This Musical Is Underwater!

By C.J. Hirschfield

Twenty-five years ago, a sparkly but selfish fish made its debut in the world of children’s books, and soon captured the hearts of countless kids all around the world.

Rainbow Fish is inordinately proud of his multicolored scales, to the point of putting off all of the fish who would otherwise be his friends. A starfish and a mysterious octopus help him understand that only by sharing the beauty of his scales will he be rewarded with good friends.

Now that story, originally written in German by Marcus Pfister and later translated into English by J. Alison James – has been transformed into a shimmering, song-filled live entertainment. And the only place you can see it right now is at Children’s Fairyland, in our Aesop’s Playhouse.

Neal Pascua as Rainbow Fish.

“The Rainbow Fish Musical,” which opened on June 30 and continues on weekends through Aug. 6, is a co-production of Fairyland and Bay Area Children’s Theatre, with book, music and lyrics by the Bay Area’s own Austin Zumbro. The crowds – and especially the kids – are loving it.

Thanks to the significant talents of Austin Zumbro, the book beautifully transforms into a musical. Zumbro, in addition to being a really nice guy, is a Theatre Bay Area Award–winning playwright and composer of “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, the Musical,” which played at Fairyland last year. Zumbro also wrote “The Day the Crayons Quit,” a Fairyland hit in 2015.

In our current production, Rainbow Fish is advised by Starfish, his only friend, to visit the mysterious Octopus for advice. Octopus tells him that he must share the beauty of his scales with his friends. (Spoiler alert: Every kid in the audience is given a shiny scale to wear and take home.)

The Octopus (Angel Adedokun) and ensemble. The spectacular costumes are by Eva Herndon.

Zumbro has given the undersea cast many excellent musical numbers, and there are plenty of laughs along the journey. Director Hannah Dworkin keeps the energy high enough to engage even the youngest theatergoer. And the costumes, especially that of the octopus, are glorious.

Pfister’s book was a hit partly because of the eye-catching iridescent foil stamping on the book’s cover. Although the process doubled the cost of producing the book, the Swiss author (who was also a graphic designer) agreed to dramatically lower his royalty fee, so strongly did he believe in showcasing the beauty of the fish’s scales.

But there was another reason for the book’s success: its “sharing” message resonated around the world. The text has been translated into 50 languages, and the book has sold 30 million copies.

Starfish (Alicia Piemme Nelson)

The message is still relevant – maybe even more than ever. By the way, guess what Marcus Pfister’s second “Rainbow Fish” book was about? “Rainbow Fish to the Rescue” deals with accepting and integrating foreigners. Wow – out of the mouths of children’s authors!

Tickets to “The Rainbow Fish Musical” include all-day admission to Fairyland, and Fairyland members enjoy a discount on the ticket price. The show moves to the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco on Aug. 6 for a three-week run.

And just because I can, here’s the title of “Rainbow Fish” in German: “Der Regenbogenfisch.” You’re welcome.

_

C.J. Hirschfield has served for 15 years as executive director of Children’s Fairyland, where she is charged with the overall operation of the nation’s first storybook theme park.