Big Fish

Four Seasons Theatre & Theatre LILA present

BIG FISH

December 2-11, 2016 at The Playhouse

Edward Bloom never wanted an ordinary life, so he learned to inspire his imagination. His incredible stories thrill everyone around him—except his son Will, who insists on separating fact from fiction. As Edward’s final chapter approaches, Will embarks on his own journey to find out who his father really is, slowly uncovering the man behind the myth and the nugget of truth in each tall tale.

Four Seasons Theatre joins forces with Theatre LILA, who brings its ensemble-style storytelling to this Broadway musical to spin you a magical tale about a family coming together— and the beauty of dreaming bigger.

Based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 film directed by Tim Burton, the 12 Chairs version of Big Fish brings to life the fantastic world of Edward Bloom’s imagination in the intimate space of the Overture Center’s Playhouse.


Cast

David Neuser (Don Price/Ensemble)
Asiah Doyle (Zacky Price/Ensemble)
Elijah E. Edwards (Young Will)
Stephanie Frank (Jenny Hill/Ensemble)
Clare Arena Haden (Sandra Bloom)
Scott Haden (Edward Bloom)
Sarah Brown Hadjimarkos (Old Jenny Hill/Ensemble)
Rae Huang (Girl in the Water/Ensemble)
Krstyn Jones (Ensemble)
Nick Narcisi (Karl the Giant/Ensemble)
Jordan Peterson (Amos Calloway/The Werewolf)
Meghan Randolph (Witch)
Hannah Ripp-Dieter (Josephine Bloom)
Mark Snowden (Doc Bennett/Ensemble)
Stephen Scott Wormley (Will Bloom)


Press

 

From the Madison Magazine review:

In retrospect, we probably should have expected it. Pairing Four Seasons Theatre, the routine collector of some of Madison’s finest vocal talent, and Theatre LILA, magicians of visual and movement, was going to result in something remarkable.

 And it was. Like a dessert that expertly mixes lemon and raspberry, the companies’ joint production of "Big Fish: The Musical" (playing through Dec. 11 in the Overture Center Playhouse) revels in its ingredients, creating a show that packs both a visual and emotional punch.

Read the full review, "Tall tales and visual magic in BIG FISH"

From the Isthmus review:

"The musical theater expertise of Four Seasons Theatre and the trademark innovation of Theatre LILA come together in a dreamy new collaboration: musical BIG FISH. ...It’s not a traditional holiday production, but the whimsy and warmth of BIG FISH — which runs through Dec. 11 at the Overture Center — make it an excellent choice for this time of year."

Read the full review, "Dreamy magic: BIG FISH dwells beautifully in small moments"

Channel 15 Interview with Cast Members:

Cast members Scott Haden (Edward Bloom) and Stephen Scott Wormley (Will Bloom) were interviewed by Amy Carlson from NBC 15.

Watch the full interview here.

From the Wisconsin State Journal preview article:

Usually any story pertaining to a big fish during the holidays is told by a distant relative at the dinner table, but this season the story of a different “Big Fish” is coming to life on stage at Overture Center for the Arts.

Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 film by Tim Burton, “Big Fish” is a larger-than-life musical based on a man who spent his life dwelling within in the tallest of tall tales.

Presented in a joint effort by Theatre LILA and Four Seasons Theatre, the tale of a father’s imagination and a son’s need for the truth opens this coming weekend.

Read the full story.

Big Fish, December 2016.
Photo credit: Mike Brown.

Big Fish, December 2016.
Photo credit: Mike Brown.

Big Fish, December 2016.
Photo credit: Sarah Marty.


Support

Grant Support for this production provided by the Great Performance Fund for Theater, a component fund of Madison Community Foundation, and the American Girl Foundation, and Dane Arts.  Promotional support provided by Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.  Season support for Theatre LILA provided by Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company and Strang Patteson and for Four Seasons Theatre by Outlets at the Dells and Park Printing Solutions.