Next to Normal

I have always considered myself a movie guy, but when the opportunity arrives I love to go see a story on the stage. And being a guy who also can't help but sing in the shower and loves bad catchy music my love of musicals is not really a stretch. So while this is even further away from an expert opinion than the movie reviews I dish out I'm gonna give this show a shot. Sorry to any Broadway divas or their hags that I offend in the process of this review.

Next to Normal is a TONY award winning show and there is little doubt why after seeing it. The story deals with mental disease, the treatments and the effects it has on the patient and those close to the patient. The mother Diana (played by Alice Ripley) suffers from bipolar disorder but as her psychologist says early on there are other symptoms as well they call it bipolar just to label the disease.

The family includes the supportive husband Dan (J. Robert Spencer), the perfect son Gabe (Aaron Tveit), and their hyper-intelligent daughter Natalie (Jennifer Damiano). The character all balance well with Diana each with their own behaviors and traits. Dan believes he can get back to better days with the treatment and shows unconditional love and devotion to his wife. Natalie can not seem to get the attention she wants from her parents as they try and deal with each other. And Gabe keeps his mother happy while causing stress to the rest of them. The show is rounded out by two more characters including the quirky stoner Henry (Adam Chandler-Berat) who plays Natalie's love interest and Alice's doctors (both played by Louis Hobson)

Alice Ripley is amazing in her portrayal of a woman trying to survive her own thoughts. The character seems to possess almost as many different feelings as there are songs in the show, which for those keeping count at home that's well over 40 different numbers, Ripley shifts almost too easily from each emotion leaving little doubt as to why she received the TONY for best actress in a musical.

With such a small cast it may be difficult to connect to any of the characters a problem that I had. But it is easy to see how touching the show can be as there was barely a dry eye in the theater especially if you know someone who suffers from a mental disease. My lack of connection may also be due to my seat in the balcony causing me to shift back and forth through much of the first act to catch a glimpse. The show is done on a three-tier stage and ever inch is used. Which is why it was so easy to make a better connection once I could sit back any enjoy the view from the mezzanine.

Make no mistake that this show is a modern day opera. With over 40 songs there has to be more lyrics than dialogue. Each character seems to be given songs based on their personality. While none of the singer's blew me away, the rock infused musical has powerful melodies and beautiful lyrics.

In an era where Broadway would rather take a movie script and develop it for the stage it is wonderful to see an original show which runs the gamete of emotion. The show has the ability to leave you speechless as the music is the only thing left running through your head. To those who have not seen or heard about the show here is a link to two of the most popular songs "You Don't Know" and "Superboy and the Invisible Girl"