Big Fish

Big Fish is a musical with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by John August. It is based on Daniel Wallace's 1998 novel, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, and the 2003 film Big Fish written by John August and directed by Tim Burton. Big Fish revolves around the relationship between Edward Bloom, a travelling salesman, and his adult son Will. The story shifts between two timelines. In the present-day real world, sixty-year-old Edward Bloom faces his mortality while his son, Will, prepares to become a father himself. In the storybook past, Edward ages from a teenager, encountering a Witch, a Giant, a Mermaid, and the love of his life, Sandra. The stories meet as Will discovers the secret his father never revealed. Plot Act 1 In Alabama, Edward Bloom and his son, Will, discuss Will's impending wedding. Entering a flashback to when Will was a child, Edward tells him a story. Edward is walking down the river when he meets a man trying to catch fish to no avail. So Edward teaches him the proper way to catch fish ("Be the Hero"). When he finishes his story, Edward's wife, Sandra, tells them it's time for Will to go to bed. Edward refuses behind her back and tells Will another story of a witch that Edward met as a teenager ("The Witch"). The story returns to the present day, where Edward suspects that Will's fiancée, Josephine, is pregnant. He reveals this at the wedding, angering Will and as Josephine takes the shocked crowd to catch the bouquet, Will and Edward argue. After the reception, Edward's doctor notices that Edward seems to be in pain and suggests that he come in for an examination. Edward and Sandra discover that the cancer Edward has been fighting has spread beyond where they had thought. Will and Josephine discover that their child is a boy ("Take Another Look"). Later that day, Will promises to strengthen his relationship with his father, who he sees as a "Stranger".