Review: BIG FISH at Hope Repertory Theatre

Big Fish makes a splash at Hope Repertory Theatre! Big Fish is the story of the life of Edward Bloom. Edward Bloom( Eric Gutman) is a dreamer, a storyteller, and an eternal optimist. We first meet Edward, an older man attending his son's wedding. His serious and practical son, Will Bloom (Michael G. Floriano), begs his father not to embarrass him with his outrageous stories of the past.  His wife, Sandra Bloom (Christine Hope), helps tell the story of their lives through flashbacks and musical numbers. This show is based on the original book and movie of the same name but with some new twists and exciting additions to the classic tale.

I was lucky enough to see this show early on in its run. The effortless talent of this cast and crew brought this performance to extraordinary new heights. Eric Gutman, who plays the quintessential role of Edward Bloom, makes you want to believe in fairytales. His magnetic and charismatic portrayal of Edward Bloom was so flawless that I and others were laughing and crying throughout the show. There is a line in the show in which Edward Bloom says, "If friends make you rich in life, then I'm a Tycoon." After this line, I started tearing up; what a beautiful line to hear in a show. It's so often you watch romantic love stories, but seeing a love story between friends was such a lovely and wonderful surprise.

Eric Gutman and Christine Hope have a meet-cute in this show that has so much chemistry that it feels like they are not acting but living the characters. Christina Hope, a Chicago native making her debut at FRT in Big Fish. Her portrayal of the southern beauty mixed with the charm of Eric Gutman is a love story even a pessimistic skeptic could get behind. Between her beautiful performance of I Don't Need a Roof to their duet of Time Stops there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Another performer I would like to spotlight is Michael G. Floriano. He portrayed Will Bloom, and I was impressed with his vocal performance. He portrayed the skeptical son to Gutman's Whimsical father role. He really blew me away with his rendition of Stranger in the first act. This song delves into his relationship with his father and builds in the second act with The River Between Us. The Juxtaposition between these two characters and their generational differences was perfectly portrayed by these two actors.

Big Fish is a story that dives into a myriad of life experiences. The themes throughout the show, from generational disagreements to being true to yourself, create a narrative that is deep and thought-provoking. I was simply enchanted by the depth of the performance.