Review by Neal Newman
March 24, 2024
BIG was a smash hit at the Bristol Riverside Theatre this Sunday afternoon. The audience, primarily young parents with preteens, loved almost every minute. The only grey head in the balcony was mine. This is just what the future of our current theater needs.
BIG is the musical version of the beloved film of the same title. It tells the story of Josh, a 12-year-old who doesn’t fit in. He wishes he were a grown-up, and through magic, his body is transformed even though his mind and everything else are still 12. This being America, the kid is an immediate success. spectacularly becoming the vice president of a toy company. This allows the writers to deal with two basic themes: Be careful what you wish for, you might get it, and modern mankind is always searching for their lost inner child.
Director Ken Kaissar has a strong, confident hand as he controls the various elements. The set design is a wonder of small light boxes that dominate the experience. To me, it read “pinball machine,” while the 12-year-old behind me said “computer.” Oh, well, to each his own. The costumes by Linda B. Stockton were effectively ugly and reminded us that we all looked that way in the early 60’s. The settings by Christoper Swader & Juston Swader were amazing. Regional theater doesn’t have the advantage of Broadway with its all-computerized invisible scene changes. Book writer John Weidman faced a problem as his musical was based on the film script, which had many short scenes and locations. Bristol’s many sets looked great, including different bedrooms, a carnival, and an upscale toy store. And bravo to the stage crew who moved it all so professionally. The lighting was in sync with the computer game design, though I wish the mother’s song, “Stop Time,” had been given a tender stage picture. The musical direction of Douglass G. Lutz seemed terrific, though I had no idea where the orchestra was, while Ryk Lewis’s sound design was effectively loud and assaultive.
BIG depends on a powerful leading man, and they found him with Charles Osborne. He is totally convincing as a 12-year-old in a man’s body. I especially loved the moment when he discovered he had met the president of a toy company: “YOU OWN A TOY COMPANY!!” he screeched, jumping up and down. Perfect. Also memorable was Erika Strasburg as Susan, a conflicted modern career woman with an “affair” (???) with older Josh. Her singing and confusion were expertly done. The two preteen leads, Remi Tuckman as young Josh and especially Kalel Carrera as Billy, Josh’s young friend as Billy, Josh’s friend who stays with him throughout the show, were, deservedly, audience pleasers. Director Kaissar gave the chorus members unique characteristics, though Paul, Josh’s nemesis, was miscast. Stephen Casey’s choreography resembled a gym class, and the preteen chorus members enjoyed it.
BIG, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr, was never a good musical. It has been rewritten numerous times since its Broadway failure and has received mixed reviews wherever it has been performed. To me, the music and lyrics are remarkably unsurprising and will never replace the original film. However, there is one brilliant song, “Stop Time,” sung in the sadly underwritten role of Josh’s mother. Jackie Washam, who was always excellent at Bristol, gave a superb rendering. The audience, however, responded with limited applause and seemed happy to be back to the noise and flash of the rest of the show.
BIG’s themes made the film an adult picture, but if you have preteens, get your whole family to Bristol Riverside. It’s selling out.
RUNNING TIME: Two hours and thirty minutes with one intermission.
BIG runs through April 14 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. Tickets can be obtained at brtstage.org or by calling 215-785-0100.