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Theater review
Next to Normal
Booth Theatre. Music by Tom Kitt. Book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Dir. Michael Greif. With Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit. 2hrs 15mins. One intermission.As Diana in the surprising and moving Next to Normal, Alice Ripley has a voice like steel wool: It’s tough and cloudy at once, and it scrubs to the core. There’s something slightly off about Ripley’s singing—the notes sometimes claw their way up from just under pitch—and this raggedness is perfectly attuned to the mental distress of her character, a psychotic suburban mother guiltily aware of the burden her illness brings to her family. There is nothing glamorous or camp about this unlikely musical-theater heroine, and Ripley is riveting.
It is not easy to pull off a musical about psychotropic drugs and electroconvulsive therapy—or for that matter, about duty, freedom and loss. In its trial mounting at Second Stage last year, Next to Normal sometimes suffered from acute self-consciousness and mood swings. Happily, authors Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt have successfully stabilized the show since then, and their songs make up the best new Broadway score of the season, merging show-tune influences (William Finn neurosis in “My Psychopharmacologist and I”) with more radio-ready styles (John Denver wistfulness in “I Miss the Mountains,” Seventies pop-rock thrust in the instantly memorable “I’m Alive”). Under Michael Greif’s observant eye, the cast of six— which includes J. Robert Spencer as Diana’s loyal husband, Jennifer Damiano as her ignored daughter and the charismatic Aaron Tveit as her idealized son—provides excellent support. After a year of hard work, Next to Normal has emerged as that rarest of Broadway species: a thoughtful, emotional musical for grown-ups.—Adam Feldman
Time Out New York / Issue 708 : Apr 23–29, 2009
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I felt that the parts were greater than the whole: the score is undeniably haunting, the cast are uniformly impressive, the production values are spot-on, and I found Act 1 very moving. For me though, Act 2 got a little repetitive, dissipating the show's power somewhat. Structurally, the piece feels more like a song cycle than an actual musical drama. Nonetheless, the show has intelligence, heart and originality, and has us discussing it long after the final curtain.
I really went in not knowing what to expect. I absolutely adored the show. The four principal actors are phenomenal and deserve every accolade they receive. In particular, Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer deliver powerful performances. Ripley's performance is worth the price of admission alone. She is stunning as Diana, the mother suffering from bi-polar disorder. The score really is amazing as well and I hope it garners its creators a well-deserved Tony. I highly recommend this show.
Simply put the most innovative original and smart musical to hit Broadway in years. In a season filled with fluff like shrek and 9 to 5 this show allows the audience to actually think. Alice Ripley is truly breathtaking!
I found the entire evening to be so depressing. The first song is glorious and then the show gets more and more unpleasant to sit through. The audience around me definitely was shifting in their seats a lot. I applaud the writers effort to create a new musical. But, why are there six reprises of songs from the first act in the second act. Aaron Tveit has a beautiful voice. I didn't connect with the characters. Not suggested for couples night out. Prefer 9 to 5 and Rock of Ages.