The charming, critically acclaimed 1988 movie Big starring Tom Hanks was made into a Broadway musical in 1996, but failed to find an audience. Big the Musical was much revised for a national tour, and has since become a huge hit, with both critical and audience acclaim. As in the film, a fortune-telling machine grants 12-year-old Billy his wish to be a grownup, and he awakens the next day to find himself in a 30-year old body. Even though he finds his dream job as an inventor at a toy company, Billy yearns to return to his young adolescent form. The play’s director, Rozie Curtis, says: “We are thrilled to bring such a fun and exuberant musical to Miller Outdoor Theatre audiences. It is exciting and challenging to bring to life a show that’s filled with high-energy musical numbers, including the dance scene on the gigantic keyboard!” Big the Musical is presented by Theatre Under The Stars’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre.
11 a.m. June 11 to 13; 8:15 p.m. June 13 and 14. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive. For information, call 281-373-3386 or visit milleroutdoortheatre.com. Free.
June 11-13, 11 a.m.; June 13-14, 8:15 p.m., 2014
This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2014.