Next to Normal: Definitely Not Your Normal Broadway Experience
MOLLY FORMAN
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Entertainment
MOLLY FORMAN
Arts & Entertainment Editor
On Jan 24, Pace University students were transported far from normalcy to the Booth Theatre and viewed a production of Next to Normal.
Next to Normal was unlike most Broadway plays. Most are used for a pick-me-up, or a light form of entertainment. This one was full of the discomfort that is present in a truly dysfunctional family.
Sophomore biology major Whitney Hilton said, "It was a little out there, but good."
The show begins on a humorous note, as family woman Diana Goodman affectionately curses her teenage son for coming home late, calls her overachieving daughter a "freak," and scolds her husband for taking longer than ten minutes in the bedroom.
The family appears to be normal and happy - until the audience views a different side of Diana.
She turns out to be manic-depressive and, at times, delusional. The play takes a much more dramatic turn as the raw emotion and hardships from the mental illness are exposed. Each member of this outwardly standard suburban family struggles within themselves, mostly battling whether it is better to anesthetize their pain or feel it all. Diana's family has to deal with the feelings of simultaneous love, frustration, and resentment they harbor for her.
The cast of Next to Normal was composed of only six actors. This small number, paired with the moderately small-sized Booth Theatre, generated an intimate quality. This only made it easier for the audience to feel engaged and touched by the emotional rollercoaster that was this play.
The casting was praiseworthy and the actors were perfect for their roles. Diana's loyal husband, Dan, was played by J. Robert Spencer and her son, Gabe, was played by Kyle Dean Massey. Both proved to have impressive vocal ranges and had no trouble gaining the trust and affection of the audience. Jennifer Damiano played Diana's daughter Natalie - a Tony Award-nominated performance.
Damiano is a natural at portraying the confused, unstable teen who goes from perfectionist to rebellious youngster in the blink of an eye. Actor Louis Hobson played Diana's doctor to perfection. Actress Alice Ripley was cast as Diana, but for the second act, actress Jessica Phillips took over. Both actresses performed well, but Ripley was a better fit for the part.
Arts & Entertainment Editor
On Jan 24, Pace University students were transported far from normalcy to the Booth Theatre and viewed a production of Next to Normal.
Next to Normal was unlike most Broadway plays. Most are used for a pick-me-up, or a light form of entertainment. This one was full of the discomfort that is present in a truly dysfunctional family.
Sophomore biology major Whitney Hilton said, "It was a little out there, but good."
The show begins on a humorous note, as family woman Diana Goodman affectionately curses her teenage son for coming home late, calls her overachieving daughter a "freak," and scolds her husband for taking longer than ten minutes in the bedroom.
The family appears to be normal and happy - until the audience views a different side of Diana.
She turns out to be manic-depressive and, at times, delusional. The play takes a much more dramatic turn as the raw emotion and hardships from the mental illness are exposed. Each member of this outwardly standard suburban family struggles within themselves, mostly battling whether it is better to anesthetize their pain or feel it all. Diana's family has to deal with the feelings of simultaneous love, frustration, and resentment they harbor for her.
The cast of Next to Normal was composed of only six actors. This small number, paired with the moderately small-sized Booth Theatre, generated an intimate quality. This only made it easier for the audience to feel engaged and touched by the emotional rollercoaster that was this play.
The casting was praiseworthy and the actors were perfect for their roles. Diana's loyal husband, Dan, was played by J. Robert Spencer and her son, Gabe, was played by Kyle Dean Massey. Both proved to have impressive vocal ranges and had no trouble gaining the trust and affection of the audience. Jennifer Damiano played Diana's daughter Natalie - a Tony Award-nominated performance.
Damiano is a natural at portraying the confused, unstable teen who goes from perfectionist to rebellious youngster in the blink of an eye. Actor Louis Hobson played Diana's doctor to perfection. Actress Alice Ripley was cast as Diana, but for the second act, actress Jessica Phillips took over. Both actresses performed well, but Ripley was a better fit for the part.
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