Michelle and I went to Sunday's matinee of Next to Normal, which started out off Broadway and just received 11 Tony nominations. I have been pretty lax in following theater lately and have missed the buzz on many, many shows. Somehow this one filtered through, though, and I heard from several people that this show was amazing. I tried not to take it all too much to heart; I didn't want to set my expectations so high that the show would naturally disappoint.
This show does not disappoint!
Next to Normal gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Goodmans: Dan, the hardworking father; Diana, the struggling mother; their son Gabe, Diana's favorite; and Natalie, their overachieving and high-strung daughter. When it opens, the show suggests that disfunction is the constant state of being for the Goodmans. Before the end of the first act, though, we know that a constant buzz of anxiety and disfuction would be a gift to them. They are dealing with something much more severe, and things are not what they seemed at first.
To say too much more would give away the show's twist. The surprise caught me completely off guard, and my experience was the better for it. So instead of more plot summary I'll say that at intermission I told Michelle I felt like I needed to see the show again. When it closed, I said it again, with even more emphasis. Every member of the cast was uniformly excellent. Alice Ripley was intense, powerful, and heartbreaking as Diana. Aaron Tveit, as Gabe, was superb. J. Robert Spencer, who plays Dan was out, and we Michael Berry, his understudy. It's always disappointing to see that slip of paper in the playbill noting that a major member of the cast is out, and while I don't know what I missed from Spencer, I will say that understudy Michel Berry was excellent.
The show provides a few laughs, definitely some tears, surprises, many good songs, and a story that is incredibly moving. If you have the chance to see this show, I'd really recommend it. I'll even go with you. Seeing it again sounds pretty good right now.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Best Show I've Seen in Ages
at 7:03 AM
Labels: On the Boards
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4 comments:
I will definitely keep my eye out for this to come to London!
I'm so glad you liked it so much! I'm glad it didn't disappoint.
I would LOVE to see it....with you!
Missed this post, so ignore my advice in the Mary Stuart post. SO glad you liked it as much as Todd and I did. We saw it twice in one week, and I want to see it again. It's the first show in a long time that made me love theater. J. Robert Spencer is really good, but I'm sure the understudy is equally good. It's on TDF, so if you want to see it again, let us know!
PS - It is my sincere (though completely unrealistic hope) that NTN will beat Billy Elliot for Best Musical at the Tonys. It would be bigger than Avenue Q beating Wicked.
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