Big Fish (Chicago) Tickets

Stumbled upon this show when looking online at upcoming events for a brief early-April visit to Chicago. Decided to take a risk on the Pre-Broadway World Premiere Opening Night performance - and boy, did it have a great pay off! We absolutely loved every bit of this moving performance. We had a magnificent pre-theatre dining experience at Girl and the Goat, then strolled down Randolph St to the show at the Oriental Theatre. The theatre itself is a gem - a gloriously restored movie palace! Kate Baldwin and Norbert Leo Butz were outstanding in their roles as Sandra and Edward Bloom. The 22 person cast was spot on in this loving tale of a son trying to separate fact from fiction in learning who his father really is. It's so much fun to watch the tall tales come to life in this epic story. So difficult to tell truth from imagination. Memories of my southern granddad spinning his famous tale tales. A love story featuring a father and son. Do we ever really know who our parents really are outside of their role as our parent? This show is not to be missed. I have had a season subscription to Broadway Across America for 4 or 5 years now and this show rates among the best of the best!

I had high expectations for Big Fish and it did not disappoint. The music was fun, the laughs were cute and the story was charming and touching. The big star of Big Fish for me was the setting. The sets and costumes truly transformed the stage and made the tale that much more fantastical. Visual eye candy overload. I loved it.

LOVED it. The acting was top-notch, the singing incredible, and the things they were able to do with the sets blew my mind. It's an orginal story with a good message, and the whole thing was very well done. Highly recommended

Theatergoers interested in witnessing a train wreck of unimaginable proportions should get to the Oriental Theatre straightaway. This show is a total mess.

My husband and I enjoyed the production although we found the sound quality lacking a bit. People around us agreed. We couldn't understand much of the words in the songs. Another aspect to mention was that the theater was boiling hot. Others also complained of the same problem. Otherwise, we had a great time. The set, costumes, actors were fabulous!

Went with a friend and we both enjoyed the performance. We would recommend it. The costumes and sets were marvelous. The dance numbers were beautifully choreographed. We did not see the movie but thought that the story-line was sweet and something that we could relate to. The only downside was that there were no songs that really hit home with us. Sometimes when you go to a musical you walk out singing one of the songs...not in this case..

One of the most visually interesting and clever shows I've ever seen on stage. Great songs and very solid performances by the whole cast. The leads were excellent. Highly recommeneded!

There wasn't a lot I could complain about. I was so impressed with how well the script was not only written but performed. The music was touching and performed well. I explain it to my theater friends like this "not only were the sets amazing, but the costumes were fitingly picked out. The music was wonderfully written and also performed well. The dancing was cool and unexpected and to top it off the plot was amazing." I've loved the movie ever since it came out and the stage adaption was more then I could have asked for. I never cried at the end of the movie but there were definitely some tears at the end of the musical. Very well done.

I LOVE the movie, "Big Fish"! So I was more than excited to hear that a world premiere musical version was starting right here in Chicago! I bought my ticket right away. Well, right from the opening number, I was totally depressed and it went on like that for 3 hours! The songs all sounded the same and did not inspire me at all! The "son" character was whiny the entire play and the actor that played the Dad just seemed like he wanted us to laugh at him all the time. He was constantly playing it over the top! There was not ONE character that I cared about. Many people around me fell asleep and some even walked out! The play relies heavily on the beautiful set pieces and the constant images flashed onto the sets. The magic of the movie was totally lost in this play! Hopefully, as they tweak the show, it will work out the kinks and become a stronger, more impactful show. I was totally disappointed and let down by the show!

"This show fucking rocks!" The sets were a-mah-zing! The songs were great and they'll only get better as the mic quality improves so the audience can hear every word. Norbert Leo Butz was phenomenal and I really liked the other male lead although my friend found him to be unmemorable. I was less than impressed by Kate Baldwin though. I also wish there would have been more than just one song reprise so the songs could stick in your head a little more after you leave the theater. Go and see it for the innovative sets if nothing else!

We attended "Big Fish" at the Oriental Theater on April 3 - the show's second night of performance. Dinner at Petterino's one block down the street and parking on the same block ($25 with theater ticket). We were pleasantly surprised by the scenery, visual effects and costumes. This was an upbeat play with enjoyable storyline, music and choreography; and the surprises in the visual effects really added another dimension to the story. At the opening, the music was a little too loud with an annoying beat - you had to strain to hear the speaker on stage (I'm sure they will work this out). Lead actress had a very nice voice! We heard many attendees commenting as we left the production as to how much they all enjoyed the show. I kept thinking that, by the time they get to Broadway, it will be an even better show; and I was wondering what it will be like on Broadway. A totally enjoyable evening!

The show has no story line which make it difficult to follow and the acting was not good at all. This show would be better off targeting kids. But I have to give it credit for the stage designs since that was spectacular

This story is perfect for a musical. I thoroughly enjoyed the music, the lyrics, the choreography and the staging. The female lead has an incredible voice. I would have enjoyed a bit more dancing. The play is a bit long.

Heart-warming! The actors were amazing and the set was magical. A must see!

We attended the very first public performance of Big Fish on Tuesday the 2nd. It was an amazing experience. There were a few snafus. But, nothing major and we were warned about this ahead of time. Most of them my husband and I only noticed because we have theatre degrees. I don't think that a regular person would've known. The show is a great one. The music is catchy and memorable. The story is, of course, outstanding. The acting was superb. Norbert Leo Butz, the woman who played his wife (I can't recall her name) and the guy who played his son Will, in particular were fantastic. Since this was their first preview, I'd like to see the show again in a few months time to see what, if anything, has changed.

The sets were incredible and the lead roles had amazing voices.

We thoroughly enjoyed the show!  We were especially impressed by the staging, choreography, lighting and other theatrical magic.  Susan Strohman deserves her reputation.  The music and lyrics were good, but not great.  We felt that the orchestra overwhelmed the singers.  We remarked as much to the sound engineer during the intermission.  He explained that the director had instructed him that the music had to be 'big', but that he agreed with us and was going to make some modest adjustments.  Perhaps it was our imaginations, it seemed that the voices projected better in the second act. The entire production team and cast are well-experienced professionals and it shows.  Even at this early phase in the show's life, the performances were polished, the acting evoked the appropriate emotions, the scenes flowed easily one to the next, and the music and lyrics fit the story (I would certainly hope so!). Do you enjoy Broadway musicals? If so, you'll enjoy Big Fish.

Saw it opening night. It was really, really good. Great presentation of a difficult film to stage. Well done!

Big Fish has a believable story line that allows lots of great song and dance numbers.

This was the first preview and the audience was warned that things might go wrong, and the show might stop, but things progressed quite smoothly throughout the performance and if anything went wrong, it was not noticed by the audience. Norbert Leo Butz was everything I expected him to be (and my expectations were high - I fell in love with him on the Tony's when he did "Big, Big Stuff" from Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels!) Some really fantastic visuals, nice songs, imaginative choreography (to be expected from Susan Stroman) I thought the 2nd Act was tighter than the 1st which is unusual for a new show, but the 1st Act is good. The changes they made from the film version were good choices and worked well. I teared up at the end, so the emotional impact is certainly there. I'm sure there will be more changes made as always with a work in progress. But I think they've got a winner. We hope to get to see it in its final version in NYC.