Big Fish at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

I have seen the musical Big Fish many times (it is very popular in Utah) but my favorite production just might be the one I saw last night at the SCERA Center for Performing Arts because it is so heartwarming! Now that Will Bloom (Bryson Smellie) is about to become a father he laments the fact that he doesn't know his own father Edward (Mark Gordon) because of all the outlandish stories he has always told him about his life. These include having his fortune told by a witch (Adrienne Hansen) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Shelby Horton), going on the road with a giant named Karl (Rob Crockett), joining a circus owned by a werewolf named Amos (Samuel Benson), wooing his future wife Sandra (Christie Gardiner) with daffodils, and thwarting an assassination of a general (Drew Christensen) during the war. When Will learns that Edward is dying of cancer he returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him and, after a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, he discovers that the truth about his father is more extraordinary than the stories. Gordon is the best Edward that I have ever seen because he portrays his zest for life with an exuberance that is palpable but he is also incredibly affecting in his scenes with Smellie as a father who desperately wants his son to be proud of him and in his scenes as a dying old man hoping that he is leaving a lasting legacy behind. He made me laugh and cry and think about all of the stories my own dad used to tell. Smellie is also outstanding because he plays Will's journey from exasperation with his father to understanding him with so much emotion, especially in the scene with Jenny Hill (Anya Young Wilson) and in the song "What's Next." Gardiner has a beautiful voice and her renditions of "Two Men In My Life" and "I Don't Need a Roof" were also highlights for me. I really love the songs that bring Edward's imaginative stories to life and the costumes and choreography in this production are so fun and whimsical, particularly in "I Know What You Want" with the witch, "Favorite Son" with the townspeople of Ashton, "Closer to Her" with the circus (I laughed out loud at the elephant and the firing of the cannon is so fun), and "Red, White, and True" with the USO (the tap dancing by the ensemble is impressive). The set is very simple with various pieces used to create vignettes (Will's bedroom, Edward's bedroom, hospital rooms, the front porch, etc.) brought on and off the stage by the ensemble but the backdrop used for "Daffodils" is a show-stopper (literally). The use of projections is very effective, especially the different images introducing all of the characters in "Be The Hero" and recapping them in "What's Next." This production reignited my love for this show (which was starting to wane after seeing it so many times) and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4.