Twin Cities Community Theater Beat

First, I want to caution that there are flashing light effects in the second act that may pose a problem to people with photosensitivity. This was not mentioned in the pre-show announcement but I hope the company will add it for future performances. Big Fish is based on the 1998 book and 2003 film of the same name. The story revolves around the relationship between Edward Bloom and his son Will. Their relationship is strained because Edward, a traveling salesman, was often away during Will’s childhood. When he was home, he told Will wild and sometimes inconsistent tales about his life that have left adult Will not sure he knows his father at all. Approaching fatherhood himself, Will resolves to try to find out what was real in his father’s life, just as their time starts to run out. The tricky thing about bringing this story to the stage is that musical theater is an arena that already encourages suspension of disbelief. As an audience, we are meant to be a little suspicious of s...