ELGIN — A larger-than-life spectacle and a heartfelt story come together in the musical “Big Fish,” opening this week at the Elgin Opera House.

“Big Fish” tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who weaves exaggerated tales of his life and experiences. Edward’s son, Will, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s larger-than-life stories, and the result is a play overflowing with heart, humor and emotion.

Trevor Winder, who plays Edward, is a mainstay in Opera House productions and said “Big Fish” is the show that made him fall in love with theater.

“This show, it made me feel,” he said. “There are shows that are great fun, good dancing, but this show in particular tells just a beautiful story that is so honest and so full of heart.”

Bringing the emotional story to life has been rewarding and challenging for the actors, including Winder.

“It’s been tough. It’s opened a lot of emotion in me that I knew was there but I didn’t quite unlock before,” he said. “This is a tough one, but, also, I get to do it with some of my best friends, I get to do it with my wife, which is awesome.”

Winder and his wife — Aubrey Slaughter, who plays Edward’s wife, Sandra — both have the same favorite scene — the daffodil scene.

“It’s the part where Edward proposes to Sandra, and there’s this big movement where he professes his love to her. It’s so easy to just get pulled into it because it’s emotionally beautiful and physically beautiful and visually beautiful,” Slaughter said.

Slaughter said Sandra is one of the hardest roles she has ever done. The actors portray characters at different ages and maturity levels with varied emotional impacts.

“I think this show does such a great job of balancing the sad with the happy and the funny. It’s silly, and you’re meeting all these mythical characters like the witch and the giant, but you’re also meeting real characters and real situations in a mystical way,” she said.

Gary Bottger plays Carl the Giant.

“Carl is a little agoraphobic and kind of shy. He’s never fit in, he’s kind of a lonely guy just trying to be left alone. Edward comes along and instills confidence in him and turns him loose on the world and Carl ends up doing great things,” Bottger said.

To become a giant, Bottger is acting on drywall stilts. He learned and has practiced walking on stilts for his performance in “Big Fish.”

“The first couple trips out were dicey, but now they’re getting very comfortable,” he said.

Even though Bottger’s character has a mystical, whimsical element, he is also touched by the emotion of “Big Fish.”

“I get choked up every time we get to one of the scenes near the end. We keep practicing through it because a lot of us do. It’s very touching,” he said. “This is probably not a story that a lot of people have seen or heard of, but it’s a really touching story. It brings up a lot of emotion in the cast. It deals with a father and son and how they view each other. The son’s a realist, the father’s a storyteller, but they come back around together at the end.”

Shahayla Ononaiye, who plays the witch, agrees.

“I love the story of a son trying to connect with his father, even though they don’t have anything in common,” she said. “They learn they have more in common than they think, and that’s my favorite part of the story.”

In its large and colorful way, “Big Fish” also covers heavy topics, including cancer and loss.

Bringing “Big Fish” to life will also mean a few larger-than-life surprises and special effects.

“People need to know that Terry Hale is a gem. That man has so much vision and so much knowledge in what looks good,” Bottger said. “It’s opera house magic. I am in awe every time I sit in the audience at a show and every time I am in a show.”

Director Terry Hale said audiences will miss out if they miss the performance.

“This is a special show that people really need to come and see,” he said.

“Big Fish” opens April 5 at the Elgin Opera House and runs Fridays and Saturdays through April 27 (except April 12-13). Tickets are available at elginoperahouse.com.

‘Big Fish’

‘Big Fish’

Elgin Opera House opens “Big Fish” on April 5. The musical is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and film directed by Tim Burton. For tickets, visit elginoperahouse.com.

Showtimes:

April 5: 7:30 p.m.

April 6: 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

April 19: 7:30 p.m.

April 20: 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

April 26: 7:30 p.m.

April 27: 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.