Alice Ripley/next to normal in Barcelona
Jul 9 2022, 09:12:04 AM
I had the pleasure of seeing this on opening night on Wednesday and am still talking about it to everyone. I saw it 2x on Broadway so I knew this was going to be special and emotional.
Some spoilers ahead.
You walk in and Alice Ripley is already on the “stage” as you pick your seat. Definitely get there early as it is general admission. I got there at 8:00 for the 9:00 show and was third in line. There wasn’t like a “mad dash” but definitely walk with purpose because there’s two lines- those with physical tickets and those on the will call line (or something like that where they gave their name) so the lines do merge and as soon as you’re in the theater you can walk anywhere and pick your seats. Some of the boxes are marked “reserved” but they’re actually used by the actors throughout the show.
It was a little upsetting when some parts were cut. I knew going into it a lot would be cut to trim it to an hour but man did they cut a lot. Mostly extra verses, repeats, and a bunch of dialogue. Most of “A light in the dark” was cut except the last little part and some of the subplots like Natalie’s piano recital. I did appreciate they kept some of the one-liners but definitely missed some of them (“shouldn’t we turn on a light with the stairs?” And “do they actually exist?&rdquo
The?format=auto&width=600 part that absolutely crushed me, and I don’t remember how it was done on Broadway, was when the Dr recommends Diana goes home and cleans out Gabe’s room- she finds Gabe’s baby blanket and just held it and pretended to wrap him and pick him up. I was balling- it was such an emotional moment.
I thought Alice Ripley was phenomenal. Her “I miss the Mountains” was near perfection but I loved how fierce she was during “You Don’t Know.” It just felt so real. The only vocal change I noticed was going down the octave in “So Anyway.” I think the biggest star on the rise is Lewis Edgar who plays Gabe. His chemistry with Alice was great and he was such a highlight and so much fun to watch. What a voice! He totally forgot to tie his shoes before “Dreamed a Dance/There’s a World” which made me giggle, though luckily there were no issues with that!
The projections were great. One thing that stood out was the neurons that got more intense throughout the show- one of those little details that parallels the story that you might miss. I also like how the projected carpets would spin at times. It felt like you were on a Disney ride the way the whole room actually felt like it was moving. They use post-it’s as the meat for the sandwiches in the opening number but it makes you wonder- was Diana that stir-crazy that she didn’t even realize she was using paper? Obviously it’s cheaper than using real meat but it makes you wonder. Just another level of this musical. Another highlight of the immersive experience was being surrounded by people and seeing other people across the room crying, laughing, and things like that. Someone let out a gasp and then went “oh no” when the Dr asks “have you talked of your depression, your delusions and your son?” And it was one of those moments when you realized how sucked in the audience was and how real the whole thing felt.
I really did not want the show to end. The whole thing just worked and was a great night out. If that wasn’t my last night in Barcelona I would have gone back. It was just so much fun to watch and basically be a part. I really hope this has a transfer and this isn’t the end because this was one of the best shows I’ve ever experienced. I just hope it keeps the $35 ticket price if it comes to NY LOL!
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