Overview
Synopsis
Edward Bloom has lived a full and fantastical life, populated by witches, giants, and mermaids, marked by true love that stops time in its tracks, and framed by heroics that push the limits of believability. His adult son, Will, is no longer amused by his father’s fantastical tales, insisting on a rational rather than a fantastical account of one’s life. When Edward’s health declines, and Will learns that he and his wife, Josephine, will have a son of their own, Will decides to find out his father’s “true” life story, once and for all. Big Fish is a heartfelt, powerful, and truly magical musical about fathers, sons, and the stories that we use to define our identities. With spine-tinglingly beautiful music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and a funny, heartwarming book by John August, Big Fish is a magnificent “big fish” of a tale, itself -- spectacular, fantastical, and overflowing with love.
Show Information
Context
Big Fish the musical is adapted from two sources: Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions and its 2003 film adaptation, directed by Tim Burton. The novel, which is told from Will’s point of view in first-person, is a chronological retelling of the tall tales Will’s father, Edward, told about his life. The novel draws inspiration from classic literature and mythology. For example, like Odysseus in Homer’s The Odyssey, Edward Bloom is on a seemingly endless quest
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Act One
In Alabama, an aging man named Edward Bloom skips stones on a river. His son, Will, approaches. It’s Will’s wedding day, and he urges his father not to make any embarrassing toasts or tell any wild stories. Edward is befuddled by this request, but agrees. Edward enters a flashback, in which he tells six-year-old Will a story before bed. In the story, which comes to life, Edward encounters a group of men and women who are unsuccessfully trying to catch a fish. Edward informs them
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| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
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|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
|
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
Act I
Notes
In the original 2013 Broadway production, Act I was longer and more episodic, with several numbers that expanded Edward’s tall tales and his adventures in Ashton. In the licensed/revised version, Act I was streamlined to focus more quickly on Edward’s romance with Sandra and his bond with Will. Songs such as “Stranger” and “Two Men in My Life” were moved earlier, and “Out There on the Road” replaced some of Edward’s traveling sequences, creating a tighter narrative flow.
Act II
Notes
In the Broadway production, Act II carried much of the emotional weight, with Will’s “Stranger” placed late in the show and Sandra’s “Two Men in My Life” serving as a reflective moment before Edward’s decline. In the licensed/revised version, Act II was reshaped to emphasize Edward’s final moments, including his ballads “Fight the Dragons” (shifted earlier to Act I) and “How It Ends.” The restructuring places greater focus on the father–son reconciliation and trims some of the more fantastical digressions from the Broadway staging.
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
An adaptation is a reworking of a story from one medium or cultural context into another, such as turning a novel into a play or updating a classic play’s setting. Adaptations often reinterpret themes, characters, and style for new audiences. They can range from faithful recreations to bold reimaginings.
Allegory is a storytelling device in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. In theatre, allegorical plays often deliver social, political, or religious messages beneath their surface narrative.
Catharsis is the emotional release experienced by the audience at the conclusion of a tragedy or intense dramatic work. It allows viewers to purge feelings of fear, pity, or tension through the resolution of the play’s conflict. The concept dates back to Aristotle, who believed catharsis was central to the purpose of theatre.
A genre of story involving magical and fantastical elements, sometimes adapted for theatrical performance.
A dramatic device that transports the narrative to an earlier time to provide background or context.
A literary and theatrical style blending realistic narrative with fantastical elements to explore complex truths.
A literary device comparing two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as,' used in theatre to add symbolic meaning. Metaphors enhance subtext and deepen character understanding.
The main character of a play or story, typically the one whose journey or conflict drives the plot. The protagonist often experiences growth or change.
A movement and technique using symbolic imagery and metaphors to express abstract ideas and inner experiences.
A tableau is a staged moment where performers freeze in a visually powerful pose or arrangement, almost like a living picture. Instead of dialogue or movement, the image itself communicates the meaning—whether it’s celebrating triumph, mourning loss, or showing a turning point in the story. In an opera such as Ça Ira, which dramatizes the French Revolution, tableaux are often used to symbolize big events like the storming of the Bastille or the collective spirit of the people.
Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Themes
The Power of Storytelling – Edward Bloom’s
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