Big Fish at CPT

Last night my sister and I went to a production of Big Fish at Centerpoint Theatre. I think this story about a son trying to understand his father and a father trying to make his son proud is very moving and CPT does a great job with a very complicated show. Will Bloom (Doug Wadley) has always been exasperated by all of the outlandish stories that his father Edward (Scott W. Butler) has told him all his life. These include having his fortune told by a witch (Claire Glaittli) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Samantha Millward), going on the road with a giant named Karl (William Maguire), joining a circus owned by a werewolf (Matthew Price), wooing his future wife Sandra (Tara Wardle) with daffodils, and thwarting an assassination by Red Fang (Josh Lee) during the war. As he is about to become a father himself, Will learns that Edward is dying of cancer and returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him. After a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, Will discovers that the truth about his father is more extraordinary than the stories. I really enjoy the songs in this show because they bring all of Edward's fantastical stories to life and the staging of these numbers is very well-done. The choreography is incredibly whimsical, especially in "I Know What You Want" with the witch, "Favorite Son" with the townspeople of Ashton, "Closer to Her" with the circus (I loved the use of the cannon), and "Red White and True" with the USO (I am always impressed when the ensemble tap dances). Both Butler and Wadley are outstanding as Edward and Will Bloom, respectively. Butler portrays Edward's zest for life with an enthusiasm that is palpable while Wadley portrays Will's journey from skepticism to appreciation of his father's stories with heartfelt emotion, particularly in the song "What's Next." The set consists of large moving panels upon which projections are used to denote the riverbank, the swamp, the town of Ashton, the circus, Auburn University, and a field of daffodils. This is very effective at creating an immersive experience for the audience, particularly when Ashton is flooded because it seems as if the entire theater is under water, but some of the projections are a bit blurry (this could be because of the angle of my seat). I was very impressed with the costumes in all of the big musical numbers, most notably the lights on the costumes worn by the creatures in the swamp, the vintage circus costumes, and the Wild West costumes. My favorite production of this show remains the one I saw at HCT several years ago but I thoroughly enjoyed CPT's version and I recommend it (go here for tickets).

Note:  My sister and I are subscribers but the show on our original night was canceled due to Covid.  We rescheduled for last night but we had to sit apart. During intermission several patrons moved seats so we could have moved to be together but we chose to stay where we were!