"Big, The Musical" tells a tale of 13-year-old boy smothered by his mother's love and nervous of girls, a story of adolescence and grown-up dreams that rang true for me and my friends from South Orange Middle School attending a performance this weekend.

My fellow classmate and trumpeter, Leah Strass leaned over and whispered:  "A picture is worth a thousand words, but a play tells so much more."

Columbia High School's production of "Big, The Musical" told everyone what it means to be a kid. The audience was captured by a delightful tale that told of a middle-school kid named Josh (played by Daniel Gerstein, a Maplewood Middle School student) who makes a wish on a Zoltar machine at a carnival ("robot" in machine played by Seth Wolin) to become his future self. As soon as this happens, his world is swept into pandemonium.

Grown-up Josh (played by Tyler Pease) finds himself on the street with only his best friend Billy (Nigel Finley) to help him. Pease's talents shone in the beautiful song, "I Want To Go Home."  When Josh ventures into a toy store, his inner child earns him a job at Macmillan Toys as a vice president. Mr. MacMillan (the company's boss, played by Quinn Lashinsky) gets Josh an apartment that is soon transformed into a "giant playroom with a bed."

One of the highlights is a duet by Lashinsky and Pease playing "Heart and Soul" on a giant keyboard in the toy store. Lashinsky's dance steps perfectly kept time with the notes.

Josh is introduced to the employees and an envious co-worker (Paul, played by the excellent actor Seth Wolin) seeks out to destroy Josh's reputation. His girlfriend Susan Lawrence (the multi-talented Phoebe Padget) then runs away from him and gets herself a relationship with Josh. With the great job and a girlfriend, Josh doesn't want to go back to his old life. At that point, the only hope for Josh is for him to learn what it really means to be "big" and to realize he has to go back to his mom (Ashley Seldon, who impressed the audience with her beautiful singing voice).

The Columbia High School teens seemed to be having fun playing kids, riding bikes and scooters across the stage, while other actors made realistic grown-ups and toy executives who have forgotten what it's like to have fun. The high school orchestra accompanying the performers were first rate.

CHS does a marvelous job producing this tale of life lessons and unexpected magic. "Big" has a cast of terrific actors, original and realistic costumes, and an admirable set. The final performance is 2 p.m. on Sunday (today!).

Holly Lehren is a seventh-grader who will perform in "Cinderella" at South Orange Middle School next weekend.