Photo Flash: First Look- Palo Alto Players Present BIG FISH

Palo Alto Players opens its 84th season with the West Coast premiere of the colorful and stirring musical, Big Fish (based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Motion Picture written by John August). With music & lyrics byAndrew Lippa and book by John August, this tender tribute to family and the magic of storytelling is a feast for the eyes, as well as the heart.

Check out the first production shots below!

Big Fish will play for 11 performances (September 12-28, 2014) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are on sale now by ordering online at www.paplayers.org or calling 650.329.0891.

Big Fish closed its original Broadway run on December 29, 2013. Just a few days later, Artistic Director Patrick Klein negotiated and acquired the performance rights. Palo Alto Players' production is the first to premiere on the West Coast.

"Big Fish is such a well-known title thanks to the whimsical film, but so many people - even most of our performers - had never seen it or even heard the musical! Once we learned it was an option for this season, we jumped at the opportunity to bring this brand new, beautiful Broadway gem to the Bay Area," said Klein, who is also the show's Director. "It really presents a unique opportunity for Palo Alto Players as a company, and for myself as a director. It's exciting to be able to branch out in an original direction in this way and let the collective imagination of our incredibly talented design team and cast run wild. After all, breaking the boundaries of imagination is a major theme in the show. It's been very rewarding to see everything come together. I can't wait to present it to an audience. People of all ages can expect to be transfixed and transported by what they'll see on stage!"

In this whimsical fantasy set in the heart of Dixie, the charismatic Edward Bloom tells his son, Will, stories about his life -- but these aren't just any old stories. They're mythic tales of impossible magic, complete with witches and giants. As Will prepares to become a father, Edward faces the final chapter in his life's story. Will sets off on an epic journey of his own to uncover the truth about his father, and generations collide as the lines blur between fact and fiction. A feast for the eyes, as well as the heart, Big Fish is a tender tribute to family and the magic of storytelling.

Managing Director Diana Lynn Wiley said, "Many people are familiar with Big Fish because of the wonderful Tim Burton movie, and this show encapsulates its best parts - it's an incredibly touching story about family set in a fantastic environment."

Big Fish shifts between multiple real and reimagined timelines: present day, where Edward Bloom is coming to terms with his own mortality, and flashbacks to Edward's life, as he ages from teenager to adult. But the way Edward tells his life's story, full of encounters with magical creatures, including a witch, a giant, and a mermaid, it's hard for his son, Will, to know where the truth is buried amid his father's stories - and which secrets his father never revealed.