So, this season at the Players has been all musical adaptations of movies. I was all geared up to audition for the role of Igor in Young Frankenstein and I nearly nailed it...until they told me I was too tall. Too tall to hunch over. Okay. So, as a consolation prize I auditioned for Big Fish instead. I've been told on more than one occasion that I belong in a Tim Burton movie, and this seemed close enough. Figuring my height would be taken into consideration again, I didn't bother to audition for the role of the giant, or the werewolf figuring my age would be an issue as well. I read instead for Will as first choice, Don Price second, and Edward last as a longshot. Lo and behold, director Michael Newton-Brown offered me Karl the giant. It proved to be yet another in a consistent line of theatrical firsts for me as it would be my first time performing on stilts! And what a steep learning curve it was! From day one I was terrified of falling and breaking my neck. Instead, other people in the cast and crew found themselves being hospitalized and treated medically all around me! From smashed knees to heart issues, it was as if everybody else was taking the punishment on my behalf! By the time we opened, stilt-walking for me became equivalent to riding a bike. That's my Edward Bloom story, and I'm sticking to it.
Big Fish at the Players Centre for the Performing Arts: starring Michael Wogaman and Matt Tristan Martin, directed by Michael Newton-Brown with musical direction by Becky Heintz, choreography by Brian Finnerty, and featuring ME as Karl the giant. And if you're wondering why the entire song "Out There on the Road" does not occur in this video, blame KZfaq's copyright policies. Enjoy!
I created this video with the KZfaq Video Editor ( / editor )