Play Suggestions: Big

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Big - The musical

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2593
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 6:18am
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Topic: Big - The musical

Posted By: trutter
Subject: Big - The musical
Date Posted: 8/22/07 at 11:51am

I was a big (no pun intended) fan of the movie Big when I was a youngster, and now MTI has a version for the community theater crowd.

Any experience with it? Anybody order a perusal? Anybody see it on Broadway? Reviews on amazon are mixed, so looking for the inside skinny on the hooey. (as Jack Scott would say)

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Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication

Replies:

Posted By: PWProducer
Date Posted: 8/22/07 at 12:52pm

We have pondered doing it, but each time we ultimately vote against it.

The music is quite catchy and not bad at all...(there is a soundtrack available). The script is okay, but not great either.

I think our issue with doing the show is that it would be a risk in that we just don't know how 'big' the audience would be. I could see it being a very popular show and I can also see it being one that tanks badly.

Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 8/23/07 at 10:40am

Our Children's Theater group did it a few years ago and it was popular enough. (I think) They also made the keyboard that lit up and have rented it out to other groups across the country. If you are interested you can call Central Wisconsin Children's Theater at (715) 842-4416. The executive director of the group also ended up directing the show so she would know all of the pit falls and ultimely the financial success of the show.

Posted By: Dough Boy
Date Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:39am

I saw a professional touring company do it a few years ago, and was extremely unimpressed by the script and music. I too am a "big" fan of the movie. The musical was a "big" disappointment.

Posted By: BeyondKen
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 2:48pm

I saw the touring show and it was great, although I prefer the full broadway version on the CD. I did read the perusal script, which was published in Broadway Magazine.

It's a big show with lots of solos and ensemble work for kids. I hope to direct it one day.

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Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 11/13/07 at 9:52am

I saw it on Broadway - never been involved in a production - I really really really didn't care for it.

In fact, "Big" and "Good Bye Girl" are my two least favorite sorta-contemporary musicals.

Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 11/19/07 at 5:57pm

Our children's theater did it---very lukewarm response from the audience. Lots of problems with the script and flow of the play. It seems whenever a play is adapted from the movie there are a lot of production problems. Too many set changes, no transition scenes to cover the set changes--and so on. It was a lot of work without a satisfiying payoff for the actors and the production staff.

Posted By: Melissa
Date Posted: 12/19/07 at 9:38am

I saw this last weekend because a friend's daughter was involved. I thought the script was choppy and the music was bland. There were some cute moments (and the cast did the best they could), but ultimately it fell flat. I wouldn't recommend it.