Saw NEXT TO NORMAL First Preview in DC Nov. 21

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 2:33am

I really liked the show last Spring at Second Stage. I thought it needed work, but overall thought it was bold, exhilarating and off-beat (which I tend to favor).

I was hoping to see an "improved" production tonight, but I think the changes weaken the show. I spoke VERY briefly to Michael Greif during Intermission because I had to tell him that he directed my favorite musical of all time (aka GREY GARDENS) and let him know I had seen N2N in NYC. He asked me what i thought of the changes in Act I, and I told him what I missed. (Not that what I think matters.) He said he wanted to hear what I thought after Act II, but he was way too busy giving notes to the cast and crew afterwards, so I didn't bother him. But since he asked, I gave a lot of thought to why I didn't care for the changes.

In a nutshell, the story is much flatter and darker, which presents a problem because the strength of the piece was in its ability to lift you very high and then drop you so far below. Anyone who has experienced the birth and then loss of a child understands the vast contrast of those emotions--and how REAL it is; I felt the NY production did that very effectively. (I mean in no way to trivialize anyone else's experience regarding profound joy juxtaposed with abject sorrow by referencing my own.)

I felt before that the arc needed to be clearer and doing so was within reach, but I don't think that's been achieved with this production.

The performances were all wonderful. I think Booby Spencer will do quite well as Dan in the weeks to come. He sings the part beautifully, and he's such an able actor. For a first-time performance, it was really fine, but the power Brian D'Arcy James brought to the role just isn't there yet. There's not enough tension between him and Diana yet. But that's not really his fault. (More on that later.)

The young people in the show are so much more finely defined here than they were in New York, so the performances by Aaron Tveit, Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler-Berat are even more dynamic than before. All three seemed flawless to me tonight; whereas, at Second Stage they didn't all come across as convincingly. (Bravo to the "teenagers"!)

It may also have to do with the fact that most of the more drastic changes really have to do with the adult characters. Perhaps they're still developing and revising the grown-ups (although Michael Greif did not make it sound like they were still "reconstructing" the show at all at this point.) Whatever the reason, the conflict among the adults is weaker. I really like Louis Hobson. He has a lovely voice and a very strong presence, but it seems to me that they've tried to make the doctor less of a caricature and more a "third party" in a triangular relationship, which just doesn't work because it's confusing where the "triangulation" really is. Is it Diana/Dan/Dr. Madden? Diana/Dan/Gabe? Diana/Dan, Natalie, Dr. Madden/Gabe? The triangle becomes more of a trapezoid or a rhombus or something! (Geometry was NOT my best subject.)

I wish they had left in "Feeling Electric" because the first act ends most abruptly and there is no, "I wonder what's going to happen next" feeling during Intermission. I am not supporting the idea that ECT should be made fun of, but I think there is a way to make this number less about that and more about some of the more "questionable" aspects of current treatment in general. Some of the most effective drama is clothed in comedy, but it has to be very carefully executed.

I adore Alice Ripley and have been a fan of hers for ages. She can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. She's a great actress and a sensational singer. I'd pay to hear her read "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," so I will be back later in the run to see her in N2N...and to see how the show evolves from tonight forward.

I am curious to hear what anyone else who was there tonight thinks.

Updated On: 11/22/08 at 02:33 AM

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 2:53am

Is it true that I've Been is back in the show?


I'm a little sad to hear that Feeling Electric is gone but it really was problematic.


I'm so nervous about what's been changed. I saw the show 5 times at 2ST so I got to see it evolve there (and had seen it at NYMF in 06). I'm going 3 days before Christmas.



I hope its improved.



and i PRAY we get an official recording and that it comes back to NY in the near future.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 3:00am

"I've Been" is supposed to be back in the show, but it wasn't tonight. It's even listed in the program.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 3:03am

I'm glad this show evolved positively since i saw a dreadful public workshop in Seattle when it was titled "Feeling Electric".

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 3:12am

oh god i hope they didn't cut it again.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 3:21am

I love the music. I forgot to mention anything about that.

I'm just afraid they're trying to make the show so "mainstream" that it's become "bland."

"Feeling Electric" was risky. The show's not risky anymore.

[changinandhow]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:13am

Wait, "I've Been" was definitely there tonight. Between "There's A World" and "Didn't I See This Movie".

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:27am

Oh thank god.

Could someone post a song list?

i know some things have different names and we've heard that FE i out now.("Everything" has a new name now i remember reading)

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:42am

I was going to review this tommorow miss pennywise, but you nailed it. I feel the same way.

After following this show from the second NYMF performance in 2005, I have to say that it's come a long way.

It's really a shame that Feeling Electric was taken out of the show. It gave the show a real jolt (no pun intended) going into the end of Act I. "Wish I Was Here" is a poor substitute.

I also agree that the character development at this stage of the show is amazing. For the first time, I feel that all of these characters complete and real, not just Diana.

Bobby is not quite there yet as Dan, but I am certain he will find his way in this role.

My biggest kudos go to Alice. After seeing her twice at Second Stage in this role, I was shocked (again, no pun intended) in how intensely she does it. She is F-I-E-R-C-E! It's a million miles away from Amy Spanger's portrayal in 2005.

I am really looking forward to seeing this show again soon, and hoping that "Feeling Electric" returns.

[exedore]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:59am

They...cut...Feeling Electric?

That was my favourite song in the whole show. Gotta agree with Pennywise here, songs like FE made the show edgy and interesting. While the 2ST revisions were largely for the better, this is going a step too far, as though Kitt and Yorkey don't know how to stop making changes and the end result is going to be an over-edited mess.

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:52am

If the show needs a song like FE to be edgy then the edginess was nothing but a gimmick.


I'm gonna trust these changes are for the best. I was very against MANY of the changes that had occurred when i first saw N2N but realized it was in almost every case, a change for the positive. I've loved Feeling Electric since i heard it back it NYMF but the song was problematic at N2N. They futzed with it throughout the run and the tone never really worked. Its a great song, its just doesn't fit with the rest of the show (especially after they cut Open Your Eyes it didn't fit with the the Dr. Madden Character anymore). They've been at this for 10 years now, its their baby, I don't see them doing something to hinder its progression NOW. Updated On: 11/22/08 at 05:52 AM

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:59am

ACT I

Prelude (Light)..Band

Just Another Day..Diana,Natalie,Gabe,Dan
Everything Else..Natalie

Who's Crazy/My Pscychopharmacologist and I..Diana,Dan,Dr. Fine,Voices

Perfect For You..Henry,Natalie

I Miss The Mountains..Diana

It's Gonna Be Good..Dan,Gabe,Henry,Natalie,Diana

He's Not Here..Dan

You Don't Know..Diana

I Am The One..Dan,Gabe

Superboy and The Invisble Girl..Natalie,Diana,Gabe

I'm Alive..Gabe

Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling..Dr. Madden,Diana,Dan,Natalie,Gabe

I Dreamed A Dance..Diana

There's A World..Gabe

I've Been..Dan,Gabe

Didn't I See This Movie?..Diana

A Light In The Dark..Dan,Diana

Act II

Wish I Was Here..Diana,Natalie and Company

Song Of Forgetting..Dan,Diana,Natalie

Hey #1..Henry,Natalie

Seconds and Years..Dr. Madden,Dan,Diana

Better Than Before..Dr. Madden,Dan,Natalie,Diana

Aftershocks..Gabe

Hey #2..Henry,Natalie

You Don't Know (Reprise)..Diana,Dr. Madden

How Could I Ever Forget?..Diana,Dan

It's Gonna Be Good (Reprise)..Dan,Diana

Why Stay?..Diana,Natalie

A Promise..Dan,Henry

I'm Alive (Reprise)..Gabe

The Break..Diana

Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling (Reprise)..Dr. Madden,Diana,Gabe

Mabye..Diana,Natalie

Hey #3/Perfect For You (Reprise)..Henry,Natalie

So Anyway..Diana

I Am The One (Reprise)..Gabe and Dan

Light..Dr. Madden and Company

Updated On: 11/22/08 at 05:59 AM

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 6:11am

Hmm, Growing up unstable is gone. Well that's depressing.

Is Seconds and Years just Getting Better (the song that came before Aftershocks at 2ST) with a different name or did they actually go back to the NYMF song Four Seconds, Sixteen Years (which was truncanted and partially used Getting Better)?

I assume Everything Else is some sort of replacement for F*CKing Perfect and features the meeting of Natalie and Henry?


Doesn't look like any of the song "i couldn't live without" got cut, which is nice, and that one of the ones that "I couldn't live without" that got the axe before 2ST is back.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 7:26am

GROWING UP UNSTABLE is GONE??????

WTF?????

It worked and was a really stand-out moment!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 7:48am

Superboy and Invisible Girl is the best song in the show.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 8:24am

Two of my favorite songs are gone. :/

[jaystarr]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 9:08am

Thanks Miss Pennywise! I am happy to hear that you had a great time seeing N2N.
I hope the best for the cast. I love the show and I only wish the best for it. Cant wait for the 'official' recording!

J*
Updated On: 11/22/08 at 09:08 AM

[bwayrocks_ca]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 11:13am

I was also at the first preview last night. Let me say first that I tried to see this show 3 times in NYC last year, but it was sold out every time. So, last night was my first time seeing the show (and I purposefully did not read about the story before seeing it).

I LOVED it. I was completely shocked when we learn about Gabe. I felt many emotions, high and low, last night. I can not compare it to the the arc of the Second Stage production, but in this production, I really felt Diana's emotional struggle which I think is mostly a testiment to Alice's brilliance. I also thought that Dan's character was well-developed through the show.

It took me a long time to understand Dan and Diana's relationship, but by the 2nd act, I realized that they did love each other. I did not like the development of relationship between Natalie and Henry. Maybe it was just me, but I did not buy into Henry loving Natalie that much (especially at 16/17 years old). Also, I did not feel for Natalie at all - she honestly seemed like a brat to me for giving her parents such a hard time and being so cold to them during the first act. In general though, I felt the two actors playing Henry and Natalie were not strong enough in comparison to the others.

I really enjoyed the music and most of the lyrics. However, there were a few lyrics that struck me as very strange (and somewhat not real for the characters). I can't think of a specific example right now.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this show and will be returning towards the end of the run to see the changes (and especially to see Ms. Ripley again because she really was amazing).

Final note: the strobe lights just about blinded me at the beginnig of the ECT therapy, and I'll remember to cover my eyes next time.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 12:55pm

It's sometimes hard to identify the songs since much of the show is sung-through. There is a song listed in the program that was not in the show. Maybe someone else can help me out.

I don't think "Feeling Electric" was a gimmick. And that's not what I said. If you only read my short post about that song's "riskiness" than you missed the more developed point I made earlier.

There is a contrast of emotions that is heightened thanks to the insertion of "Feeling Electric" which is now missing. That song takes you away from the supreme sorrow of the storyline "momentarily," which absolutely deepens the emotional response you have in Act II. (BTW, I'm not talking about the part of the scene where she was in that "Tracy Turnblad" bed and given the shock treatment. That definitely needed to be reworked. But how they have her receiving it now doesn't work either. It's a tough thing to pull off, but I have faith in their ability to figure something else out.)

Anyone who read any of my posts about this show last Spring knows how much I revere N2N. Even this time, I cried through all of Act II, but I don't feel the show is "stronger" or that the changes are for the "better." If you're so blinded by your love for a show that you can't be objective, then what difference does it make WHAT they do to it? You're going to "defend" it to your dying day. I happen to love the show, but see its weaknesses as well as its promise. I want it to improve and succeed. I just didn't see that last night.

I felt the opposite about GREY GARDENS. I thought that the changes from OB made for a brilliant transfer to Broadway. Not everyone agrees with me, but we still agree on our love for the show, no matter what form it takes. It's the same here. I didn't say, "I now HATE this show." I just don't think, overall, that it's improved.

[lstbutifulgrl2]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:12pm

I too saw the first preview last night in DC.

Having saw the show a number of times at 2ST, i fell in love with it and was nervous about the changes. But I LOVED them. I felt the entire story was more defined. I was really nervous about J. Robert Spencer, because I adored Brian in the role. As soon as "I Am the One" was over, I was happy with Bobby. As mentioned, he still has room to grow, but he is good as Dan. "I've Been" was the song that broke me. This show has always gotten to me on an very emotional level, but being in the front row for that song, wow.

This is the first time I actually liked Jen's portrayal of Natalie. She has grown into this role very well. And although I am disappointed in the cut of "Growing Up Unstable", she does well throughout.

The only song I noticed in the Playbill that was incorrect, was they had "Wish I Was Here" listed as the Act 1 finale.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 4:48pm

AARGH... 21 days. I just have to hold on for 21 days!!!!! *cries*

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:17pm

Has the set changed any?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:18pm

Jordangirl, you can live vicariously through us! Besides, you will see an even better show in 3 weeks' time!

[lstbutifulgrl2]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:19pm

the set hasn't changed all that much, it was a little more narrow than the set at 2st and they didn't used the top 3rd as much, it looked really cramped up there. didn't really look like aaron could stand up straight.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 11/22/08 at 5:23pm

I know, I know Miss Pennywise!! I went to hang out last night with other people doing NaNoWriMo to try and distract myself from knowing what was happening in NoVa...but I was just twitchy and manic (the Jameson and diet Coke didn't help matters there). So I ended up coming home and writing for a while.

Tonight is a random...I'm guessing off-off-Broadway show. More attempts to distract myself. LOL.