Activity #3: Singing Time

Listening to the entire soundtrack of "Big Fish" was definitely a valuable way for me to learn more about each specific song and its meaning. Also, at the same time that I was listening just for fun, I was actually learning and memorizing songs as I went along-always a hidden bonus! In general, I really enjoy the entire soundtrack. The songs are upbeat, fun, not too long, and really convey a lot of meaning and emotion- my favourite types of songs are the ones that you can really tell their intended meaning and purpose. I've actually been listening to this soundtrack a lot this summer- I was so excited to be a part of this musical because its soundtrack is so unique! One thing that I love is that the songs are just the right amount of time to convey a message, but not so long that they get boring and dull. I find that no matter which song I'm listening to, I'm always captivated by it for one reason or another!

Although it's hard to pick a favourite track, I think I'd say that "Time Stops" is my favourite. I think this is a favourite for a lot of people, because it's so powerful. It talks of when Edward spotted his future wife, Sandra, for the first time, and he felt as if time stopped and everything stood still, as he was so captivated by her and already so in love with her. I'm not sure if I believe in love at first sight, but Edward certainly did. It's kind of like that moment when you just know that everything about a person is right, and that you're meant to be with them- you don't have to justify your feelings to yourself or anyone else, everything is just meant to be, and falls into place perfectly. How I envision this number on stage isn't that complicated- in a lot of ways I really like how the scene has looked when I've watched it (high school versions and the broadway version), although they're all kind of the same. I think we should do something different just to change it up a bit. For example, every time I've watched this scene, it starts with the transition from "Little Lamb from Alabama", time freezes while Edward sings, and then it ends with Sandra going back to the same position that she started in, and time resumes normally. To be honest, I find that transition awkward and kind of funny actually, how time is literally at a standstill and then 3 seconds later it's normal again- I'm not sure if we could actually do anything about that considering it's just the progression of the soundtrack, but nevertheless how I envision this scene is to start, when Edward spots Sandra, him trying to get her attention. It doesn't seem right for him to just sit there, when he's clearly trying to pursue her. Next, when Sandra realizes that the boy who's staring is actually singing to her and paying attention to her, I imagine that she'd be quite taken aback, and surprised that this boy is paying attention to her. As the music builds in intensity, they'd grow closer and closer to each other until they're almost touching- when the song gets to "I'd live forever in this moment", they'd pull away but still be looking at each other intensely, and when Edward sing "If i could stop, stop time" he'd sing it with a hint of sadness in his voice, because he realizes that he could only have Sandra at that exact moment if he could stop time. I envision this scene to be dramatic and powerful, considering this is the first time Edward meets the girl he knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with. 

Likewise, it's difficult to pick my least favourite song off of the soundtrack because I appreciate them all for different reasons, but this time I'm going to have to go with "Two Men in My Life". I know that's probably an awful thing for me to say considering it's one of Sandra's songs, but it really just doesn't do much for me. Sandra sings "Two Men in my Life" to Will when he's in an argument with Edward. Sandra tells Will that she wants them to get along more than anything, and that she could never choose between the two of them. She talks about how although Edward isn't perfect, and that there aren't many men like him, he's hers and hers alone. My only real issue with this song was that I just found it difficult to find the emotion hidden within it, and to really feel like I understood where it was leading- to me it was hard to feel the build towards a climax. I think the meaning of it is sweet, but I just found that it lacked the energy that a lot of the other songs have. To make this song more engaging for the audience, I think Sandra should use hand gestures to help convey her message, and I think she should be a little more fierce than she usually is. She is very loving, calm, and compassionate, but sometimes she almost comes across as a little bit timid. If I were in her position, and trying to get across that specific message across to Will, I would probably sing it with a hint of attitude. Also, I think the dynamics in this specific song play an important role. It's louder when she sings about how Edward is all hers, but quieter in the end as the song comes to an end and she's gotten her point across. The dynamics make it more interesting for audience members to listen to, because they make them want to listen more intently to see what will happen next. I also think that it's important for Sandra to not be distracted when she sings this. When I was watching this musical, she was folding laundry and seemed almost distracted while singing it. In my opinion, she shouldn't be distracted, she should just be singing this directly to the audience so that they understand fully the message that she's trying to convey.

All in all, I think that the soundtrack for "Big Fish" is super catchy and will be very entertaining for the audience to listen to and watch. The songs aren't too hard to memorize, and I really like how some of them involve everyone singing at once/there is different parts and harmonies at the same time! I think that's really cool, and that the best way to capture the audience's attention is to see everyone being on stage and being involved in something together.

-Stephanie