Cara Statham Berger, Wyatt Hartz and David Lugo in Theatre Arlington’s ‘Big Fish.’ (Photo by Jacob Oderberg)
Ok, let me just get this out of the way. At the core of the musical Big Fish there is a sobering truth: the ostensible hero Edward Bloom is really just a con man. Yeah, I said it.
John August’s book might have us believe Edward Bloom is this good, maybe great guy, but in taking a deeper — and ok, maybe cynical look, he’s a traveling salesman who shirks his familial duties and is oblivious to his son’s emotional needs. He finds a solace in telling fantastic tales for his own self-worth. Yet knowing that, it is difficult not to fall under Edward Bloom’s endearing spell.
Theatre Arlington opened the musical on Friday with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa with August’s book. Based on the Tim Burton film (also written by August) and the Daniel Wallace novel, the Alabama-based story follows Edward who believes he has a deeper relationship with his son Will who is always at a loss of knowing his father. Meanwhile, wife and mother Sandra is dutiful to her husband and son. Edward tells larger than life tales about his past with the intention of imparting something deeper onto his son. In his tales, a cast of colorful characters swirl in orbit around Edward as he battles his health and his son’s frustrations.
Despite his faults, the oblivious Edward was so likeable due to David Lugo’s charming performance. He gave ideal balance to the character’s showman side and to more relatable moments as a dad and husband. The show hinges much on Lugo and he succeeded on all counts with a strong vocal performance and charisma to spare. Enough to make the audience root for him as evidenced by the countless sniffles in the second act drama at the Sunday matinee.
As Will, Esteban Vilchez was quite memorable as Edward’s son desperate for connection. An earnest performance, his emotional response felt painfully real. He gave Edward a grounded realness with his allure and majestic singing.
In a year of showier performances so far, Cara Statham Serber was heartfelt and understated as Sandra Bloom. She had lovely maternal moments with Vilchez. Her chemistry though with Lugo was still strong from last month’s The Prom. The “Daffodils” number was a swoonworthy scene of pure love and romance.
Mark Mullino’s direction was solid and gave us time to absorb the melange of characters in and out of the show while letting the exposition play out. The ensemble of actors worked on all levels with impressive performances by Presley Duyck as the Witch, Adam Thomas as Karl the Giant, Wyatt Hartz as a precocious young Will, Bryson Peterson as Don Price and Pamela Anglero as Josephine Bloom.
In short time, Kevin Davis Jr. delivered a big punch of energy as Amos, the circus ringleader in the dynamic “Closer to Her” number. Jessica Humphrey did the same with a more tender scene in Act II as Jenny, the first girl who loved Edward.
The five piece orchestra was led by music director Vonda K. Bowling and gave the story and showtunes a deeply rich sound to both the real life and fantasy of Big Fish. Choreographer Kelly McCain brought a sense of whimsy to her work with the cast. Bryan Stevenson crafted inventive set pieces which conveyed the spaces well. The backdrops relied more on sparse screen projections that might have worked better with less realistic images that took away from the show’s overall imaginative tone.
Big Fish was a beautiful production with a mix of upbeat and heartfelt songs and a melodramatic story that pushes the right buttons. The show explored family dynamics and the consequences that come with certain decisions, particularly between a son and father. Just don’t let the dad get off so easy.
The show runs through Aug. 25.
–Rich Lopez