Next to Normal

     So this past Monday, I had the opportunity to see another show that I'd really been wanting to see, Next to Normal.  It was, to say the least, quite the contrast to Shrek.  But in my opinion, if you're planning a trip to NYC, this is another must see!

     It's hard to describe the show without spoiling some of the plot but, I'll give it a try.  Diana Goodman (Alice Ripley) is plagued with bipolar disorder and hallucinations that have been occurring for 16 years.  The show involves her numerous trips to her doctors to find a way to get rid of the visions and treat her bipolar, even going so far as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).  Her family does their best to cope with her mood swings but, it does take a toll.  That's the best I can do with a synopsis without giving too much away.  Trust me, the show is great!

     The score for the show is by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey who have written a rock score that ebbs and flows with Diana's moods.  I think the music does a great job expressing the feelings of all of the family members throughout the events of the show and, deservedly, won the Tony Award for Best Score.  Mark Wendland and Kevin Adams designed the set and lights, respectively.  Both were nominated for Tonys.  I really liked the tri-level set and the use of lighting throughout.  The lights, especially, were used to great effect.

    Overall, the cast was excellent!  We didn't get to see the entire original cast because J. Robert Spencer, who normally plays Diana's husband Dan, was out for the evening.  Instead, we saw Michael Berry who was a bit disappointing.  I'm not sure if it's the character or the actor but, he just kind of came across as a bit blah.  It would have been interesting to see if there were a different dynamic and chemistry with the cast if Spencer had been on.

     Jennifer Damiano plays the Goodman's "invisible" daughter, Natalie.  She's perfect as the teenage daughter who's trying to figure how to get her family to notice her and, eventually, starts to show that she might be more like her mother than she thought.  She also gets to sing one of the best songs in the show, "Superboy and the Invisible Girl."  Also, the relationship between Natalie and her boyfriend, Henry (Adam Chanler-Berat) is really nice to watch.

     Aaron Tveit plays the Goodman's "superboy" son, Gabe.  He's awesome!!  That's all I can really say.  Every time he appears onstage, you want to see where he's going and what he's doing.  A definite star in the making!  After seeing the show, I am really surprised that he wasn't nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor.  I really think that if "Catch Me if You Can" makes it to Broadway, the guy's gonna be huge!  Plus he's pretty and I don't think that's gonna hurt his career.

     But, anyone who knows anything about this show will tell you the REAL star of the show is Alice Ripley!  She, very deservedly, won this year's Tony for Best Actress in a musical!  Her Diana is a truly troubled woman but, Ripley makes you want her to get better.  In some of the music, she doesn't seen to always hit the right notes but, honestly, I think it suits the character.  Diana's not always "hitting the right notes" so, it makes sense to me.  I know it probably wouldn't make much difference if someone sang it perfectly but, I had no issue with it.

     I feel really lucky to have seen two great but, vastly different, shows in the past couple of weeks.  I think if anyone's planning a trip to the Big Apple and wants to see something great, Shrek and Next to Normal are definitely the two to see!  Both are great shows with excellent performances but, that's where the similarities end.  See them now!!

     Until next time....

----MC