It’s got a song about “Costco.” You’d think this would be the making of a happy musical! Off-Broadway’s new musical Next To Normal, which opened at Second Stage this month, is an off-kilter look at suburbia which exposes the truth behind a family’s struggle for normalcy. Costco is just one of the many items on the chopping block.
The show, with a wonderful score by Tom Kitt (High Fidelity) and libretto by Brian Yorkey (Making Tracks), boasts the six person ensemble of Adam Chanler-Berat, Jennifer Damiano, Brian D’Arcy James, Alice Ripley, Asa Somers and Aaron Tveit under the masterful hand of director Michael Greif (Rent, Grey Gardens). The story centers around the marriage of Dan and Diana (D’Arcy James and Ripley) which is on the rocks—partly because of Diana’s overmedication. As a result, their teenage daughter Natalie (Damiano) is often neglected. She even has trouble dealing with the attention and affection of classmate Henry (Chanler-Berat) who tries to help her cope. As the adults become more and more unavailable due to Diana’s constant doctor visits, Natalie lashes out, leaving Henry to catch her when she falls. But who will be there to catch Dan and Diana?
Ripley and D’Arcy James, both veterans of the Broadway and off-Broadway stage, give powerful performances with nuance that is often reserved for non-musicals (think Mamet). But the young’uns more than hold their own. Ms. Damiano plays the role of Natalie with the tension of a firecracker trying desperately not to explode as Mr. Chanler-Berat’s quirky charm and sincere friendship ease her out of her rigidity. Asa Somers brings a refreshing dose of supposed sanity as Diana’s therapist Dr. Madden (and all of her other doctors).
The highlight for any Marymount student will definitely be Adam Chanler-Berat’s performance as Henry, the jazz pianist who gives Natalie her first toke of freedom. Chanler-Berat has graced the MMC stage with his offbeat wit in STAM’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins as well as improv performances with MMC’s resident improv troupe “Nutz and Boltz.” His seemingly effortless transitions from comedy to drama are rivaled only by his seemingly effortless singing.
This stellar cast is guided through the story of love and loss by Michael Greif, who is no stranger to characters in pain and longing. Greif’s direction combines the best elements of his staging of Rent (which I admittedly did not love) and his staging of Grey Gardens (which I loved every minute of). Of course, he brings in some new tricks for this production, which are enhanced by Mark Wendland’s three-tiered fiberglass set and Kevin Adams’ literally electric light design.
If you told me I had to find one fault in the show, I would tell you that it is a little long—at the preview performance I attended, the first act ran almost an hour and a half—and a couple of the songs overstay their welcome. The one that immediately comes to mind has the wonderfully powerful Aaron Tveit repeating two words over and over to the point where one assumes the song could easily be cut down. The show can also be rather heavy-handed in its condemnation of medical procedures, including anti-depressants and electro-convulsion therapy, that have proven helpful in a majority of cases.
Still the point does come across that American society relies too heavily on chemical treatment—prescribed and not—to make our problems and our unpleasant emotions go away. We are reminded that getting rid of the bad feelings often means getting rid of the good, as well. Through stirring music, plot twists, and a healthy dose of cynical comedy the show emphasizes how striving for normalcy can result in numbness. Head over to Second Stage to see if this not-so-normal family can settle for next to normal.
Next to Normal is no longer running.
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