Big Fish
Big Fish
#1Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 4:28am
In deciding whether or not to audition for my local community theater's upcoming production of Big Fish this summer, I watched a bootleg recording of the Chicago try out. I do know the first act was heavily revised for Broadway, however I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that it did not receive a single Tony nomination! Other than the fact that it was a show that flopped in the fall and was forgotten come spring, anyone have any insight into why it got no Tony love? While there are a few duds in the score, there are also some truly stunning melodies, and I think Norbert's performance was beyond worthy of a nod. Bobby and Kate were also quite stunning, and I also find it sad they were forgotten. I just don't quite get the exclusion, especially in a pretty bland season....
#2Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 4:52am
Where are you doing BIG FISH? I was just cast as Edward Bloom in a local production of the show in WV, myself. I also watched the Chicago production pre-audition and was surprised at the total lack of nominations myself. Such a beautiful show full of heart and humor. I am sorry I missed seeing it when it was on Broadway.
<-- Tevye, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, March 2018
#4Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 10:20am
I attended the Chicago tryout and wasn't surprised it didn't fare well with the Tonys, though I thought it might do slightly better than Bullets Over Broadway. But the show opened in October and was closed before New Year's Eve. It was long forgotten by the time the nominations were announced. Personally, I thought it only had a couple of good songs, the best of which was cut (The River Between Us). The staging was often a mess, often relying too heavily on projections. The whole Stevie Knicks witch in the woods number and scene was not only bad, we couldn't make out the projections that foreshadowed the ending from where we were sitting. That Showdown nightmare sequence should have been cut early on. But then, I wasn't a huge fan of the film, either. I didn't feel like the musical really added much to the mostly tension-free story. It's just a bit too sugary for my tastes. I do like Fight the Dragons, so there's that.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#5Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 11:11am
I was really looking forward to this. Interestingly, I mildly enjoyed Act 1 and HATED Act 2. My wife and friend did not like Act 1 and all, but liked Act 2, so go figure. In my case, I just got tired of the whimsy. I also didn't think the score was good.
As I recall, it had no advance, no stars (Norbert is not a box office attraction), was based on a movie that most people forgot, did not get good reviews, and was whimsical. The Neil Simon was too large a theatre for whimsy, which belongs in the Booth or the Helen Hayes (or whatever it is called these days).
adagio
Understudy Joined: 5/13/16
#6Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 11:53am
I saw the Chicago production and I remember thinking the score was the weakest piece of the show. It just didn't capture that quirky, mysterious feel of the film (which I adored, with the exception? of Billy Crudup who felt miscast). If it closed several months before nominations, I'm not surprised it was forgotten.
broadwaysfguy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/14
#9Big Fish
Posted: 5/18/17 at 2:17pm
very entertaining and fun show. saw in NYC, Norbert and the cast were fantastic most memorable songs included Be the hero, fight the dragons, and daffodils-I thought the score was much stronger than some of the shows nominated this year
loved the original movie, thought it was a solid adaptation for the book. great sets and costumes
Think the show suffered most from a fall/winter launch and the dreaded poor review from new york times....
Wish i could see it with OBC again....
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