Inauthentic Fish by Anna Duffy

            The hook for this review was used to catch a big fish. Get it? I attended the musical Big Fish on Wednesday March 18, 2015 at Wimberly Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. This production was presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, and is directed by Paul Daigneault and the music and lyrics are by Andrew Lippa. Big Fish is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture written by John August. The story revolves around a dying father and his son, who tries to learn more about his father by recalling stories and legends about his father’s life.

            Big Fish is a cheesy, rejected Broadway musical that is too long. One moment that showed the tackiness of the play was when the father was launched out of a cannon at a carnival. Sound effects were made when he “blasted off”, and a video of an animated person shooting out of a cannon was projected on the top of an arch around the stage. How cheesy is that! Also, the story of the production was shown and told in a narrative way, and did not make you think. It was very straight forward, and there was no abstract meaning behind it. Lastly, this musical was way too lengthy. It was about three hours long, which is too long for a non-Broadway show.

            Big Fish is a non-thought-provoking, wannabe Broadway musical that is unnecessarily elongated. Its unrealistic projections, cliché plot, and extensive period in which it was shown show my points. I do not recommend going to see Big Fish.