Photo Credit: Jason Fassl
First Stage’s Big Fish is a wonderful show for the whole family. Children will appreciate the many fancifully realized “fish stories,” along with Brandon Kirkham’s breathtaking stage effects—including a river of voluminous blue cloth over a trap door mermaid portal—and Kärin Kopischke’s evocative costumes. Adults will find a story full of psychological nuance and poignancy that invites laughter along with tears.
Like the Daniel Wallace novel and Tim Burton film on which it is based, this musical adaptation centers on Edward Bloom (Jonathan Gillard Daly), former traveling salesman and master storyteller, and his adult son, Will (Nate Lewellyn), who hopes to learn the truth about his father’s life before it’s too late. Each of Edward’s reminiscences is brilliantly played out under Jeff Whiting’s direction and both the adult and child ensembles bring effervescent energy to their performances.
Daly’s Edward is a triumph. His transitions from grouchy stubbornness to youthful ambition are seamless and believable. As Sandra, the love of his life, Niffer Clarke likewise excels in her rapid transformations from past to present selves—she brings a timeless, hopeful girlishness to the role that is quite enchanting. As their frustrated, pragmatic son, Lewellyn is thoroughly sympathetic even as he questions the stories we all love to watch unfold. His duet with Daly, “This River Between Us,” is a moving incarnation of the argument between factual truth and meaningful fiction. As young Will in the Daffodil Cast, Nolan Zdziarski ably manifests a boy who loves to play with his dad, but also longs for a straight answer.
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Stellar supporting performances come from Zach Thomas Woods as Amos, an energetic ringmaster with a big secret, and John Glowacki as Karl the giant whose transformation from recluse to success hinges on the power of kindness.
“If you understand the stories, you’ll understand the man,” Sandra says, and this is probably the greatest lesson of the show. We cannot help but want to know our loved ones as deeply as possible, and yet sometimes fiction and embellishment yield a more heartfelt and revealing account than we could possibly imagine.
Through May 31 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts’ Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
