As is so often the case, the challenge of staging a big musical in the tiny confines of the Hayes Theatre has inspired the creative team of Big Fish to come up with inventive staging solutions, which add to the whimsical charm of what could so easily be an overblown show. Produced by RPG Productions in association with the Hayes Theatre Co, Big Fish is staged with a simplicity that suits the magical themes of the musical. It also radiates a great deal of love from everyone involved, including the terrific, hard-working cast.

^{Philip Lowe and Brittanie Shipway in Big Fish. Photos © Kate Williams}

Adapted from the 2003 film directed by Tim Burton and Daniel Wallace’s 1998 book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, the musical features music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family) and a book by John August who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Big Fish premiered on Broadway in 2013 in a splashy, big-budget production, which received mixed reviews and failed to capture the public imagination, closing after just three months. The production at the Hayes uses the so-called 12 Chairs Version,...