Cast: Alice Ripley (Diana), J. Robert Spencer (Dan), Aaron Tveit (Gabe), Jenifer Damiano (Natalie), Adam Chanler-Berat (Henry), Louis Hobson (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine)
What a show! This was definitely (by far) my favorite of this year. The cast, music, lighting, story, direction, scenic design, etc. are all amazing! Though I haven't seen Billy Elliot, I am still surprised that the show was able to beat out Next to Normal in so many categories. I'm glad Alice Ripley won the Tony Award for her portrayal of Diana, but I'm amazed that she was the only one to get an award in the cast. I was also surprised that the lighting and scenic design didn't win. I think the show was incredibly well done.
The set is three stories high, so I'd recommend sitting where we did (front of the mezzanine) for Next to Normal. The orchestra would be painful for those of us with neck problems and probably fairly uncomfortable for almost anyone by the end of the show unless you're far enough away that you might miss some of the expressions.
Next to Normal is not the stereotypical Broadway show, which is one of the things I love about it. However, if you want a happy show with sunshine and no tears, this is not the show for you. See Rock of Ages or another upbeat show. I cried (a lot) while seeing Next to Normal, but I ordered the album the second I got home (I would have ordered it while still in New York, but I had a gift code for Amazon at home). I've listened to it a lot and it's bumped Wicked and The Last Five Years out of their position as tied for 3rd.
As long as you can handle a musical with drama and some sad parts, Next to Normal is a wonderful show that you should rush to see. We got discount tickets because of Theatre Mania, which meant I could buy them days before we saw the show, we paid less than we would have at TKTS that day, and got better seats. In spite of not having the soundtrack to remind me of the songs, I was still singing Next to Normal music days later. There are a lot of catchy tunes. I recommend not listening to the show or reading too much about it until you see it, since I think some of the songs and many of the summaries I've read give away a bit much and it's more enjoyable not to know.
Grade: A+
Labels: Aaron Tveit, Adam Chanler-Berat, Alice Ripley, Broadway, drama, J. Robert Spencer, Jenifer Damiano, Louis Hobson, musical, original, tear jerker, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams