Anyone seen NEXT TO NORMAL tonite?- Page 2

[MissAnneThrop]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 12:47pm

can someone post a song list?

[RoseStopnikCooks]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 12:57pm

A Cast Recording is already in the works. Alice Ripley told us after the performance that they already signed a contract to do it. They're all assuming that it's Sh-K-Boom, considering Kitt has a good history with them.

---

Saw the show last night and enjoyed a great deal of it. A lot of the performances are stunning, though Alice Ripley's is a tad uneven at this point. Her voice is in fine shape and she sounds as incredible as ever. But she does seem unsure of the acting at certain points - something that will be an easy fix once she's more secure in herself up there after a few more solid runs. Brian D'arcy James and the rest of the supporting cast all give fine performances, as well.... except for Asa Somers. Dry, boring, and the most expressionless face in the world do not help him at all. It's a shame he's got such a great voice because there's nothing else going on there at all.

The set is EXTREMELY intricate - almost too much for my taste. There's a lot going on, and Grief's direction (or lack thereof) has action taking place in every piece of the stage. For anyone in the front row, or anyone who is not familiar with the show at all, they might find it all a tad hard to follow.

The lighting design, like SPRING AWAKENING'S, is exquisite. It needs some touch-ups, but for a first preview it's really beautiful.

Kitt and Yorkey have a GOOD piece on their hands. With a week's worth of work, it could be an INCREDIBLE piece. Grief needs to start filtering his work. He needs to make cuts and stop directing things just to please his eye and TELL THE STORY. There is FAR too much SHOW going on and not enough TELL.

Overall, this is Alice's show. I'd suggest waiting til mid-previews if you have no idea what it's about. My best friend loved FEELING ELECTRIC, though I don't know it at all except for a few songs. I had SOME idea of what I was in for, but was confused for a lot of the first act.

MINOR SPOILER



Alice Ripley's "I Miss the Mountains" and "Anyway, I'm Leaving" are the show's highlights. "Feeling Electric", which ends the first act, has the potential (with a little editing on Grief's staging) to be the best number in the show.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:02pm

I can actually try but I'm not sure what some of the songs are called because there was no list in the playbill - so some of these are name guesses. Actually this may not even be right but its a good guess.

SPOILERS (I guess... if you don't want to know)


************************

Act I:
Let There Be Light
Just Another Day
Perfect
Costco
Who Is Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I
Perfect for You
I Miss the Mountains
It's Gonna Be Good
He's Not Here
You Don't Know
I Am the One
Superboy and the Invisible Girl
Open Your Eyes
I'm Alive
Catch Me I'm Falling
I Dreamed A Dance
There's a World
Didn't I See This Movie
Light in the Dark
Feeling Electric


Act II:
Growing Up Unstable
Song of Forgetting
*Song that i have NO idea what it is called*
Getting Better
Aftershocks
*reprise of above song that I don't know what it is*
I Don't Know
How Could I Ever Forget
It's Gonna Be Good (reprise)
Why Stay?
I'm Alive (reprise)
The Break
Catch Me I'm Falling (reprise)
Next to Normal (guessing this is what this song was called)
Perfect for You (reprise)
So Anyway
I Am the One (reprise)
Let There Be Light

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:11pm

And after typing that out *whew* my thoughts... SOME SPOILERS

It seemed very pulled together for a first preview - I can't even imagine how great its going to be after a week or two. The cast was across the board solid though I will agree with those who think Asa looked a bit uncomfortable... but I think its probably something that will be remedied with more performances.

Alice Ripley and Brian D'Arcy James were both stunning - both of them know when to hold STILL on a stage - and there were several moments where they did just that instead of overemoting and I found it very emotionally effective. And they both sound incredible. I love their voices. And Alice has remarkable comic timing which really keeps the show from veering into the overly emo side of things.

There were some really effective moments emotionally - "I Miss the Mountains", "Light in the Dark", and Brian's "I Am the One" reprise... very very nice.

I agree that the first act could use a little trimming - and I think what should go is some of the songs between Henry and Natalie - they could be shortened, they seemed to go on a bit longer than necessary - but not either of Natalie's individual songs, which I thought were used very effectively, I liked what they did with "Growing Up Unstable" especially.

It was really good. I can't even imagine what its going to be like in a week or two. And my JAW was hanging open during the "Feeling Electric" number - FANTASTIC.

AGAIN SPOILERS but..
I'm unsure of what I think about how the ending was handled. Song is right, intention is right, not sure I was ok with the very final staging.. it seemed ambiguous, I turned to my friend when it was over and we were trying to decide if that was supposed to be them all "metaphorically" together or what...ok that doesn't make any sense but whatever.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 01:11 PM

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:16pm

Kevin Kern is in "Next to Normal?"

I was looking at it the other day and thought it looked interesting, but it's an added bonus if he is in it. He fell off the face of the earth for a year!

How long did the show run last night? I'm sure it will get shorter and tighter, but I'm hoping to catch it soon...

[RoseStopnikCooks]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:22pm

SPOILERS

I enjoyed GROWING UP UNSTABLE, Lea, but I think they need a better start to the second act.

Re: the end? Well, I think it's far too ambiguous. It's a very "Song of Purple Summer" moment right now. At first I thought she comes home, but then I had no clue.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:40pm

I'm glad somebody else thought the end was ambiguous, we were afraid it was just us. I feel like that could be easily fixed.

Do you think the second act would be served better by opening not with Growing Up Unstable and skipping it - or do you think a new song would work better?

[RoseStopnikCooks]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:46pm

I think it should just be skipped or placed somewhere else. The second act would be fine to start right after GROWING UP UNSTABLE.

[joniray]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:55pm

No "Blue Skies and Sunshine?"

I really liked how they opened the second act with "Song of Forgetting" at NYMF. I thought it really set the mood for the second act and got me emotionally right back into the story. I find the idea of opening the second act with "Growing Up Unstable" rather odd. I thought it was a great sort-of introductory song for Natalie in the first act.

Kind of worried about the ending. I thought the last half of the second act in NYMF was pretty much perfect, and the audience I was with seemed to be really moved by it as it was, so I'm surprised that they have messed with it.

Oh well, guess I'll see for myself in a couple of weeks.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 1:59pm

I like that Natalie has been substantially introduced before she sings Growing Up Unstable, actually. Natalie's undergone perhaps the most drastic change since the NYMF production, but I'm pleased with the shift in her character. They've also strengthened the parallels between Diana and Natalie, which may be the reasoning behind having Natalie open the second act.

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:11pm

True, Emcee. I really enjoyed the new characterization and subsequent parallels. It made for a more...hopeful outlook? I think that's one reason that this production has a bit more of a balance between the light and dark elements. Before, Diana and Natalie's relationship seemed irreparable so there was this never-ending feeling of loss throughout the piece, on top of the specifics presented. This time around, there's more optimism.

I tend to enjoy the dark, but the change was effective. But maybe that is what is taking away that edge from the second act.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:12pm

Right, I agree -- and I think that comes from sort of... having foresight. Knowing where you're headed and being able to stop it before you get to the point of no return.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:22pm

guys, lets just call the ending what it was, a cluster****. It's clearly the weak spot of the show at this point and needs to be reworked, fast. The last half of the second act at NYMF was devastating and perfect, the last half of the second act here was weak and confusing (and therefore disappointing). I mean maybe i was just a big wuss 27 months ago, but i remember crying for the last 40 minutes of the show at NYMF and last night crying for about 5 minutes 30 minutes before the end of the show.



ETA

I don't like the way they've reworked natalie's character.

SPOILERS


I liked it better when at NYMF cause she had the fear of turning into her mother, and you could believe that she actually would so you got that fear. But here, I NEVER believe that natalie will become like her mother. And yeah, the relationship between the 2 at NYMF was more strained and it worked very well.
Updated On: 1/17/08 at 02:22 PM

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:26pm

I'm supposed to be seeing this in about 2 weeks - very excited!

I realize it'll change between now and then between all the tweaks and cuts, but what's the running time for the show at this point?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:29pm

Earlier post said it ran about 2:15.

Thanks to everyone for posting their thoughts: I'm seeing it Saturday night: I think this is the earliest I've ever seen a show in previews. VERY excited!

Will report in....and I'm a N2N virgin...other than the 'buzz' I have no previous connection to the material.

48 hours!

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:29pm

Thanks for the reviews everyone, can't wait to see this tomorrow (and over, and over...)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:39pm

For someone who has no previous experience with the material and is seeing it in a week, anyone mind briefly summarizing the plot and characters?

My thanks.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:48pm

I want a demo for the Score......pretty please......

J*

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 2:52pm

well without giving away too much. It tells the story of a suburban family with some problems. Diana (the mother) is heavily medicated and dealing with some serious emotional/mental problems and it has a negative effect on her relationships with the rest of the family.

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:01pm

Liverpool, I don't want to call it a cluster**** because to me, it wasn't - I feel like the last number could use some reworking but I'm not going to call it that. I'm sorry you felt that way but.. I didn't and neither did any of the people I was with.

I agree with most of the changes - and I also feel that while the show was for sure more "emo" at NYMF that it was almost at unsustainable levels - it made me feel sick. Not like that's a bad thing but I don't feel like it was wrong of them to change it, either.

I loved Feeling Electric... and I love Next to Normal.. but they seem like different shows to me. I like how they changed the name of the show - probably hoping to make a seperation between them.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:05pm

how can you not call the end a cluster****? It was Confusing, misleading and completely ignored facts from the rest of the show.


SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS


You can't have a dead 17 year old baby that only Diana can see (and dan right near the end) that suddenly everyone INCLUDING THE BOYFRIEND AND DOCTOR suddenly embrace like he's there. oh and did i forget to mention DIANA DOESN'T COME BACK or atleast she didn't used to. The end made ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE was simply a sacchrine filled mood booster for those who couldn't hack the emotional investment of the original ending.
Updated On: 1/17/08 at 03:05 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:15pm

Hi alliez-

I cannot respond to your pm... yours was not turn on....

J*

[alliez92092]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:28pm

It wasn't? Sorry. Just say yes or no here :)

Also, people should join the Next to Normal facebook group. I sound totally juvenile. Whatever. hahaha

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:28pm

Yes...

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 3:42pm

So what's the difference between the two pieces? How did the original end?