'Big Fish' in a small space: Iconic show is Austin Playhouse's best musical ever

Few 21st century musicals are as sublime as “Big Fish.”

The story — fantastical and ageless — flows like a mighty river. The tunes catch the ear and creep inside the soul. The setting — which blends the real American South with a romanticized one — casts its own lasting spell.

So why did it fail on Broadway?

Perhaps because the populous cast and enormous physical scale of the original staging made it impossible to sustain as a business venture.

In response, the creators, including composer Andrew Lippa and librettist John August, put together a “12-chair” micro-musical version for small troupes with low budgets.

That’s what I urge you to see onstage at Austin Playhouse West Campus.

Distilling the alchemy of ‘Big Fish’

Director Lara Toner Haddock never forces the “Big Fish” action beyond the capacity of her newish space’s gently raised stage and intimate seating for about 100 guests.

The story, perhaps familiar to you from the Daniel Wallace book or the Tim Burton movie, tells of Edward, a smooth-talking traveling salesman, who tells his young son tall tales about his adventures in the world. When that son, Will, grows up, he contests his father’s yarns to the point of investigating whether Edward actually used them to cover up some unspeakable sins.

'Willie fits the award': Willie Nelson accepts LBJ Liberty and Justice for All Award

In Austin, the players appear on a series of short platforms. Haddock upsets this geometric simplicity with wooden slats set askew and draped fish nets. One of the advantages of a small blank stage: Even a small thing, like filling it with daffodils during the first-act finale, makes for a bewitching visual spectacle.

A tiny, half-onstage orchestra, led by Lynn Koenning, reduces the musical’s original rich orchestrations down to just the right match for the 12-member cast.

As Edward and Bill, veterans Andrew Cannata and Connor Barr act out the father-son conflict with abundant sensitivity and thrilling voices. Sarah Ziringue, as Sandra, wife to Edward and mother to Bill, performs the part with ethereal grace.

Brian Coughlin, Braden Tanner, Kia Zhani and Stephen Mercantel sprinkle in humor and spice as a bully, a giant, a witch and a werewolf. Among the quietest and most affecting performances was delivered by Amy Minor as the girl — then the grown woman — who pines for Edward.

During the past 30-plus years, Austin Playhouse and its forebears, the Live Oak and State theaters — all three companies sustained by generations of the Toner family — have produced dozens of musicals, along with comedies and dramas.

“Big Fish” is their best musical so far.

A "newish" Austin theatrical venue

The Toner family has made a name by transforming blank spaces into theaters and, in some cases, redoing existing performance spaces. The count of past Toner venues rises to as many as a dozen of them scattered around Austin. This one has the advantage of starting out as a former student union theater, one with a seating arrangement that already feels like previous Austin Playhouse spots.

After leaving its leased venue at ACC Highland, the group had produced some virtual work, then rented the State Theater and Trinity Playhouse for showcases and solo shows. It purchased land in North Austin for a permanent home, but the pandemic and sky-high building costs paused the project.

New Austin performing arts venue: A jewel box called the Rosette opens

“In typical years, we produce a full season of plays and the stability of a home base is necessary to support our activities,” Haddock says. “As we returned to live productions, it quickly became apparent that we were going to need a stable interim venue.”

Last year, Hans Venable, a company regular and a leader at University Baptist Church, introduced Haddock to the education building, originally built as a student union after World War II, behind the Spanish Colonial-style church.

“Originally, we were only going to lease the third-floor auditorium and some office space on the second floor, and then in the middle of negotiations, the rest of the second floor of the building became available, and it opened up the possibility for creating a full theater in the building,” Haddock says. “Additional second floor space, which had been leased by a sorority, now has our rehearsal hall/studio space, dressing rooms and storage. It also has a stairwell that is our backstage access. From a logistics standpoint, it makes the space so much more functional.”

Bonus: The theater comes with an elevator, lobby space and nearby restrooms. Parking is always a challenge in West Campus, but two big garages rise within a block’s walk of the theater.

A change in the wind for Austin arts

Ten years ago, the dominant storyline in cultural Austin was the loss of smaller venues — clubs, theaters, galleries — mostly due to the cost of real estate. Don’t ever bet against the creative classes. During the past few years, they have come back with venue after gemlike venue.

'A call to wake up': What to expect from Austin arts in 2023

While Playhouse leaders hope this is but an interim venue, let’s take some time to enjoy spaces with character like this one as well as superb shows like “Big Fish.”

How to see the show

"Big Fish" runs 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays, through July 2 — with a 2 pm. performance on the closing day — at Austin Playhouse West Campus, 405 W. 22nd St. Tickets start at $34-$38. Information at austinplayhouse.com/bigfish.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Playhouse scores big with scaled down 'Big Fish' musical