CdM High School only has one mainstage musical a year, so Studio 617 (the drama leadership council) needs to choose wisely. Hundreds of hours of hard work and dedication drain cast and crew members throughout the two months they have to set up the whole production. This year, however, was unusual; the leadership and Ms. Ybarra struggled to find the perfect show. They went back and forth between show ideas for months on end, even through winter break, which is super unusual as the show is usually decided the year prior in the last weeks before school ends. But in the end, Studio 617 chose the perfect show: Big Fish.

This show’s decision turned out to be so worth it, as it truly engaged audiences and cast members alike. As auditions and rehearsals began at the end of January, some members were a little wary of the timeline of the show since it had been delayed. “I was a little skeptical of the outcome back in January, but I was so emotionally invested at the end of the show, and it truly was amazing,” says Izzy Wang ‘27. Big Fish is an imaginative musical, larger than life that sweeps you under its spell and dumps you back into reality, leaving you with a tip of the tongue aftertaste that lingers long after you leave your seat. This is a profound theme that is universal among the cast, not directly acknowledged by anyone but deeply understood and adored. Thursday night was the first show, which went surprisingly well for an opening night, leaving both the audience and participants in the production proud and satisfied. Friday night also went well; it just had an unusually low attendance rate, but the cast still gave it their all. Saturday was a two-show day, which was definitely exhausting, especially with a lot of hiccups in the 2 pm show, but it got out the kinks for the 7 pm show, which was Cappies night! For those who don’t know, The OC Cappies: Critics and Awards Program is a program in Southern California where high school theater and journalism students train as critics to review, celebrate, and promote local high school theater productions. It is a very big deal as the Cappies is where CdM theater gets a lot of their first and second place awards, for all of Orange County. “It was such an amazing show, I was so proud of my friends, and it was so emotional, I truly enjoyed it even as an audience member.” Tomas Villaveces ‘27 comments. Overall, Big Fish was emotional and heartwarming and was a delight to see on our CdM stage this season. See everyone next year!