‘Big’ wins its audience over with a certain boyish charm

“Big: The Musical” has a somewhat dotty history. The show was greeted with a rather muted response during a sixmonth run on Broadway in 1996. It was reworked for a national tour and eventually gained a reputation as a crowdpleaser at regional theaters.

Judging from the buoyant production at Theater Works, the show definitely can make an audience smile. “Big” may not blow your socks off, but it’s undeniably charming. The score is tuneful, the book witty and the cast thoroughly appealing. It aims to be fun and succeeds at almost every turn.

Adapted from the 1988 Tom Hanks film “Big,” the musical focuses on Josh, a typical 12year-old boy who longs for more independence. One night at a carnival, standing at a fortune-telling machine named Zoltar (a marvelously eerie bit of puppetry), he makes a wish to grow up. The next day, Josh awakens to find that, physically, anyway, he’s a grown man.

With best pal Billy providing him with clothes from his dad’s closet, Josh dresses like an adult. And thanks to his natural timing and creates a nuanced portrait of a real boy. “It’s Time” features a hip-hop rhythm (“Nothing’s worse than a little White boy from Jersey talkin’ rap”) which Tuchi turns into a showstopper. Elsewhere, when Billy leaves Josh alone on his first night as a man, the contrast between the voices of Clark and Tuchi on “You’re a Big Boy Now” is haunting.

That’s not to neglect the other cast members, who include talented Aaron Zweiback as young Josh and suave Matthew Zimmerer, playing Josh’s fun-loving boss.

At times, the show has echoes of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” At others, it brings to mind “Damn Yankees,” particularly in the moments in which Josh’s mom (Maria Amorocho) longs for her missing son. Her solo number, “Stop, Time,” about how quickly children grow, is one of those lovely songs that draws cabaret singers. It also serves to remind how underrated the score by David Shire and Richard Maltby is.