Pentacle Theatre to perform Big Fish, a ‘touching and poignant’ musical
Big Fish, a fantasy musical centered around family that shifts between two timelines, will premiere at the Pentacle Theatre on Friday, March 21.
Based on the book by John August, the story follows Edward Bloom, a salesman who has lived an extraordinary life filled with witches, giants, his unconditional love for his wife Sandra and many epic adventures — stories his son Will once loved but now dismisses as exaggerations. As Edward’s health declines and Will prepares to become a father himself, he sets out to uncover the truth behind his father’s incredible tales.
The musical will run through April 12 at the theater, located at 324 52nd Ave. N.W. Tickets can be purchased online.
The cast, made up of 27 people, started rehearsing downtown in early January and moved to the theater in early March. There is a 10-person orchestra directly above the stage and several other crew members in costume design, logistics and other roles.
“I love the story of this show (and) getting to know a bunch of new people and working together,” said Jeff Witt, who plays the older version of Edward.
The musical is “a comedy at heart, but it is a very touching and poignant show. When I describe it, it’s about this guy’s life, and he’s dying and his son’s trying to figure him out. It sounds very depressing, but that’s not at all what the show is about,” Witt said. “The show is about living life to its fullest, and family and community.”
Heather Toller, who plays the older version of Edward’s wife Sandra, is excited about bringing together the cast and orchestra for this musical. “The score itself is so beautiful, and it does a great job of contributing to the storytelling,” she said.
The story gained popularity through the 2003 movie by the same name directed by Tim Burton. The musical has preserved the movie plot and only introduced slight changes, Toller said.
Witt has 32 years of experience in theater and has participated in several productions with Jill Sorensen, the show’s director. Toller started in the early 2000s and has directed multiple plays and now serves on the board at Pentacle Theatre.
The entire ensemble is very talented, easy to work with and highly dedicated to the production, Toller said.
Pentacle Theatre has a small group of employees, but most people involved are volunteers. “We have so many volunteers working within the community, putting on productions, working on the facility, helping with sets, helping with costumes, helping with house management and ushering,” Toller said, estimating that there might be around 2,000 volunteers who “keep everything running throughout the entire season.”
Apart from the standard run, there will also be a fundraiser performance of Big Fish on Wednesday, April 2 at Pentacle Theatre. Proceeds will go to Children’s Educational Theatre, an organization that provides theatre classes to youth grades 4-12 and supports their self-discovery and appreciation for the arts, according to its website.
Contact reporter Alan Cohen: [email protected].
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Alan Cohen is an intern at the Salem Reporter and an undergraduate at Willamette University. Born and raised in Spain, he has also been involved in student journalism for three years, and is passionate about bringing a voice to underrepresented communities through ethical reporting.
