Big Fish
at Upper Merion Area High School

Reviewed on April 2, 2022

Gabriela Puntel
Abington Friends School
Submitted for publication to WordPress Site and Cappies Page

As the lights dimmed and the curtains were lifted, Upper Merion Area High School transported everyone into the world of "Big Fish" with emotion, skill, and dedication all around.

Published in 2013, this musical interpretation of the novel "Big Fish" tells the story of rediscovering faith in fatherhood, as Edward's son, Will, challenges himself and the audience around him to distinguish fantasy from reality in his father's tall tales.

Despite this being such a difficult production to pull off, The Underground Players of Upper Merion did an outstanding job navigating this show with infectious energy and immense dedication. Actors embraced their roles and beautifully delivered touching songs in ways that truly tugged at the heartstrings of the audience, and left them craving more. Elaborate flashback scenes were executed with ease, as they rivetingly revealed more and more about the characters and their life stories.

Edward Bloom (Daniel Isajiw) is a complex character, with buckets of stories to tell. The only problem is not being able to know the truth from fiction. Isajiw masterfully embodied his character and impressively portrayed Edward in three different stages in his life with skillful acting and a burning passion. Older Sandra (Colette Egan) is the wife of Edward, and Egan did a fantastic job capturing the essence of her character and bringing everyone to tears with her beautiful rendition of "I Don't Need A Roof".

With countless stories to tell, a wide variety of memorable characters were needed to make this show complete. The cast did an outstanding job of exploring their roles, keeping the energy high throughout the production, and even providing comedic relief in the midst of intense storylines. An honorable mention includes Karl (Anthony Boyle), a tall giant and best friend of Edward. Boyle perfected his delivery of hilarious comments, which caused the audience to explode in a roar of laughter every time. While at times the ensemble had inconsistency in facial expressions, their impressive range of well-executed harmonies made up for the fact.

A simple yet multi-purposeful set allowed for a myriad of unique scenes, and this set was strongly enhanced by its use of props. This was especially apparent during the song "Daffodils" where a total of 3,191 daffodil props were created to illustrate the beauty and magic of the moment between Edward and Sandra. Lighting was effectively utilized to show a clear contrast in flashbacks, as well as help bring focus to characters and moments in scenes, as seen in "Time Stops" where the lighting was channeled to capture the beauty of the moment.

With enthusiasm, emotion, and talented acting, Upper Merion Area High School exceeded expectations with their production of "Big Fish".

Sarah Gorenstein
Friends Select School
Submitted for publication to WordPress Site and Cappies Page

Emotion rippled through the sea of audience members at Upper Merion Area High School's production of "Big Fish." The company phenomenally captured both the fantasy of the musical and the passion of the touching story.

Written by John August with music by Andrew Lippa, the musical is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture. Set in Alabama, the story shifts between two timelines. One in the present-day real world, where father, Edward Bloom, is faced with mortality while his son, Will Bloom, prepares to become a father himself. In the storybook past, the audience follows Edward's life as he encounters various fantastical beings, including his wife, Sandra. As time ticks by, Will tries to decipher the truth behind all his father's eccentric stories.

The cast of Upper Merion's production transported the audience straight into the storybook. The ensemble played a critical role in bringing this whimsical world to life. Fortunately, the performers were ready to give it their all, elevating large group numbers to lively heights, with energy and emotion till the final bow. The whole cast was comprised of strong vocalists, whose mixes filled the stage with vitality. Upper Merion excellently captured the drama of the compelling show with numbers like "Stranger" and "Daffodils".

Daniel Isajiw flawlessly embodied Edward Bloom as he led the show with considerable talent. His performance, anchored in brilliant acting and strong vocals, captivated the audience. He effortlessly switched between Edward's timeline and displayed the skill that went into bringing his character to life. Isajiw had remarkable chemistry with Michael Harding as Will Bloom. Their father-son relationship was lovable and genuine. From his heartfelt vocals to his technical execution, Harding provided an emotional core to the show. In addition to the Blooms, Colette Egan's excellent vocals as older Sandra shone through in the song "I Don't Need a Roof". The audience was engrossed in the Bloom family's heartwarming chemistry.

Further adding to the exceptional cast were beloved storybook characters like the Witch (Aileen Lutz). Her enchanting number "I Know What You Want" was brought to life with her dazzling vocals. As well as, the amiable giant, Karl (Anthony Boyle), who captured lots of laughs from the audience through his humorous deliveries. His heartfelt friendship with Edward was a notable aspect of the production.

The Upper Merion Stage Crew admirably executed the transitions between scenes, not a cue was missed. Most salient were the colorful lighting choices that animated the festive group numbers. The set for Big Fish was magical and intriguing, luring the audience into their wondrous world. Additionally, the Marketing team fantastically decorated to reflect the playful show.

The cast of Upper Merion's "Big Fish" were truly the heroes of their story.

Evelyn Walker
Conestoga High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies Page

What does being a "big fish in a small pond" really mean? When do people truly "grow up"? Upper Merion Area High School's cast of "Big Fish" sought to answer these questions.

"Big Fish" premiered on Broadway in 2013. It tells the story of a son's struggle to connect with his dying father, a traveling salesman known for his fantastic tales. The show toys with the audience's perception of reality through transitions between the father's past stories and the son's present attempts to understand the stories. As the son, Will, prepares to have a son of his own, his father, Edward, continues to try to bring Will back to his land of stories. Will must discover what parts of the stories he wants to take with him.

The cast had clearly put much thought into each individual character, and each one had strong physicality. The show was dedicated to UMAHS alumni Neil Patel, who passed away due to COVID-19 in 2021. Not only was this production impressively done and well thought-out, but it was also a touching tribute and an emotional experience for many audience members.

Daniel Isajiw shone as Edward Bloom, a role that is incredibly difficult due to the quick switches in time, meaning that in a span of five minutes the actor must play an ill older man and a spirited adventurer from ten years prior. He had nice chemistry with his wife Sandra, played in her older years by Colette Egan and in her younger years by Sophie Jordan. Egan and Jordan both had beautiful singing voices and Egan's performance of "I Don't Need a Roof" was breathtaking. Michael Harding showed a clear character arc as Will Bloom and had an impressively strong tenor voice.

The ensemble had great energy and kept the story moving. Eileen Lutz played the witch who tells Edward how he will die, and though she had some mic issues during her solo, she was easy to hear and performed without faltering. She had a powerful voice and great energy onstage. Anthony Boyle, who played Edward's giant friend, Karl, had a strong character voice and used his costume, which involved walking on stilts, with skill and impressive balance.

"Big Fish" is a prop-heavy show, and the crew did an incredible job of keeping the props and sets moving without a hitch. The lighting added to the mood of the show, especially during the song "Red, White, and True", in which lights circled the audience.

Upper Merion Area High School brought the audience with them on an emotional journey, encouraging them to be the heroes of their stories.

Dorothy Danbury
Upper Darby School District
Submitted for publication to Cappies Page

Upper Merion High School's Underground Players' production of Big Fish was a remarkable return to live theater and a beautiful display of what high school theater can achieve.

The musical, based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace, Big Fish: A Novel of Mystic Proportions and its book by John August and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, tells the story of Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman, who told many tall tales of his life to his son, Will Bloom, who, now an adult, is attempting to place the myth of his father in reality.

This show is bursting with life, and the entire cast gave this story the fervor it requires. This energy was especially evident in numbers like "Be the Hero", "Showdown", and "What's Next", where the entire ensemble was giving their all vocally and with their expressions.

Big Fish, at its core, is the story of a father and a son. Edward Bloom, played by Daniel Isajiw, was positively remarkable. His vocal work and acting, especially in the song, "How It Ends" brought the audience to tears and to their feet. He played Edward not only as the legend he paints himself to be, but also as the man behind it with the perfect amount of vulnerability. Michael Harding as Will Bloom was the perfect accompaniment to Edward, with his pessimistic and worrisome nature perfectly portrayed by Harding. Isajiw also clicked with both the older and younger versions of Sandra Bloom, played by Colette Egan and Sophie Jordan respectively, their chemistry on stage being palpable in numbers "Daffodils" and "I Don't Need a Roof".

The supporting cast helped immensely to create this larger-than-life story. The Witch, played by Aileen Lutz, impressed with her vocals, despite some audio issues, in the song, "I Know What You Want", with her powerful belt resounding throughout the audience. Karl the giant, played by Anthony Boyle, became Edward's best friend and helped him save the town of Ashton, all while on stilts. Another stand out from the supporting cast was Anna Walmsley as the eccentric circus master, Amos.

Big Fish is notoriously difficult for its time shifts as well as the use of props. However, the stage manager, Lizzie Watters, and assistant stage managers, Kate Cherelli and Lainie Walter, made sure every piece went out on time. The props designed for this show were phenomenal, from the 3,191 daffodils made to the human cannon. The lightning, designed by a student designer, perfectly conveyed the emotions of every scene.

Upper Merion's Underground Players' production of Big Fish was heavily ambitious and fulfilled every goal it aspired to reach, leaving the audience cheering and looking to be the hero of their stories while they can.