Making the Magic

When we perform, we will not only have to be ready, but so will the stage. When the stage is set up it has to look appealing for the audience, it has to interest them. As I said in my last post my favourite scene in the musical is at the very start when Edward sings to Will, sings during a bedtime story, telling him to take advantage of every opportunity. For this scene I imagine a bed in upstage center, I see a bookshelf on upstage right blocking the entrance from view. The door to the room would be down stage left and there would be a night table blocking upstage left's entrance from view. During the song "Be The Hero" you would have different characters in Edwards story entering from every entrance to the stage to show that it is a "story" and not "real." Though characters from the "story" come from every entrance to the stage, and character not in the story that are "real" would come through the bedrooms door on downstage left. The lights in the theatre would be directed at the bed for the majority of the song so the focus is there but once the characters of the "story" go on stage the lights would focus on them in front of the bed, and go back to the bed once there gone. The witch and Karl would come in upstage left and right and stand in the shadows to signify themselves in the "story."Some people of the chorus during the song would come in with blue sheets and and wave them around in dance till putting them on the ground at downstage to create a river for the Alabama stomp and take them back when leaving the stage. Some people would be below the stage with a cardboard fishes to have in the river for the fisherman to catch.  I feel this will work because it is a simple set design and doesn't take to much effort to do. The bed in the center puts emphasis on Will and Edward as the main focus and the lights will help. The bookshelf and night table will block sight of the entrances as to, not show the audience where we are coming from. The sheets are quick and easy to place and remove to make a quick and temporary river and having the door and other entrances will emphasis the "stories" fictionality, and fish will make something for the fisherman to catch. I feel this would be a cool set design and would be easy to make, and within our budget for the musical.

Seeing the Magic

Hi, I'm Tristan. I just watched the musical Big Fish for the first time, the show has such a strong lesson and has taught me that I can be and do anything I wish. In this musical Edward Bloom is shown to, in is younger days, go on many different adventures. Thought hear adventures are amazing, none of theme are my favourite part of the story. My favourite scene is when he tries to inspire his son. When Will was a kid Edward tried to show him to take hold of his own life," be the hero of his story." I find when Edward tries to inspire Will with his story, and with a song, at the beginning of the musical, it became my favourite part. I think Big Fish's moral as a story was to, well, "be the hero of your story", take advantage of life while you've got it. Don't let others tell you what to do and do what you want with life. I think this is important because if people don't take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way, they could live a long boring life with no excitement or not have a good life at all. I think understanding the story in Big Fish will help me understand my character's significance and see from their point of view. Knowing the story will help me become Karl and adopt his personality so that I can act and interact like Karl would.