Belle Vernon Area High School to present ‘Big Fish’

By Kaylie Moore
kmoore@yourmvi.com
Audiences will travel through time this weekend, as Belle Vernon Area High School presents its annual spring musical, “Big Fish.”
A contemporary Broadway musical, “Big Fish” is based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel and the 2003 Tim Burton-directed film, both of the same name.
Longtime director Michael Rozell will once again lead the production, which he said is “unlike any other that I’ve ever done at the high school.”
“My students were a little surprised when I announced the show because they didn’t know it, but they quickly fell in love with it,” Rozell said. “There are obviously some differences between the movie and our show, because it’s a live production, but the story is still the same.”
With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by John August, “Big Fish” tells the story of traveling salesman Edward Bloom and his adult son, Will, who has always been skeptical of his father’s tall tales.
“Will feels that he doesn’t really know his father because all he heard his whole life were these stories he thinks are made up,” Rozell said. “For instance, he said the first girl he ever kissed was a mermaid; his best friend was a giant; and he met a witch in the woods who showed him how he died.”
The show jumps back and forth between the past and present, as Will goes on a journey to discover who his father really is.
“Will gets to watch these stories play out, so the audience will get to meet the mermaid, the giant, the witch and many others,” Rozell said. “So we get a better sense of who his father is, but it’s also a love story, because of Edward’s love for his wife, Sandra.”
This year’s production stars Gabriel Reed as Edward Bloom; Thomas Huffman as Will Bloom; Baylee Martin as Sandra Bloom; and Corrine Manderino as Josephine Bloom.
“Our first rehearsal was a sing-through with our principal actors and, after every song, the kids would say, ‘Oh, I think that’s my favorite song,’” Rozell said.
Supporting cast members include Anderson Stairs as young Will; Dimitri Apodiakos as Don Price; David Grace as Zacky Price; Emma Bellissimo as the witch; Brandon Tielsch as Karl; Nathan Coltura as Amos Calloway; Avery Ochs as the girl in the water and a dance captain; Gianna Lorenzo as Jenny Hill; Josh Lang as Dr. Bennett; Talon Slebodnik as the mayor; Anthony Stone as the fisherman; Levi Gouker as Will and Josephine’s son; and Sarah Juba as a dance captain.
The ensemble includes Stevie Anderson, Caleb Beichner, John Bellissimo, Anthony Billy, Elizabeth Breckenridge, Emily Callaway, Alexis Coleman, Austin Collarusso, Mia DiCianna, Logan Dimpel, Garret Fedor, Robert Fornataro, Gavin Fragello, Kaden Gray, Matthew Harris, Makenzie Heckel, Raelyn Horne, Joelle Kennedy, Kaelynn Kopanic, Sage Kostelac, Andrew Kurta, Gianna Laurita, Sienna Lehner, Kalin Lezama, Arissa Lowry, Ethan Luker, Sarah McCloskey, Meg Miller, Rebecca Necciai, Alexis Olup, LeeAnn Pawlak, Alaina Petrosky, Macguire Povlish, Maclaine Povlish, Anthony Reno, Summer Robinson, Chloe Sabolek, Sidney Salka, Eryn Scholl, Korey Sheehan, Madison Shrimp, Benjamin Spencer, Krysta Steedle, Ivy Rose Strother-Burkhart, Klaie Temoshenka, Kristen Tetil, Cameron Tilson, Hannah Wagner, Holly Weightman, Kyla Williams, Stephanie Woosley, Gina Zavalydriga, Jessica Zdrojewski, Julia Zdrojewski and Shannon Zelinsky.
“These kids have all been working incredibly hard, which has actually made my job a little bit easier, because they’ve been so well prepared,” Rozell said. “My cast works so well together and they’re always completely supportive of one another.”
The show also boasts an extensive production staff, which Rozell said has “changed very little” over the years.
“They’re all there to give these students an amazing experience,” he said. “I could never do this all by myself.”
In addition to directing, Rozell also serves as producer and music director, while Mark Surovchak serves as pit orchestra conductor/director and Joyce McDonough-Grace is the art director in charge of set design.
Other production members include Suzie Zalar, choreographer; Edward Bittner, technical director and set construction; Kristy Ochs, vocal coach; Julie Gouker, staging assistant/house manager; Joyce Cunningham, costume coordinator; Dana Clay, set construction; Matt Krajzel, set construction; Andrew Fecik, set construction and production assistant; Mason Marchetti, set construction; John Light, lighting; Good Sound Studio, sound design; Gavin Maxson, light board operator; Stefanie McCulloch, props master; Ryan Gray, props assistant; production assistants Ann Frazier, Corrine Manderino, Katey Sheehan and Pauline Keefer; spot lights/assistants Kevin Baeza, Isaiah Lezama and Jason Hall; and website administrator/photographer, David Grace.
Orchestra members include, on reeds, Ashley Baldwin, Jaiden Duranti, Joey Federer, Caleb Fine, Bobbi Ann Glasser, Adreana Scaramucci, Enrique Soto, Lisa Thackrah and Keith Young; violinists, Jennifer Faure and Madi Faure; on drum set, Michael Ebbitt; bass guitarist, George Elliott; guitarists, Dave Minda and Jay Weaver; percussionists, Adrianna Emerick, Ben Filak and John Mehalek; keyboardist, Ava Zenobi and Lisa Zubritsky; on French horn, Liz Thompson; on cello, Becky Zieglier-Koch; on viola, Sam Burns; and trumpets, Bryce Haynes, Annette Russell and Jayden Serenari.
“Big Fish” is a very colorful show and, Rozell said, one of its “standout” songs is “Daffodils,” which is the final song of Act I.
“Much of the first act shows everything Edward did to finally meet the woman he fell in love with,” he said. “She loves daffodils, so we literally fill the entire stage with daffodils.”
Rozell said he’s excited to see the audience’s reaction to the show’s “cyclical” ending, in contrast to last year’s production.
“Everybody knows ‘Mary Poppins,’ so I already knew what the response was going to be last year, but they don’t know this show,” he said. “When it’s over, I hope the audience smiles, laughs, cries and feels hopeful.
“I hope they take away the importance of relationships in their lives and learn not to take anything for granted.”
Most of all, Rozell said, he hopes the audience appreciates the “team effort” that goes into bringing a high school musical to life.
“We live and breathe these shows,” Rozell said. “We are a family and we want to share that with everyone.”
“Big Fish” runs Thursday through Sunday in the high school auditorium at 425 Crest Ave. in Rostraver Township. Sunday’s show will be a 2:30 p.m. matinee, while all other performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for students. They can be purchased at the box office or at www.bvabroadway.com.
For more information, call 724-808-2500, ext. 2173.