Be the Hero of Your Own Story
Magical Musical Big Fish takes the Firestone Stage for Six Performances in March
Student Company Takes on Challenging Show Onstage and Off
(Friday, February 1, 2019 – Akron, OH) -- Firestone Theatre will teach you the Alabama Stomp as part of the popular musical Big Fish. Evening performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on March 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, 2019. A single matinee performance will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, 2019. General admission tickets are $10.00 in advance, and $12.00 at the door. A reserved seat is available for $15.00 and a premium VIP seat is $17.00ved, VIP seating. Tickets are available online now at FirestoneTheatre.com. Hard tickets will be available at the school between 11 and 1:00 p.m. starting Monday, February 25, 2019. Tickets will also be available at the door on the evening of performance.
Big Fish is based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest… and then some! Edward’s incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him – most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales. The book of Big Fish is John August. Music and lyrics are by the award-winning composer Andrew Lippa.
The cast of Big Fish is led by seniors Sarah Craven (Sandra Bloom), John Kraus (Will Bloom), and junior Jonathan Green (Edward Bloom) as well as seniors Elek Kitchen (Mayor), Presley Linn (Alabama Lamb), Mary Rohrer (Josephine Bloom) Serrin Scrutchings (Witch) and juniors Morgan Bedilion (Jenny Hill), Christian Douglas (Karl the Giant) and Oscar Laakso (Don Price). Other members of the cast include juniors Ariel Brinker, Bryton Ellis, Aliyah Evans, Onaniah Garrett, Jill Klika, Abigail Lyman, Thai Pay, and Jamir Thompson; sophomores Lauren Beeson, Ty’Shawn Coleman, Hannah Kear, Johnathan Lewis, Derrick Martin III, and Armani Ponder-Keith; and freshmen Ali Kirschbaum, Peter Kolodziei, Avery Linn, Jada-Lynn Pledger, and Max Smith
The orchestra is under the direction of Ms. Kacy Albright. It includes Olivia Roberts (keyboards), Josephine Basile (flutes), Alyssa St. John (flutes), Lydia Olin-Hitt (clarinets), Ashley White (clarinets), Tristan Dyer (saxophones), Kendrick Xongmixay (saxophones and bassoon), Nathan Trowbridge (trumpet) Rilend Geniec (trumpet), Katie Rowland (trumpet) Zach Strub (viola), Victoria Lorenzon (cello), Allison Darrah (bass), Clay Williams (guitar), Maddie Morrow (percussion), Richard Orr (drums), and Isaac Smith (drums).
Big Fish is under the direction of Mark A. Zimmerman. Mr. Chad Pittman serves as music director. Rachel McCann provides the choreography. Kacey Albright is the conductor and instrumental music director. Senior John Kraus is designing costumes under the guidance of Firestone alumnae Marisa Jones. Elynmarie Kazle serves as the production manager. Junior Grant Crawford and Zimmerman serve as the lighting designers. Junior Sarah Sterns is the sound designer. Dale Seeds serves as the scenic designer. James Welch serves as the technical director. Junior Parker Thompson serves as the stage manager. He is assisted by freshmen eMJay Ross and Lanese Lewis.
Firestone Theatre is the award-winning play-production component of the Akron School for the Arts housed at Firestone CLC. Firestone Theatre was named an “Outstanding School” by the Educational Theatre Association in 2013. The curricular track of Firestone Theatre is accessible to all rising ninth-grade students via open enrollment and a formal audition.