BRANDON — Otter Valley Union High School’s Walking Stick Theatre proudly presents “Big Fish,” the musical, Nov. 16-19, at the Brandon school.
The musical is based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel, “Big Fish: a Novel of Mythic Proportions,” and director Tim Burton and screenwriter John August’s 2003 film version.
The plot of “Big Fish” revolves around the relationship between Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman with a penchant for story telling, and his adult son Will.
When Will was a child, Edward entertained him with fairytale-like adventures of his encounters with giants, mermaids, witches and the lengths he went to win the love of his life, Sandra.
The story has been compared to “The Music Man,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Odyssey.”
Because his father’s tales are so fantastical, the adult Will longs to get beyond them, but the two men struggle to find common ground. Sandra, Will’s mother and Edward’s wife, loves both men and tries to bring them together when Edward’s cancer returns.
The musical uses Edward’s tales as a jumping-off point for whimsical, over-the-top production numbers that create a fun, emotional and family-friendly theater experience for all ages.
Jeff Hull, who is directing a cast of 41, a crew of 15 and an orchestra of eight students and seven community members in the OVUHS production, says audiences will be stirred by the heartfelt acting, mesmerized by the fantasy world and leave feeling satisfied.
The show will be staged Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Advance tickets are on sale now for $10 at Carr’s Florist in Brandon and the OVUHS library during school hours. They’ll also be available at the door at $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults.