A Lovely, Emotional Big Fish at MPP

When I first saw Big Fish, I had a lot of problems with the way the story had been put together.  But the more I see it, the more I'm able to read between the lines and explain away any concerns I had.  There are still some moments that I think the script could better contextualize, but I'm being won over, bit by bit.  (Do I recommend that everyone see three versions of this show? Maybe!)

The last Big Fish of the year (that I know of) was presented by Morris Park Players as their fall musical.  An interesting note is that their spring musical, The Addams Family, is by the same composer, so MPP is having a very Lippa season right now.  Big Fish has been very popular this year, and it's a good option for community theaters; it has a lot of featured parts, a nice variety of musical styles, and a blend of realistic and fantastical elements that provides some fun opportunities for creative design without breaking the bank.

Big Fish, based on the Tim Burton film, is the story of Edward Bloom and his son, Will.  The two men have a difficult relationship because Edward, a traveling salesman, was often away while Will was growing up, and when he was home he told tall tales about his life that Will found increasingly hard to believe.  Now an adult, Will is about to become a father and wants to understand his father’s life--but with Edward’s health failing, time is running out.

Most of the scenes of the play revolve around Edward, but it is Will who is the emotional heart of the show.  He is the one who changes and learns; he has the most to gain and the most to lose. Morris Park Players’ production is grounded in the standout performance of Blake Brauer as adult Will.  Brauer gave a beautiful performance that really brought out Will's emotional arc. Usually a music director, Brauer has a lovely singing voice and was compelling to watch on stage. As a bonus, this is the first time that I have found it plausible that Will was a correspondent in Iraq.

Director Jillian Robertson made smart choices throughout the performance; in “Stranger” and “Fight the Dragons,” for example, she gave Brauer’s Will (and the audience with him) the space to explore his complicated but hopeful relationship with his father.  Space is used well throughout the production; Robertson’s ensemble is a restrained size and their placement was effective in creating a different feel for different locations, from the town of Ashton to a circus tent to the mermaid’s lake. Teresa Nelson’s set design was versatile and gave the cast a lot to work with.

Under Musical Director Danny Dahlquist, the cast and orchestra sounded good throughout.  Choreography was by Marley Ritchie (who also gave an engaging performance as the flirtatious mermaid) and Teresa Jacobs.  Overall, the choreography focused less on complicated dance moves than on group numbers that were visually interesting and fun--a feature I noticed and enjoyed in Ritchie's choreography of The Little Mermaid earlier this year.  I wish more choreographers would follow this lead, because the dance numbers are so appealing.  My favorite dance number in Big Fish was "Closer to Her"--instead of having the traditional dancing elephant behinds (who Edward has to clean up after), the circus ensemble danced as marionettes, with ringleader Amos pulling the strings.  It was an entertaining number that also heightened the drama of Edward's relationship with Amos.

The character of Edward was played by Cody Olson and Michael Jarrad.  The role can be played by one actor, but I'm in favor of splitting it because it puts the audience more in Will's perspective; it's hard for him to match his father to the character in all those stories.  It makes sense to have them look different on stage--and it makes sense to have a different, age-appropriate Edward when his wife is played by two actresses. As the young Edward, Cody Olson was earnest and energetic; Michael Jarrad as the present-day Edward was more complicated, struggling with physical and emotional pain but still a dreamer.  Robertson brought the two actors together in “Fight the Dragons,” which was a nice way to connect the two versions of Edward.

Maria Sunderman played the young Sandra, Edward’s love interest, at first with a bubbly youthfulness that made it easier to understand why she sings the ridiculous “Little Lamb from Alabama.”  Sunderman made good choices for her character’s development; in her next scene, three years later, her character has obviously had some time to grow up. Jane Thelen, "Present Sandra," had very nice chemistry with Michael Jarrad and delivered an emotional rendition of "I Don't Need a Roof." As young Will, Jenna Dierke did a lovely job at showing the conflict her character felt between getting swept up in her father’s stories and wanting more from him.  Naomi Rose played grown Will’s wife Josephine, and while I still maintain that this character doesn’t do very much, Rose was charming in the role.

Thomas Friebe gave an endearing performance as the friendly Karl the giant.  Barb Young as the witch did an excellent job with her scene, but I do wish they’d turned up her microphone from the normal level to “extra loud” because “I Know What You Want” is a song that can only benefit from extra intensity.  Renee Chizek played the traditionally male circus master Amos Calloway, and I loved the direction she went with the character. She was commanding, dry, and funny, and makes a good argument for why directors should be open to non-traditional casting.  I also enjoyed the relationship between Amos and her assistant, played by Dan Fox. Fox had a good take on the long-suffering sidekick and also performed acrobatics in the circus scene. I love surprise acrobatics! Morgan Reidy brought humor to her role as the young Jenny Hill, which was another pleasant surprise.  As the older Jenny, Tina Brauer brought a lovely sense of balance. Her character had clearly felt a lot of pain in her life, but Brauer’s take was still hopeful. A touch I loved is that when first shown, this Jenny is sitting outside and sketching peacefully. What a nice detail!

There were many little details that added depth or humor to this production.  In the first song, a connection is made between the mermaid and Sandra (I would love to see these characters played by twins; I love the idea that they're the same figure in Edward's mind).  The failed juggler coming back to audition again with a fake mustache and the unmasking of Red Fang that revealed a second mask were fun, silly details that made me laugh out loud. In the Act I finale, I really enjoyed the curtain of daffodils--the field of pure yellow behind Sandra & Edward was strongly evocative of the way the daffodils appear in the film.

Jennifer Schultz's costumes had many bright spots, although as a group they were a little confused about the time period (but then again, so was Edward as narrator).  There was a clear through-line in Sandra's blue dresses, the tap costumes were fun and flashy, and the circus had many good looks. I was especially satisfied with the look of the witch and her back-up singers; I have my issues with the style of the song and how the scene fits into the setting of Edward's 1950s (?) childhood, and going too modern with the witch's look is just too confusing for me.  I was very happy both with Schultz's take on a rather Victorian witch and with the use of extended capes (love these!) with more modern black dresses on the witch ensemble.

Overall, Big Fish was a well-constructed show that focused on the emotional core of the story while also finding ways to add moments of humor and silliness.  This was really a lovely production from Morris Park Players.

* This post has been edited to include a few details accidentally left out, and one clarification suggested by MPP staff. *