New hit musical Next to Normal is a sensation!
Photo courtesy of Google Images
Now on a national tour, Next to Normal played at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House from January 4-16. When I sat down to watch what had been described to me as a rock opera about a dysfunctional family, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being a modern musical, it appealed to me, but I wasn’t so sure the story was something I’d enjoy. Dysfunction is often made out to be much more normal in fiction than it is in reality, so I naturally assumed that I wouldn’t be able to identify with the family in the musical.
I was wrong.
The story hit much closer to home than I expected or was maybe even comfortable with. I was crying barely five minutes into the story. In the first song, Just Another Day, the teenage daughter Natalie sings, “So it’s times like these I wonder how I take it and if other families live the way we do; if they love each other or if they just fake it, and if other daughters feel like I feel, too.” This is a sentiment to which many teenagers can relate. The character perfectly captures the feeling of wanting to get away, working too hard in school, and trying to cope with growing up.
The family appears completely normal in the beginning of the musical – the way they must appear to the rest of the world – but as the story goes on, the characters’ faults and humanity (or insanity) become more and more prevalent. We learn that the mother is bipolar and on medication and that the family experienced a life-changing loss sixteen years earlier. The daughter grows farther apart from her family and starts dating a boy named Henry, who accidentally inspires her to dive into the world of clubbing and stealing her mother’s drugs. When she cleans herself up, she distances herself from Henry, isolating herself from everyone and making it even harder to deal with her mother’s insanity.
Meanwhile, the mother’s therapist suggests ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) and despite her protests that she’s “seen this movie” (referring to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) and that she doesn’t want the ECT, her husband convinces her to go through with it. She obliges and comes out of the treatment lacking most of her memory and completely unable to remember the loss that occurred 16 years ago.
The musical has a perfect blend of meaningful lyrics, relatable characters and a heavy rock ‘n’ roll pulse. The characters’ troubles are enough to bring even the least sentimental person to tears, and the music is the sort that gets stuck in one’s head for weeks afterward. Next to Normal comes from the director of RENT and the producer of Wicked, so naturally the music has a similar feel. The musical also has some semblance to Spring Awakening, another modern rock musical. The powerful music is made even more so by the fantastic singing voices of the leads; each member of the cast is strong and has a unique and melodious voice that compliments the others well.
But what are actors without a set? The set for Next to Normal was simple in appearance, but aesthetically pleasing and complex in function. It was comprised of three levels with four sliding screens that combined to make a woman’s face when all slid to the front. The band was onstage and visible (though unlit) throughout the show and was supported by a full orchestra in the pit, which created a unique musical experience.
Also, unlike most modern musicals, the plot of Next to Normal is completely original, not just a re-imagining of a book or play. It truly captures the essence of modern families because it feels like a real family.
Next to Normal is the sort of musical that pushes boundaries and tells the truth in a way that truly strikes a chord. I would suggest it to anyone, even those who normally don’t like musicals, because the realistic nature of the story balances out the absurdity of people singing during everyday life, and the foibles of the characters directly parallel the very real faults of the audience. While it is true that some messages speak to all generations, there is nothing like a message written specifically to represent one generation.
Rating: ★★★★★
