Tony-nominated composer Andrew Lippa brings 'Big Fish' musical home to Columbus
Andrew Lippa would modestly deny it, but he’s something of a big fish.
He’s a composer, lyricist, singer, actor, conductor and producer, and unlike some resume-padding multihyphenates, he really does all those things.
His works have been performed on Broadway.
He conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — playing music he wrote — in front of a sellout crowd.
His songs have been sung by Renée Fleming, Vanessa Williams, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Nathan Lane, Brooke Shields and Mel B, to name a few.
He’s been nominated for a Tony Award.
And in a true test of mettle, he was a middle school music teacher.
There are more achievements than space to list everything 59-year-old Lippa has accomplished during what he calls “a life well-lived being creative.” It’s just as well that he doesn’t rest on past laurels because there’s plenty of present and future projects to keep this big fish swimming.
One of those endeavors is the aptly titled “Big Fish,” which ran on Broadway in 2013, has been performed in Columbus in the past and will make its way back this weekend. With music and lyrics by Lippa and book by John August, the musical will be staged by The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio at Studio One in the Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.
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With its shifting timelines, “Big Fish” follows the relationship between Edward Bloom, a 60-year-old traveling salesman, and his son, Will. In the present real world, Edward is facing his mortality while Will prepares for impending fatherhood.
In the storybook past, Edward ages from a teen and meets a witch, a giant, a mermaid — and Sandra, the love of his life. The stories converge as Will learns the secret his father never revealed.
The musical is based on Daniel Wallace's 1998 book, "Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions," and the 2003 film "Big Fish," written by August and directed by Tim Burton.
Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 29. Tickets are $65.38 including fees, available at thecontemporaryohio.org.
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Recommended for ages 8 and older, "Big Fish" contains frank discussions of death and brief violence. Theatrical haze and flashing lights may be used.
Lippa, who lives in Columbus when work isn’t taking him to LA, New York or London, spoke to The Dispatch about "Big Fish," his bucket list, "Tiger King" and other subjects.
Question: What is the process of writing music and lyrics for a show? Do you see a script first?
Andrew Lippa: I’m always involved from the ground up, from the idea. In 2003, I saw the film that Tim Burton made. A year later, I met one of the producers who asked, “Have you considered making it into a musical?” John August and I started talking about why and how we could make this a musical. We were not interested in just seeing a script and filling in the blanks — “a song goes here.” The process teaches me more about myself and therefore, I can learn more about the characters.
Q: “Little Lamb from Alabama” reminds me stylistically of Andrews Sisters-type singing, then you have songs in more of a pop style and songs that build and ebb, like “How it Ends.” How do you decide what style a song will be?
Lippa: Musicals are a long-form art form. Writing music and lyrics over time changes. I wrote songs that are no longer in the show. It’s important to explore, to spelunk a bit. John August and I discussed what kind of music we would play in the score. Like, Americana or country — how would it play in the score? It would not give us the opportunity to be as expansive with the character.
“Little Lamb” is a memory of the character (Sandra). I had tried other songs, then I wrote that song and it turned out to be the one that clicked and people enjoyed.
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Q: It’s one thing to write a story describing a character’s actions. How do you use music and lyrics to convey their emotions?
Lippa: Where I choose to (place) a song — and what music's function is — always comes at the high point of emotion for the character, the moment they're having right there in front of me. There's a heightened sensibility to seeing a musical.
In the case of "Big Fish," it's about a man who lives in a fantasy world and makes up stories that make no sense to his son. At the end of the show (in "How it Ends"), he sings, “I know I wasn’t perfect; I know my life was small/I know that I pretended that I knew it all.” The moment that Edward Bloom sings that is the most romantic — "capital R Romantic" — singing in the musical. Truth for this character is a mighty thing; it's a large expression, not a quiet one.
Q: "Big Fish" debuted in 2013 and is still being performed all around the world. To what do you attribute the show's longevity?
Lippa: I was just in Tokyo and saw a production of "Big Fish" by an all-female company. It was exceptional. I think the story has a universal quality to it. A father and son trying to understand each other. Every place I've ever been, parents and children are trying to make sense of each other. From specificity comes universality.
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Q: What was your reaction to hearing you’d been nominated for a Tony Award for “The Addams Family” musical?
Lippa: It’s a complex answer. On one side, it’s an absolutely wonderful thing that the community of artists and theater makers thought I did something that was worthy of that honor. There’s a lot of humility involved and a certain amount of joy.
At the same time, there are many artists and friends who may not have had the recognition that I’ve had. It taught me the value of creating for the sake of creating. I am grateful that “The Addams Family” is the most produced musical in the world. I never expected that.
Q: What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment?
Lippa: I’m not sure I’d ever describe it as such, but there’s a life well-lived in being creative. There’s a kind of creativity that only the performing arts and working with other people provides. I can write a song, but if no one sings it, it doesn’t exist. There’s deep joy in having a body of work that people know about. I’m grateful to be creative. My greatest achievement is that I get to work with the very best people.
Q: What are some of your favorite musicals?
Lippa: “West Side Story,” “A Chorus Line,” “Les Misérables,” “Sweeney Todd” … “Dreamgirls” and “Evita” were deeply influential. Many of these shows have in common that they’re mostly sang. I really respond to pieces that are wall-to-wall music.
Q: What's on your artistic bucket list?
Lippa: I am deeply desirous of writing an opera — and also terrified! That’s also a good idea of why to do it: If it scares me, I want to explore it and do it. Also, writing an epic concert work on the scale of (Leonard) Bernstein’s “Mass.”
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Q: Is it true you were obsessed with "Tiger King" during the pandemic and composed songs about it?
Lippa: We did a couple of songs, “Husband Number 2” and with Kristin Chenoweth, “Little Pieces.” She was locked in her house in New York, I was locked in our house here in Columbus. We did it all over the internet. It took our minds off what was going on in April 2020. We got very silly! They're available on YouTube!
Q: What are you working on now?
Lippa: Too numerous to mention! Here are a few:
A new film musical titled “A Totally Awesome Christmas Story.” It takes place in 1985 (and it is) about a group of teenagers caught in a shopping mall in a freak snowstorm on Christmas Eve. All the songs are heavily influenced by contemporary songs from the 1980s.
“The Turning Point” — I’ve written the book, music and lyrics for this stage adaptation of the famous film about women in the ballet world.
“Fairy Tale” — An original stage musical I’ve co-written with Adam Gopnik (of The New Yorker fame). We are developing the show with Nicholas Hytner in London in hopes of a production in 2026.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Composer Andrew Lippa discusses musical 'Big Fish' coming to Columbus
