Playwright: John Weidman ( book ) , David Shire ( music ) , Richard Maltby, Jr. ( lyrics )
At: Apple Tree Theatre
Phone: ( 847 ) 432-4335; $38
Runs through: January 9
Attempts to turn hit movies into hit Broadway musicals have yielded mixed results. La Cage aux Folles and The Producers scored, but Carrie and Eating Raoul tanked. Big, The Musical falls in between, and it's easy to see why. The story about Josh Baskin, the 13 year old who finds himself inhabiting an adult body, remains appealing and charming, but the musicalization is ordinary. The energetic, talented troupers at Apple Tree can't make it otherwise.
There are two difficulties. First, the songs are efficient rather than memorable. The music-and-lyrics team of Shire and Maltby presents little that's bright or hummable, and few numbers in their signature jazz idiom. 'Coffee, Black' in Act II is one but it's filler. Ditto, the witty 'My Secretary's in Love' in Act I.
The more serious problem is tone. When a non-musical film becomes a Broadway tuner, the story and characterizations are simplified to make room for songs and dances. In Big, The Musical a huge chunk of Act I is spent on the set-up during which the sketchy story and characters don't catch fire. They take off as big Josh enters the adult business world, only to be surrounded by despicable people including his romantic interest, a calculating climber we don't want anywhere near Josh ( although eventually she changes ) . With songs not good enough to fill the emotional blanks created by reducing the movie, the musical comes across as a cartoonish channeling of Damn Yankees and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Zach Ford, a talented young leading man I've admired in other productions, is an affable and appealing big Josh ( the Tom Hanks role ) with a strong voice. His love interest, Sloan Just as careerist Susan, makes an affecting transition from cold to sympathetic. Veteran Joel Hatch is reliably ebullient as toy mogul George MacMillan, but disappears without completion: does he choose Josh's toy idea? And does it save the company? Another solid veteran, Carol Kuykendall, has little to do either as Josh's mother or as a big Josh's secretary. As young Josh, Trace Hamilton plays pubescent angst as if from life. Zach Gray handles his best friend, Billy, with confident swagger and a strong, if not always accurate, singing voice.
Big, The Musical seems like a good match for Apple Tree, which has a heralded troupe of early-adolescent performers ( aged 11-14 ) showcased as the kids ensemble. They perform with honor and energy, as does the athletic ( as choreographed by Marla Lampert ) adult ensemble. Still, they can't prevent Big from being a rare musical disappointment from Apple Tree. Even the band, an unseen trio, sounds thin and canned against the miked performers. This time you're better off renting the original movie.