Happy Opening "Next to Normal!!!- Page 4

[snl89]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 10:59pm

that's the perfect way to describe it, actually. He's always present.

[Craww]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:44am

I'm so thankful all those rumors about Skylar Astin as Henry were wrong. So. very. thankful.

[Craww]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 1:55am

He was in a workshop, yes. There were rumors in the Spring Awakening community that he was cast for the Off Broadway run. I didn't see him, so I have no idea how he did. He probably did fine, I'm just biased in that he strikes me as massively disingenuous (which is the exact thing that would make Henry unbearable for me).

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:13am

I'm so glad it's NOT Annaleigh. I may not be totally sold on Jennifer, but Annaleigh just sounds way too nasaly for my ears. I'd have gone once to see Alice and Brian, but if she was in it...it would have been tough. (I'm so bummed she's in Wicked while Stephanie J. Block is because I would LOVE to see Stephanie, but I honestly don't think I can stomach Annaleigh.)

[snl89]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 6:02am

I'm so thankful all those rumors about Skylar Astin as Henry were wrong. So. very. thankful.

haha, see I def assumed that when he was "involved in readings" he was involved with the role of Gabriel, and the first thing I thought when I heard those rumors was "kjdfklasjdf YES, his I'm Alive would be FIERCE!!". But um, yeah, I feel no need for him to be in it anymore :P (I DO love him and his voice though)



The cool thing about the whole Annaleigh vs. Jenn thing is that I feel like they changed Natalie's role so much that I can really look at them seperately without feeling the need to compare them. I LOVED Annaleigh for the character the way it was when she did it, and I LOVE Jenn for the character the way it is now. I can't really imagine Annaleigh doing the more "dorky" Natalie, and I don't know that I could necasserily imagine Jenn doing the more "rebel" Natalie. Oh and plus, they BOTH have gorgeous voices so I'm pretty neutral there as well :)



So yeah, basically if Anthony was still Dr. Madden it would be like a PERFECT cast in my eyes. It's darn near perfect as it is, it's just if I have to choose between Anthony and Asa, I'm gonna go with Anthony.

Updated On: 2/14/08 at 06:02 AM

[alliez92092]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:06pm

I just don't see Annaleigh playing Natalie the way she's written now. She was great when Natalie was more of the bitchy, sarcastic character, but I just don't think she could have pulled off the changes that have been made. Annaleigh seems to be a character actor, and this new Natalie is much more realistic.

I miss the song, "I've Been" as well because it was insanely pretty, but it wouldn't work with the changes that have been made. I'm personally very glad they cut all of the extra suicide attempts because it was just a bit much.

[snl89]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:52pm

yeah, the cutting of the extra suicide attempts made the show SOOO much lighter and just.. better. Even just changing that one line in the end from "reports long time endogenous depression. First time seeking help" to "patient 'just wants to talk'" makes it seem so much more hopefull and like.. even though things are still pretty hard, there's a sense that they're getting better. With the old line, it just kind of brought you down even more. And with Natalie's whole story too. I love that now there is someone there for her who KEEPS her from going over the edge. It's kind of like she's the first to get better, and so she helps her parents (or at least Dan) to start getting better.

It's just much nicer I think. I'm totally fine with non-happy endings, but there IS a limit to how much drama can go into one show I think without it going overboard, and Feeling Electric had been walking the line a bit. But Next To Normal is much more balanced.



and I agree about Annaleigh, by the way!

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 5:30pm

Announced extension

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25179

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 5:34pm

YES!!!! So excited!!! I shall be buying tickets for 2 of the shows tomorrow. :)

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 10:58pm

Crap! I won't be in the City 'til the 18th! Is the show selling well enough to warrant another extension?

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 2:34pm

Speaking of the 2nd Stage Workshop Cast, I would have been really interested to see Phoebe Strole's Natalie.

[snl89]

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

^I actually would too! I think it would be really interesting to see what she did with the character. Plus it'd be cool to see how she sounds, because she has a very different voice than both Annaleigh and Jenn :)