Notre Dame Preparatory in Scottsdale will be the first high school in Arizona history to present the musical “Big Fish“ Feb. 26-27 and March 4-5 in the school’s auditorium.
Three years ago, NDP drama teacher and the show’s director Bonnie Wilson received a text from a former drama assistant attending “Big Fish” on Broadway in New York City, saying, “We HAVE to do this show.” When the rights became available Wilson said she jumped on it.
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“Big Fish”
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 26-27 and March 4-5
2 p.m. Feb. 27 and March 5
Where: Notre Dame Preparatory in Scottsdale
Tickets: $10 adults and $5 students
NDP box office or at the door
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“Big Fish” is a musical based on a book. It moves back and forth between past and present and fantasy and reality.
Leading the journey is Hale Stewart, a NDP senior who won the 2015 Phoenix Branch of English-Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition. He plays lead character Edward Bloom as both a 60-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy. The role of Bloom’s disillusioned son, Will, is split among two actors who portray him as a young man and as a little boy.
“It’s all about family and the disconnect that often occurs between parents and children and their views of the world,” Wilson said. This show is “heartwarming for the entire family,” she added.
Speaking of Broadway, take a fun look at how school administrators promoted a recent alumni meetup in the Big Apple when James Gmelich, principal, traveled there.
