It was a big day to begin with. It was Super Bowl Sunday, so only the most devoted theater buffs, (along with family & friends of the talented young cast), were on hand to enjoy the matinee performance of the Stage Right Production of “BIG” the Musical at Conroe’s elegant Crighton Theatre.
But not to worry,  everyone would have the chance to scurry home before the evening  kickoff of the big game.
Meanwhile, an enormous cast of enthusiastic, energetic and gifted youngsters would combine forces to recreate the world and adventures of  young Josh Baskin (Larkin Heitzman), the young boy that was so memorably portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1988 film version upon which this musical is based. This original 1996 Broadway edition, with music by David Shire and Lyrics by Richard Maltby, was directed by Mike Ockrent.
And speaking of directors, this huge Stage Right production was amazingly coordinated by Adam Isbell as he and his impressive creative team navigated the myriad complexities of organizing and training a cast including 20 actors, as well as some two dozen singers. Those fine vocalists comprised both adult and teen Ensembles. Much credit goes to Music Director, Meredith Fisk, while the smooth movement for dance sequences and large crowd scenes highlight the skills of Choreographer, Jodie Schrier.
The far-fetched but fun-filled plot opens on a beautiful multi-level set (designers Keath Krueger, Bill Shafer & Jeff Wilkins), depicting the suburban New Jersey neighborhood where Josh lives. Large numbers of eager neighborhood kids are playing on the street as they come romping right through the audience singing the opening number, “Can’t Wait.” There’s a bike rider and even one skateboarding lad zipping down the theater aisle and popping right up onto the stage!
On one side of this street is a cutaway view of Josh’s upstairs bedroom with the kitchen below. On the other side is the same view inside the home of his best friend, Billy (Austin Krueger), whose house is so nearby that the boys can communicate from their bedrooms using their walkie-talkies. In the role of Josh’s mom, Shananda Poulos lends her sweet voice to the song, “Say Good Morning to Mom,” while Billy’s mom is nicely played by Robin Rickwalt.
Soon the two boys are off to enjoy the local carnival (beautifully staged, Ferris wheel and all, under the fine nighttime lighting designs of Keegan Pepper and Mr. Isbell). Billy encourages shy Josh to “make his move” there, by starting a conversation with the pretty girl he has a crush on. Josh is soon disappointed when the girl’s sixteen year-old boyfriend shows up, and he’s further let down when then told he is too short to go on the thrilling carnival ride he wants to try.  Depressed, he wanders off to an arcade area where he comes upon the mysterious mechanical fortune teller, Zoltar. Inserting a coin, he gets the message that he should “Make a wish.” When he responds with the words, “I want to be big,” a card pops out of the machine that reads, “Your wish has been granted!” Thus begins his fantastic journey when the adult Josh (Trevor Hall) awakens the next morning to discover he suddenly inhabits the body of a grown man. He runs from the house when his horrified mother mistakes her suddenly grown-up son for an intruder. With difficulty he convinces the mystified Billy that he is really Josh as they sing the ironic, “You’re A Big Boy Now.” But before long Josh would be missing his family as he sings the melancholy, “I Want to Go Home.”
Hoping to find another Zoltar machine that can wish him back to boyhood, the chums head into Manhattan where Josh eventually finds himself browsing the games and toy machines at the famous FAO Schwarz toy store. There he encounters George MacMillian, (Jonathan Dutweller) owner of a major toy manufacturing company, who is scouting ideas for his firm’s Christmas toy blockbuster. George is fascinated with Josh’s innate sense of which toys are the most real fun. The two try out a flat floor piano played by dancing across the keys as they gracefully tap out, “Heart and Soul,” in the scene perhaps best remembered in the film.
The pair hit it off so well that George persuades Josh to accept an important management position at his company. That selection infuriates jealous Paul Seymour, another executive at the firm, who has been courting his pretty colleague, Susan (our aforementioned music director, the velvet-voiced Miss Fisk). As romantic sparks begin to fly between Josh and Susan she sings the tender, “Let’s Not Move Too Fast,” and they duet for the playful, “Do You Want to Play Games?” There are several big, splashy ensemble numbers at the company that show off more jazzy choreography, along with the many splendid costume designs of  Janis Coleman and Sarah Krueger.
The one production flaw that troubled me was the need for greater balance between the often fine singing of the cast and the much-too-loud and ever-present music of the professional soundtrack used. But overall, the show seemed like a delightful slice of the best of America, young and old, black, white and brown, and a remarkable sense of caring people working very hard to do something very special for this community. To learn the delightful ultimate outcomes of the complex plot, why not consider buying a ticket to join in the fun?
BIG the Musical continues through Feb. 23 at Crighton Theatre, 234 N. Main St., Conroe, Texas 77301. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and  Sundays at 2:00 pm. For tickets ($20-$30) and information visit the website at crightontheatre.org or call 936-441-7469. Â
* For a special Crighton Theatre treat, check out this short documentary by longtime Crighton supporter, Melody Montez:         https://youtu.be/H9QU3scodu0.
A member of both The Lambs Club Inc. and The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA), the columns of DAVID DOW BENTLEY III have appeared on Broadway websites, in newspapers from the East Coast to the Gulf Coast, and may be viewed online at the website: www.ThePeoplesCritic.com . E-mail may be directed to ThePeoplesCritic3@gmail.com.
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