A Must See (If Unlikely) Musical

The only reason the CultureBuddies went to see Next To Normal is because it received 11 Tony nominations. A bipolar housewife seemed like such a grim topic for a musical. Well, it wasn’t five minutes into the show before we knew we were 100% wrong. This show is not any ordinary feel good musical, but as The New York Times described this show, it is a “feel everything” musical. Next To Normal is funny, smart and heartbreaking. The music is great, the performances are amazing, and the set is perfect for showcasing the movement of the play's themes. Whoever cast this show should get a special Tony for picking the perfect people for these roles. Alice Ripley is nothing short of fantastic as the mother. She is pitch-perfect in every scene, and she breaks your heart. What a role for this actress! Her husband is played by J. Robert Spencer and her two children are played by Jennifer Damiano and Aaron Tveit. We had seen Aaron Tveit in the musical Saved last year and put him on our ‘people to watch’ list. He is brilliant in the role and he has incredible charisma on stage.

Next to Normal brings the devastation mental illness can wreck on a whole family to life in a respectful, and incredibly powerful, way. Drugs are used and abused, treatments are experimented with and abandoned, children become invisible, and loving relationships are tested every single day. The music tells the story in such a compelling and effective way that you are on the ride with this family from the first minute of the play to the last. Along the way you experience heartbreak, humor, hope, and a great amount of empathy for every character.
This play left us with the kind of wonderful exhaustion we have felt at a few, select shows (Spring Awakening, In the Heights, Come Back Little Sheba, God of Carnage) over the last three years. We were exhausted and wrung out by the end (and Leslie had gone through four Keenex), but we were also exhilirated from such a great night of theatre.

Message to Alice Ripley: Wear your prettiest dress Sunday night because you may very well be accepting the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. If we had a vote, you would get both of them!