Next to Normal, Next to Unbelievable

Next to Normal, hosted by the Booth Theatre, is as far from normal as Broadway has gotten this year. It rocks a tiny cast of six, a knock-your-lights-out electrifying score, and a cutting edge story that left me wishing I had worn next to no mascara. Next to Normal is heart-wrenching.  It is thought-provoking. It is absolutely stunning. The writing and music by Tony winners Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt, and Michael Starobin are the MOST amazing, but the actors carry out the story with such integrity and beauty, it literally takes your breath away. There is nothing better than feeling you are really right there upon a person’s inner-most thoughts, their most personal moments - those moments that we all have and don’t reveal, even to those closest to us. To see these emotions come to life is like having the show say to you, “Hey you out there, in seat Orchestra B9, I know you. I understand you.” Who knows- maybe it means we’re all a little crazy.

The show follows a grief-stricken mother with a sea of mental diagnoses, her ever-loyal and answerless husband, their attention-starved daughter, and the catalyst of it all, their perfect yet somehow unattainable son, as they all try to get along and lead a "normal" life. The twists and turns, mixed with the electrifying score, make for an emotional evening and a sneak peak into the amazing new world of musical theatre that is upon us in the new millennium.

Alice Ripley (Diana) and J. Robert Spencer (Dan) make an almost believable couple as they compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Ripley’s vocal weaknesses are forgiven due to her truly iconic acting performance. She did take home the Tony this year for Best Actress in a Musical.  All the while, Spencer sings like a bird but remains distant as an actor and a little less emotionally connected in comparison to the dynamite presence of Ripley. Breakout Jennifer Damiano (Natalie) is flawless, a champion singer and perfectly cast, as well as Kyle Massey, (Gabriel) who is immaculate as the son who can do no wrong, yet still is the source of the family’s deep anguish. Adam Chanler-Berat adds detailed dimension as Natalie’s persistently chivalrous yet naive boyfriend (Henry), who tries to heroically save Natalie from a fate similar to her mother’s.  Louis Hobson thrives as the know-it-all–yet-know-nothing string of doctors.

I highly advise anyone to skip seeing Next To Normal if you have a terrible cold, or are without an entire box of Kleenex.  This Broadway phenomenon snatches hearts and squeezes them like stress balls... it had my sinuses in an uncomfortable hurricane of events from start to finish! But I must admit I loved every minute of it. Thank God for the intermission… allowing all to graciously accept the tear-duct recovery time! 

Sheena DiMatteo