Norbert Leo Butz needs a show that will let him take flight.  Ditto Bobby Steggert and Kate Baldwin.  Their talents, skill and commitment are worth the price times twice.  Big Fish, however, is not the vehicle for flying.  On the contrary, this book and music keeps these three very much chained to the ground.

This is the story of a father, Edward Bloom (Norbert Leo Butz) who pulls tall tales out of the air like a magician.  Why he does this and what he may be hiding is the question his son Will (Bobby Steggert) wants to know, especially since his father will be leaving the planet in pretty short order.  Sandra Bloom, (Kate Baldwin) wife and mother, loves them both just the way they are.  On the surface this is not a lot on which to hang a story, and dammit but if there is even less when you dig deeper.

The real story – the one that has movement and passion – is the story of Will who questions everything and wants a dad to just be present.  Edward was on the road as Will was growing up, and he never lost his wanderlust.  All he brought back to Will were stories of a witch, a giant, a werewolf, and a town that was too small to hold a Big Fish like him.  Although it was mighty entertaining to his father, these stories left Will feeling neglected and alone.  As he comes into his own life with a wife and baby due, he wants to find out the truth about Edward Bloom.

But in this production, all the fuss and fandango is given over to watching Edward’s stories take shape.  Each story has its own musical number complete with transforming costumes and video projections that make your head spin.  With each musical number Edward gets closer and closer to achieving hero status, but his son is never part of the picture.  And because that element is missing, there is nothing to keep us engaged.

Except for the fact that Butz is a master of his craft.  He is a one-man show all by himself, and to watch him sing and dance is a complete pleasure.  As well, Kate Baldwin’s singing has achieved a certain maturity that brings out the soul in her character.  Bobby Steggert’s voice is lyrical and transcendent which gives Will a depth that the book does not.

The rest of the cast is absolutely fantastic and the orchestration by Larry Hochman is noteworthy – giving prime time to strings and guitar that makes the music take on a romantic tone of great proportion.

As we arrive at the end of the story and Edward’s life, there is not a dry eye in the house, because this thin plot is wrapped in the tissue paper of personal heroism and the idea that being a Big Fish is only meaningful if you end your life surrounded by the friends you have made – with or without taking credit for your kindnesses.  In the end Will learns that his father was a Big Fish indeed and passes on that knowledge along with old and new stories to a new generation.

The performances and the intent – to create a show about being a person who matters to other people – may be enough to carry this show right through the holiday season.  There was what has become the obligatory standing ovation, because most folks don’t understand what they are doing, and because this show knows from heartstrings.  It tries.  It really tries.

I guess that is worth something.  But still, I hate settling for okay when it could have been great.

Big Fish

Book by John August; music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa; based on the novel “Big Fish” by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia Pictures film screenplay by Mr. August; directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman; music director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell; orchestrations by Larry Hochman; sets by Julian Crouch; costumes by William Ivey Long; lighting by Donald Holder; sound by Jon Weston; projections by Benjamin Pearcy for 59 Productions; wig and hair design by Paul Huntley; makeup design by Angelina Avallone; dance music arrangements by Sam Davis; music coordinator, Michael Keller; vocal arrangements and incidental music by Mr. Lippa; associate director, Jeff Whiting; associate choreographer, Chris Peterson; production manager, Aurora Productions; production supervisor, Joshua Halperin; company manager, David van Zyll de Jong; general manager, 101 Productions. Presented by Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen, Stage Entertainment USA, Roy Furman, Edward Walson, James L. Nederlander, Broadway Across America/Rich Entertainment Group and John Domo, in association with Parrothead Productions, Lucky Fish, Peter May/Jim Fantaci, Harvey Weinstein/Carole L. Haber, Dancing Elephant Productions, C J E&M, Ted Liebowitz, Ted Hartley, Clay Floren and Columbia Pictures. At the Neil Simon Theater, 250 West 52nd Street, Manhattan; (866) 870-2717, bigfishthemusical.com. Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes.

WITH: Norbert Leo Butz (Edward Bloom), Kate Baldwin (Sandra Bloom), Bobby Steggert (Will Bloom), Krystal Joy Brown (Josephine Bloom), Anthony Pierini and Zachary Unger (alternating Young Will), Ryan Andes (Karl), Ben Crawford (Don Price) and Brad Oscar (Amos Calloway).