The 2018 spring musical is a production titled “Big Fish,” and features a character named Edward Bloom and his son Will. Will is to be played by sophomore Bradley Dennis, and Edward Bloom by senior Josh McLean. Throughout the production, Will tries to differentiate between the stories his father told him as a child and the truth of the way he lived his life.

McLean said he is really excited to play Edward Bloom as a character. “Edward is a father who is constantly worried that he’s going to die without being remembered on earth, so he spends a lot of his time telling stories to try to entertain his son and to try to make himself look more important than he really is.”

The story opens on young Will with his father, listening to his stories. Will feels a sense of awe from the way his father seems to live through them. Later in the musical, there is a scene featuring an older version of Will about to get married. He tells his father not to mention any of his stories because in that particular moment Will believes those stories aren’t who his father really is, and thinks the truth needs to be revealed.

Band director Jared O’Donnell, who is also in charge of the musical pit, said he really enjoys the story and it’s a good tale that everyone will enjoy. To explain the musical in ten words, sophomore Erin Barrick said, “Imagination is wilder than most people believe. Be the hero.”

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Everyone’s going to want to do Alabama Stomp.

— Hana Holtz

Sophomore Hana Holtz, another member of the cast, said she’s excited about a specific piece of choreography. “I’m ready to learn the Alabama Stomp. I think it’s going to be difficult, but I think it’s going to be the new trend. Everyone’s going to want to do Alabama Stomp. I wanna do the Alabama Stomp.” Freshman Genevieve Martinez is also excited about the Alabama Stomp, even though she isn’t in that scene. “I play Josephine, which is Will’s pregnant wife. My character is super nice and everyone likes her for being there for Will.”

Martinez prepares for practices and performances by encouraging people to do well and giving out several pep talks, while O’Donnell said he just “tells people not to make mistakes.”

Throughout the musical, cast members have noticed many references to the words “Big Fish,” and few people know why it is so named. The movie that the musical comes from is based on a 1998 book by Daniel Wallace in which a character in the story, named Amos, said, “You were a big fish in a small pond, but this here is the ocean and you’re drownin’.”

Come out and watch the musical with all of its ups and downs on March 9, 10 and 11 in the Atlantic High School auditorium.