Jaystarr's 10/10 Report on NEXT TO NORMAL (with stage door photos)

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 6:49pm

SPECIAL GUESTS:
frog_fans85 (Steve) & dave1606 (dave) and of course.. Chris




E32

Next To Normal
New Musical (Off-Broadway)
Second Stage Theater
3/8 2 pm matinee
2 hours and 20 mins with 1 intermission
Tix Price : $ 56.00 (thru playbill.com discount)


INTRO:

This musical is a bit different..not your typical musical.. it deals with something....very hard to present onstage specially in a musical..(unlike play where all you have is dialogues & you can explore it more deeply) .. that is DEPRESSION and MENTAL DISORDER..

So I decided to give you a synopsis of what I think I understood from seeing the musical...

***PLEASE DO NOT READ BELOW IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THE SHOW***

Synopsis:

JUST ANOTHER DAY (song) at the household of the Brown Family.. here we were introduced to the characters..Dan Brown (Brian D' Arcy) the father.... the son who's almost 18 yrs old (AaronTveit)....Natalie, the daughter (Jennifer Damiano) and Diana, the mother (Alice Ripley) who we can see in the 1st number, is a bit-"off"...no.. not really..she's more than that....she's suffering from depression and mental disorder... The supportive husband Dan tried to make everything normal in their household but somehow Diana keeps throwing all her medication, keep ignoring her daughter & husband and only focused on her son. We all of a sudden realized that Diana is seeing his dead son..yes... he is not alive...he is just present in her imagination or hallucination (I'M ALIVE song) Dan decided to confront Diana and tried to convinced her to let go of their son's memory that's haunting her (I AM THE ONE song) -which probably the song that I like the most.. a duet between the father and the dead son.. singing to Diana... "I am the one who knows who...I am the one who cares.... I am the one who always been there... I am one who's helped you...and if you think I just dont give a damn...you just dont know who I am" (lyrics of the song) a very emotional song .. husband singing to his wife "to let go...." and a dead son singing to his mother .."not to let go..".

Still Diana was ignoring her daughter who's gotten involved with a boy who's into drugs and fallen in love with him.. Natalie is an intelligent daughter and is not really proud of her parents- specially her mother...bec. of her condition. At the end of Act 1...Dan finally convinced Diana to undergo an Electric Shock Treatment (Feelin' Electric)

Act 2 begins with Natalie talking about growing up dysfunctional (GROWING UP UNSTABLE & probably my favorite number in ACT 2- Superman and the Invincible Girl) by this time also...Diana lossed a lot of her memory as a side effects of the EST or ECT(?) somehow she cant remember her daughter, being married to Dan, but she's NORMAL now..not having any more episodes..though after few weeks, her memory starts coming back and so with the memory of his son... now its explain to us how the son died..when he was only 18 mos. old...the crib scene was very haunting to me...I was really touch on how he explain to her how their son died...that they were young then... that they dont know what to do..after her son's death.. Diana developed a depression and later evolved into hallucinations which makes her not act normal anymore..more and more detached from reality..like missing her daughter's recital bec. she locked herself in the bathroom or in the car...The ending of the musical is about Diana deciding not to seek any medications nor treatment anymore... She apologizes to her daughter for giving her a f*ck-uped life but Natalie responded.. that she does not want a normal life.. and she can settle for NEXT TO NORMAL... Diana decided to leave Dan bec. she thinks she will do better without him to catch her all time.... after that Dan was left alone in the room....suddenly the son appeared and they reprised I AM THE ONE... this time Dan looked at his son's eyes for the first time and he call him his name... GABE.... The Doctor (Asa Sommers) mentioned now that Dan checked himself and seek help with his present condition.....

They all came out and reprise...

"Let There Be Light! I said.. Lord..Let there be light ... we have been living in a dark for far too long and endless night...."Let there be light ..let it open our eyes...."

LIGHTS OUT

******SPOILER ENDS*******

Things I LIKE about the musical (out of 10)

1. The Music- I really love the music for this one. Tom Kitt have composed a pop/rock musical as opposed to the traditional showtunes that I am used too, and its very fitting for the show. I must say.. I really like the score..after seeing PASSING STRANGE & N2N - I am developing a taste for more non-traditional showtunes. There are soo many songs that I like..but my top 3 are : Let There Be Light, Feeling Electric & I am the One. (my fav!)

2. Alice Ripley- she is really the standout performer in this show and this is really a show about her. She's the star in this one and she really shines in every scene that she is in...okay.. I did not say Emily Skinner this time, huh?

3. Aaron Tveit- Wow. after I saw him at NMST's The Three Musketeers-which I dont like a lot.. He really redeemed himself in this one..He is very good and did I mention that in the beggining ..he is shirtless...and just wearing boxers with a nice lean body and nice abs. I am very happy!

Side Note : Sometimes I just dont know what I am saying sometimes... I think I told him while I was talking to him ..that I did not like The Three Musketeers..and he jokingly said..Well at least I got to do a swordfight! Oopsie.. me & my big mouth! lol!

(On Brian D' Arcy & Jennifer Damiano..I am neutral. they are both good..but not my my like list nor dislike list neither. I have seen Brian D'Arcy soo many times on Broadway... I think starting from Titanic, DRS, Apple Tree, Boston's The White Christmas...and soo many ...I think I am just getting used of seeing him in every show)

4. Direction by Michael Grief- like in Grey Gardens & Rent. I always like how he put all things together. Though I have a bit problem with the ending and how was depression/ mental disease was presented.

5. Mary-Mitchell Campbell- one of my favorite musician/arranger (from last year's Company) I was suprised to see her- jamming, shaking her head and playing the piano. Actually the band was placed in the second & third story set and they were all separated from one another- meaning the drums is on 3rd level stage left, keyboards on 2nd level stage left (where MMC is) and the Strings on the other side Stage Right..2nd & 3rd level..but all of them played in perfect synch...I think I saw a monitor behind them to get cues from MMC.. I love the band!

6. The Lighting by Kevin Adams...except for the Feeling Electric..where they have to flash all those lights at the back like a marquee .. a little over the top for me..but over all... I thought it was great!

Things I DID NOT LIKE about the musical (out of 10)

1. The Ending-(probably just me?) Dan checked himself in for a rehab..after Diana left him... I thought its a bit abrupt...well.. I know this is not a happy happy musical like The Sound of Music...somehow there was really no real closure for me? I guess that's probably what the director wants like in his Grey Gardens (which I adore the ending- very haunting) but this one.. I was like...okay? what happened.. they are all of a sudden singing..Let There Be Light...

I guess I probably dont really understand the layers of depression or mental disease. It seems to me (what I get from the show) is when something really bad happen to someone..they just all of a sudden develop some sort of disorder...well this is just me? I did discussed it with Steve, Dave & Chris and we all agree that this theme cannot really be presented in a multi-faceted way. But It's just a bit two-dimensional for me..but like I said...I really dont have a good understanding of the disease.. I need to read more...but while I was writting this.. that's how I feel..

2. Asa Sommers- I met him and he is REALLY REALLY nice in person. but somehow I did not like him for the role of the Doctor. I was dispointed with his Feeling Electric number. I thought his voice was not as great as Anthony Rapp's rendition of Feeling Electric..Dont get me wrong.. I like Asa but I wish they had Anthony instead..

Anthony Rapp's Feeling Electric (was expecting something like this)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soy0r8kdu5U

3. Scenic Design- suprisingly I did not like it.. everyone loves it.. Chris, Steve & Dave.. somehow I felt it was kinda plain. I did not specifically like the plastic thing they have at each side where they exit ...that looks exactly like the one they had on walk in freezer.

Actually this one looks good in picture, but not onstage...(probably just me? ) its a three level kinda like Rent stage and they are running around, going up and down the stairs...I thought it was plain..which probably what the director wants...represents plain boring suburban life.. I just wish they did more than this..
well I am sure 2ST will have better staging than (IF) Boston will do this in the future as a Regional show in Speak Easy or Lyric Stage..


Summary:

I'll be honest.. I like the score a lot... I like most of the actors..but I do have some reservations with the musical.. Chris loved it soo much...I could understand as to why would people love this soo much and probably develop a cult following in the future bec. its innovative, fresh and explore everybody's f*cked up life... its like saying...hey.. No one is really "normal" in America...all we can hope for is to be NEXT TO NORMAL... though I can see its detractors' point too.. its really not as EASY as that...Personally.. I truly believe in the musical...I think it affect us in many ways...some people will find it great and some people will find it offensive..Being original in itself...gets a plus in my book..I am probably just getting sick and tired of the same old sh***..... Though People can be harsh bec. it deals with something serious where for example XANADU .. well.. its supposed to be stupid, making fun of something and campy...and soo forth...that's why we like it...what I am trying to say is.. we somehow raise the bar with N2N bec. we expect a lot.... probably all we can settle in life sometimes is just NEXT TO NORMAL!


J*

Score : 6/3- I LIKE IT-



Second Stage Theater






Production Photos
(from Playbill.com)
https://www.playbill.com/multimedia/search/13966.html











The Playbill




Stage Door Photos

Jennifer Damiano signing Steve's playbill


Me & Jennifer Damiano


The Two Directors
Michael Grief & the upcoming director Dave


Asa Sommers




Dave, Me, Aaron Tveit , Chris & Steve


Me & Brian D'Arcy


Chris, Dave, Me , Brian D'Arcy & Steve


Chris, Me, Alice Ripley Dave & Steve



My Autographed Playbill




COMING SOON!

This March
My 10/10 Report on SOUTH PACIFIC
My 10/10 Report on LuPONE's GYPSY

***hiatus in April***

This May
My 10/10 Report on SHE LOVES ME (Boston)
My 10/10 Report on CRY-BABY
My 10/10 Report on A CATERED AFFAIR & THE SEASON FINALE (Summary of all the 36 Reports and all the links from XANADU to OLD AQUIANTANCE to AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY to THE LITTLE MERMAID to THE RITZ to YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN to THE SEAFARER to SPEECH & DEBATE to FARNSWORTH INVENTION..& so on)





Updated On: 5/14/08 at 06:49 PM

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 6:58pm

Sounds like you had a fun time! Your pictures look great!

[snl89]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:01pm

awesome review! Thank you so much for doing it!!


and can I just say, the pictures are AMAZING. Especially the Asa "Feeling Electric" one. Bahaha, omg, Aaron in the background just makes it all the more amusing :P He was IS like "WTH is he doing??"

[jerseyboyschick2]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:12pm

Amazing report, as usual

Thanks Jaystarr.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:12pm

Yay for the review!!

I do think Dan calling for therapy (not rehab...he's not that far yet.) was clearer when I first saw it in previews "Says he just wants to talk." But really, I'm not sure it's all that abrupt...we don't know that it's immediately after...time in the show is a little sketchy. Like the "house on Walton Way" thing. Did Natalie live there? And if so, why would they have set up Gabe's nursery there? Unless it's just a contributing factor to Diana's problems. Or does she just know about the house? That has been a little confusing. (Also as has been mentioned, the timeline with Natalie's age and how long Gabe's been dead...unless we're to pretend she was a preemie. LOL. Even then it's fuzzy math.) Still... Even with its imperfections I love it.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:26pm

I think when Diana & Dan got married they were 23 yrs old... Gabe is almost 18 yrs old.
I am guessing she's probably around 41 or 42 yrs old...

I was not even clear if the siblings were twins at the beginning till I realized that Gabe is almost 18 and Natalie is only 16 yrs old (and in real life I was told by Steve)

J*

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:31pm

No, that I get.

But if he's almost 18 (or would be), he would have died 16 and a half years before. The discrepancy comes in with Natalie being 16 and Diana saying they had her as their attempt to deal with Gabe's loss. So essentially Natalie would have had to be extremely premature for that to really work mathematically.

I find it better to just not think too hard about it. It gives me a headache. LOL.

And how are your lessons coming Jay? :P Do you know the difference yet?

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:49pm

yeah... I hear ya...youre right with the age discrepancies...I don't know if its just me? but somehow it was not really explain very well.. if Diana was completely out of reality after her son died or its a gradual process.. till she eventually lose her mind? I was thinking, though I did not experience it myself, so I am not the authority on this..but should she have gotten over her son's death when she had her daughter? It seems to me that she COMPLETELY ignores her existence as if she's was older than the son....I thought if you had a son then a daughter...then your youngest died..you became more disconnected with the eldest since youre grieving....I have no kids, so... I am not the authority...

BTW- Asa's "Feeling Electric" pose was real...we met a girl at the stage door..well not technically a stage door... lobby...and she asked him to pose FEELING ELECTRIC and he did it... I thought it was funny... I did not see Aaron pic till I downloaded this in my computer..he does have that look of "what the.....? in his face! lol!

also let me add.. I really dont like Asa's black clothes in Feeling Electric....

yeah..speaking of the girl we met at the lobby..she asked me. "You know what you look familiar? " Oh... I know who you are...youre Jaystarr....from Broadwayworld and I told her.. oh no.. that's not me... I DONT POST at bww at all.. and Steve & Dave were just laughing!!! later I told Steve... I was wearing my eye glasses.. People should have not recognize me (from my avatar, of course) and he jokingly told me.. and yeah.... youre wearing a shirt too.. lol!

Note on Brian's dialogue... he said that EXACT word and its an inside joke amongst us..lol!

yup.. Jordy.. I know now the difference between Alice Ripley & Emily Skinner. This morning when I posted these stage door photos at my facebook.. My facebook friends (who's from here too) replied rightaway...hey jay! that's ALICE RIPLEY!!!

J*




Updated On: 3/9/08 at 07:49 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:57pm

For knowing the difference, YAY!!! :)

As for Diana "getting over" Gabe's death... I don't think losing a child is something you ever "get over". Yes ideally you work through the grief and learn to live with it without it controlling you, but even if that happens, it's still there. And it definitely is not magically solved by having another baby. When Diana says she couldn't let herself hold Natalie in the hospital, that speaks to how deeply she was still affected by Gabe's death. The indication is that she was afraid to let herself get close to Natalie in an attempt to protect herself from more heartbreak if something happened to Natale. Rather than face that possibility, she elected to shut down emotionally towards her daughter.

With the sketchy information we're given, in all likelihood Diana probably had tendencies towards mental illness and Gabe's death provided the catalyst for the break. Depending on exactly how soon after his death Natalie's birth happened, whatever was already going on could well have been magnified by post-partum hormones and depression and things just never got back "in whack" (assuming you want to say things were out of whack. LOL.) after that.

Updated On: 3/9/08 at 07:57 PM

[dave1606]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 7:58pm

Wow. Great review I am very impressed. love the pic with Aaron in the background that was hilarious...You really put some thought into and it shows. This was not an easy show to watch always, but its one that we need. These issues are happening, not perhaps in the way that the play deals with them, but nonetheless they are there. Even if it isn't the exact real world way that this would go down, the fact is that these issues are covered and covered well. anyone who says otherwise, I dare you write a show about mental illness and depression that is as entertaining and moving as this. Then we shall talk.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:04pm

When Diana says she couldn't let herself hold Natalie in the hospital, that speaks to how deeply she was still affected by Gabe's death. The indication is that she was afraid to let herself get close to Natalie in an attempt to protect herself from more heartbreak if something happened to Natale. Rather than face that possibility, she elected to shut down emotionally towards her daughter.

^^^ Damn! Jordy.. I did not even get that part till tonight when you said that.. youre definitely one of the AUTHORITY on N2N...

Yup. Now it makes sense.

Thanks

J*

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:07pm

Eh...it's the psychology major in undergrad, clinical pastoral education stuff in seminary, and working with special ed kids. LOL. Plus having dealt with my best friend's death just before I turned 5 and talking a lot with my parents about it (and stuff like why his parents and little sister (who was born before he died) moved so quickly after) as well as watching my mom's younger brother and his wife as they lost one of their 5 kids (the only son) in an accident. I honestly see a LOT of Diana in my aunt, even if she won't admit it. I think we're ALL kind of waiting for her melt-down moment...which will come if she ever lets herself stop.

But thanks. :)

Updated On: 3/9/08 at 08:07 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:22pm

Now I can see why you like the show soo much.. Thanks for sharing that...I'm speechless...

J*

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:24pm

Jay, thanks for your review as always. I am thrilled that you loved Alice Ripley so much...she is an incredible performer. I had seen N2N back in the first week of previews, and I'm seeing the final performance next Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to seeing it one last time and seeing the changes that have been made since early previews.

...and it was so fun seeing you and Chris yesterday for lunch before your show!
Updated On: 3/9/08 at 08:24 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:26pm

You're welcome. I'm sure that's part of why it hits so deeply... But there's something else even I can't really explain. Especially because we're not overly close with that particular set of family. Less estranged than from the Alabama group on my dad's side, but we're not that close. One of those cousins lives in Princeton and we haven't even connected up in the almost 2 years I've lived here. It's very strange. The one I'm closest to is same side different branch, and she has her own emotional issues that are really severe ~ she's the one they're considering ECT for. Me? I'm so friggin "normal" my dad sent me to therapy when I was 12 and my "diagnosis" was 12 year old female. LOL.

So I don't know... Maybe it hits something inside that's just waiting to come out. Scary!!

edited to add: See you next Sunday race! :) and

Updated On: 3/9/08 at 08:26 PM

[Chris1973]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:40pm

I usually don't post on Jay's threads because we usually discuess right after the show and end up agreeing on how we feel about everything, so I don't want to just second everything he says, but this time I have to say I don't agree on a couple things. First of all I really liked Asa Sommers a lot. I thought he had a great voice and did a great job with the part. I thought all the male voices in this musical were just fantastic. I also really liked the set. I thought it worked really, really well with the story, and with the theater (the theater it played in sort of blended with the sets I thought, so I don't know if it would have worked just the same in an older theater...it works good with the modern, funky theater it's playing in). I agree with whoever said it's amazing they took such a deep and emotional subject, and actually made an entertaining show out of it. There was a lot of music, most of it really good, and it's not extremely long, so of course you can't overanalyze the finer points of the book...they were limited in this way, but I think they did it just right. The shortened dialogue scenes and the songs coming quick after each other kept it from becoming too depressing. It's a downer subject but not a downer show.

The actors were all really nice afterwards.

PS-hi Jordy !

[Chris1973]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:42pm

WAT, thanks, it was also great seeing you again as well ! We had a great time also.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 8:43pm

Hey Chris! :)

And it's ok, Y'all can call me Beth. I don't mind. :)

Updated On: 3/9/08 at 08:43 PM

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:01pm

I was at yesterdays matinee as well. I honestly hated the show. I thought it was awful. But I'm glad you enjoyed it! I saw Gypsy for the night show and that was AMAZING. So much better than Next to junk...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:04pm

Said the person who thinks Spring Awakening is the best musical ever written.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:09pm

There's more jumping in Spring Awakening that's why it's better.

[dave1606]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:10pm

I also don't think that Asa should be discounted so much. I agree that from the demo recordings that Rapp was better, but he still did a nice job with it!

also i LOVED that set. boo jay.

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:10pm

I saw the evening show yesterday. Didn't hate it but didn't like it..the show itself that is. The talent was wonderful. Brian D'Arcy & Alice Ripley were very good.

I did like the story and the twists and the ending, but I feel like it would've worked better as a straight play. The score was nice at parts, but for the most part it didn't work for me. The rest of the audience went nuts last night though.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:13pm

Great, great, GREAT review, Jay!

Love the pics, too, btw - Especially my darling Jenn.


Best,
- Mike

[jordangirl]

Posted: 3/9/08 at 9:20pm

frogs_fan85... AND they touch themselves in Spring Awakening. That probably ups the "better" factor.