Musical Review: Next to Normal

    Every family has their issues, and their own ways of handling them. Some cope better than others, while some never learn to deal with the issue. Death, illness, drugs, and even sick combinations of the three, are some of the more serious issues dealt with in families, but all three are part of the plot of the Tony awarded musical, Next to Normal.

     Diana is a bipolar depressive mother, who for sixteen years, has continued to watch her son, Gabe, grow up since his death as an infant. Her daughter Natalie and husband Dan now work hard to lead as normal a life as possible, while trying to cure Diana, with less than satisfactory results. Diana's condition gets worse when she quits taking her meds and Gabe convinces her to commit suicide. A new treatment is suggested, and it works with only one side effect: memory loss. Meanwhile, Natalie falls in love with a drug abusing boy named Henry and she quickly falls victim to her mother's prescription drugs. Now Henry and Dan must struggle to save the women they love while keeping their sanity and health intact.

     This show has been nominated for, and won, many awards. Tony awards for the show include Best Original Score, Best Orchestration, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, which was given to Alice Ripley for her portrayal of Diana. It’s also the eighth show in history to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which is an extreme honor. When the show was in its off-Broadway stage, it was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actress, and Outstanding Score.

     Not many shows can be pulled off by only six people. This happens to be one of the exceptional few that can. With a cast of four men and two women, this group of amazing people really display all that this family goes through. There are also few shows that display a situation that is relatable to real life. While few people have these exact issues, it is possible for one to have one of the problems dealt with in the show. Next to Normal does a phenomenal job of portraying trials and hardships, as well as recovery and the true meaning of family.

LSorenson