There’s probably not a child alive who hasn’t at one time or another looked at their father, in the midst of telling a story, and moaned, "Ohhhh Dad," in exasperated disbelief. 

That "Ohhhh Dad" is the center of the story in the spectacular and moving First Stage production of "Big Fish" that opened over the weekend.

The story, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the movie by Tim Burton, tells the tale of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman from Alabama who specializes in the telling of tales that entertain, bedevil and create a world centered on this wily, well-meaning father.

"Father" is the critical part of this story as Bloom – an agile, warm and wonderful Jonathan Gillard Daly – raises question after question in the mind of his son Will, played by an earnest Nate Lewellyn.

This show could have been nothing more than a display of excess with huge musical numbers and technological marvels, creating a bedroom, a swamp, a forest, a river complete with a mermaid, a reservoir, a heavy storm a hospital room and a dazzling field of daffodils. Kudos to scenic designer Brandon Kirkham and lighting designer Jason Fassl for one of the most elegant and sensational on-stage atmospheres you will see anywhere.

But the utter humanity of these actors and this warm and fuzzy story make the technology just a backup to a great story.

This is an old fashioned musical with marvelous direction and choreography by Jeff Whiting and music direction by Jeff Schaetzke. There are big song and dance numbers with a full cast of adults and children (I saw the Bloom Class on Sunday) and there are quiet and gentle numbers that touch you.

Bloom has charm coming out of every pore, and folks love to listen as he spins one tale after another – from learning to swim from a mermaid to joining the circus while still a young man to meeting a real witch. But Will is not enthralled and has great difficulty figuring out where fantasy ends and truth begins.

Will isn’t even close to the truth of his father as the romance of Bloom’s stories capture hearts far and wide, including Will’s new wife. But there is tension between the two men, and Will doesn’t give a thought to the advice from his father. Bloom sings to his son:

"Be the Hero of your story if you can.
Be the champion in the fight, not just the man.
On a wing or on a prayer you get there only with your voice.
With a story in your heart you won't need any other choice.
You're a hero, fighting dragons, winning wars.
Be the hero and the world will soon be yours!"

Daly is as good and magnetic as I’ve ever seen him. He is everything from a teenage boy falling in love for the first time to an old man, laying in a hospital bed dying from cancer. It’s a performance of Herculean depth and sensitivity.

This play really kicks into high gear when Daly and Niffer Clarke – one of my absolute favorites – meet for the first time and hesitantly sing the lovely duet "Time Stops." Anybody who has ever fallen head over heels in love can remember how time does indeed stop as love begins to flower.

And the tears start flowing when Clarke cradles her dying husband’s head in her lap, and she sings the haunting "I Don’t Need a Roof."

"Close your eyes, I'm still beside you.
No goodbyes needed today
Hear what the rain says,
Know what it knows
After the rain something grows"

First Stage has a deserved reputation as the finest children’s theater in the nation. Under Rob Goodman, Jeff Frank and John Maclay this company is the model for every children’s company to follow.

The motto of First Stage is "Changing Lives Through Theater," and "Big Fish" is a classic example of all that they can do. This is a play for everyone who loves live theater, children, and us adults who have the romantic child still alive in all of us.

"Big Fish" runs through May 31 and information on showtimes and tickets can be found here.