BIG FISH

       Big Fish, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by John August, is a beautiful musical filled with passion, storytelling, and a heart that is almost too big even for itself. It is based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. Christmas Day, 2003, Tim Burton released a film based on the novel, named Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. Flash forward a decade and Lippa’s musical presentation of Big Fish opened on Broadway starring Norbert Leo Butz and Kate Baldwin. It played for 98 performances before closing its doors. This monster of a story ultimately flopped hard on the Great White Way.

       When I first saw Big Fish, I was wrecked. I was a blubbering mess of crying and heavy breathing. I left with such a gravity and intense heartbreak that I knew I would work on this show someday. I also knew that everyone must love this show as much as I did that night. Lo and behold, that was not the case. I came to discover that the show failed on Broadway and many companies were hesitant to pick it up and produce it. This shocked me. Since then, I have researched many “reasons” that it failed and discovered that I wanted to produce and prove to the theatrical world that this story should be told.

       At its core, Big Fish is a story about family. It chronicles the story of Will Bloom, who is grappling with the upcoming death of his father, Edward Bloom, as he approaches the birth of his first son. As Edward is nearing the end of his days, Will is searching for answers about his father’s life. Edward, a storyteller who wanted his life to be larger than it was, has told Will mythic and fantastical representations of his moments from his life. Will is desperate to find the “real” versions of these stories and relives the many stories of Edward Bloom to figure out the man he knows so little about.

       Andrew Lippa and John August took nine years to transfer Big Fish from the screen to stage. The show, with a $14 million budget, was filled with projections, huge costumes, a large ensemble, and countless aspects that distracted the audience. It was “Broadway-fied” and swallowed the actors and story on stage. In my opinion, this was one of the biggest reasons it flopped. John August, who also wrote the screenplay for Tim Burton’s movie, struggled adapting it for theatrical audiences. "In movies, everything is a photograph, even if you're being abstract," August says. "In theater, it's more representational. That corner of the garage is the whole Bloom house. Your brain gets more excited to fill in the details. This works very well for a story about a storyteller because it's all about suspending disbelief and going along for the ride." I took this quote and ran with it for my design. Tonight, you will see 12 actors using only 12 chairs, 2 tables, 2 trunks, and a handful of props and costumes. The story of each individual character is so important to me; I have stripped everything else away to focus on these stories – almost as if these people were sitting around a campfire sharing stories.

       Thank you for giving us your evening to listen to the stories that we will share with you. I’ll leave you all with a quote by the author of Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions: “You’re not necessarily supposed to believe it… you’re supposed to believe in it.”

        Welcome to Big Fish. We are so glad that you are here.