Tim Burton’s ‘Big Fish’ Coming To Broadway
Father issues and buckets of tears are soon coming to a Big Apple stage. Producers just announced thatBig Fish, best known for its 2003 film adaptation directed by Tim Burton, will be turned into a Broadway musical with a book byJohn August, music and lyrics byAndrew Lippaand directorSusan Stroman. August wrote the screenplay for the Burton film based on the original novel byDaniel Wallace, Lippa did the music forThe Addams Familymusical and Stroman directed the most recent film version of Mel Brooks’The Producers. ProducersDan JinksandBruce Cohen, Oscar winners forAmerican Beauty, hope to open the show on Broadway in the Spring of 2012.
The New York Timeswere among the first to report the story along with the following statements from the producer. Here’s Dan Jinks:
And here’s Bruce Cohen:
We are ecstatic to be working with this generation’s pre-eminent director/choreographer, launchingBig Fishon the eve of her double Tony nominations forThe Scottsboro Boys. Susan Stroman has the artistic vision and talent to bring this tale of reconciliation between a father and son to the stage.
The story ofBig Fishis ripe for a musical adaptation. It’s about a man named Edward Bloom who all his life told incredibly vivid, imaginative, and fantastic stories about his life. Stories that his son, Will, never believed. Now that Edward is dying, Will goes back through his father’s past to figure out who he really was. In the film, Edward was played by both Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney while Will was played by Billy Crudup.
There’s so much that can be done with this story both visually and emotionally, plus the fact that August wrote the show with a whole new medium in mind is certainly promising. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
