‘Big Fish’ @ Theatre Arlington
—Jan Farrington
Will’s Dad is a traveling salesman with a million stories: a mermaid waved to me, a witch told my fortune, I joined a circus, I met a giant.
Dad pops in and out of their Alabama home, bringing daffodils to Mom Sandra, and teaching sonWill how to skip stones, catch fish…and believe in the world’s endless possibilities.
If you have (or had) one of those Dads—a jokester, a tall-tale teller, the noisy life of every family celebration—would the musical Big Fish make you feel happy, or a little bit sad? That’s the trick of this very original show from the wide-ranging composer/songwriter Andrew Lippsa (The Wild Party, The Addams Family). It does both: makes us smile one moment, and gives us a heartache in the next.
Life is complicated and hard to understand—not just for us, but for the small family at the center of this story, playing at Theatre Arlington in a richly imagined production directed by Mark Mullino, music directed by Vonda K. Bowling, and choreographed by Kelly McCain.
This is my third go-round with the musical, and though I still contend it runs too long for the offbeat, whimsical story it carries, this phenomenal cast gives it every bit of their heart and talent.
David Lugo plays charismatic father Edward Bloom, who returns with a wild adventure to tell every time. Cara Statham Serber is the warm-hearted love of his life—a woman who finds “Magic in the Man” every day of their lives. The younger Will Bloom is played by the engaging Wyatt Hartz, who loves Dad but already wonders—and grown-up Will, played exceptionally by Esteban Vilchez, is a walking tangle of emotions, still trying to sort out the mix of love and frustration he feels about Edward—just as he, too, is about to become a father.
They can carry a song, too—and these lead performers add a depth and honesty to the story that makes it more than a tall tale.
What’s even better, they’re surrounded by a team of North Texas talent, both in the show’s creatives and its supporting cast—to name just a few, the terrific Vonda Bowling and her musicians just offstage, the inventive Kelly McCain cooking up great moves for the dancers; and the song-selling Presley Duyck in the vital role of the Witch. Kevin Davis, Jr. scores as circus owner Amos, a friendly fellow with hidden depths; Jessica Humphrey is touching as Edward’s high-school girlfriend Jenny; and Adam Thomas is appropriately big-hearted (and surprisingly savvy about business!) as Karl the Giant.
Sets and costumes (Bryan Stevenson and Neely Dickson) take us all around the real and imaginary Alabama, from flower-ringed cottages to witchy dances, scary caves, and towns that have disappeared from the map. Big Fish is a tall tale whose elements are a mixed bag of earthbound and flighty—but the truths it tells about fathers and sons and families are altogether real.
WHEN: August 9-25, 2024
WHERE: 305 W. Main Street, Arlington TX
WEB: theatrearlington.org
