First Year Players’ production of “Big Fish: The Musical” opened on Thursday night, greeted by an impressively-sized and buzzing audience filled with parents and students alike. The air of excitement in Goldstein Auditorium was immediately contagious, and it took until well into the first song for the audience to settle down.

“Big Fish” is the theatrical adaption of the eponymous Tim Burton film. The story follows father and son, Edward Bloom (Jason Kimmel) and Will. Edward, who works as a traveling salesman, tells fantastical stories to his son. Will, soon to be married and with a baby on the way, doesn’t believe the yarn his father spins. When Edward falls ill and faces death, Will must reconcile with his father’s life or risk ruining their relationship.

Courtesy of Leigh Ann Rodgers

While most of the excitement came from parents and former FYP actors, it was definitely not exclusive to them. The talent of the cast was instantly apparent, and it did not take long for the leads to absolutely charm everyone that had the privilege to watch them.

The musical starts out as campy as expected, but not in a boring way. But before getting irritated by it, the second song takes a unique and vaguely soulful approach, heightening the fantastical vibe the whole story carries with it. The music tends to align with what is happening in the story, ranging from cheery to slow to almost psychedelic.

The dialogue is simultaneously witty and cheesy, inspiring a collective chuckle accompanied by an eye roll from the audience at least once every few lines. However, the most enthusiastic reactions are triggered by Kimmel as Edward. Several times throughout each of his many musical numbers, there are vocal moments that make the audience gasp and cheer all at once. The songs are already catchy and engaging at their surface, but Kimmel’s charm and talent makes them that much more enjoyable, making you fall in love with not only the character, but the actor as well.

Courtesy of Leigh Ann Rodgers

Though the narrative centers around the circus, “Big Fish” goes beyond ringmasters and red-and-white striped tents. The whole point of it is a heartwarming story of a son trying to find the truth about his eccentric father’s life before it is too late. It just so happens to be backed by tunes almost frustratingly catchy. Despite the relatively sad overall story arc, typical of Burton, the musical offers an optimistic outlook on life and living in the moment, and each song feels like a mini-musical in and of itself. “Big Fish” is endlessly entertaining while offering a heartwarming and feel-good message about the little things in life.

At the close of the show, the audience immediately erupted into a standing ovation before the leads even took their bows. Despite not personally knowing any of the cast members like much of the audience, I couldn’t hold back the enthusiastic smile on my face and the equally enthusiastic applause. It was that impressive, I didn’t need to be watching my friend’s show to enjoy what I saw.

Courtesy of Leigh Ann Rodgers

First Year Players will perform “Big Fish” twice more on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. in Goldstein Auditorium.

Published on April 14, 2017 at 12:38 am