.