NEXT TO NORMAL Reviews — Page 2

It's good to have a difference of opinion. As my Latin teacher in high school always used to say, "The exception proves the rule."

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The New York Times (Brantley reviewing) is up and it's A RAVE:
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/theater/reviews/16norm.html

"No show on Broadway right now makes as direct a grab for the heart or wrings it as thoroughly as Next to Normal does. This brave, breathtaking musical, which opened Wednesday night at the Booth Theater, focuses squarely on the pain that cripples the members of a suburban family, and never for a minute does it let you escape the anguish at the core of their lives.

Next to Normal does not, in other words, qualify as your standard feel-good musical. Instead this portrait of a manic-depressive mother and the people she loves and damages is something much more: a feel-everything musical, which asks you, with operatic force, to discover the liberation in knowing where it hurts....

As for the Mom that everyone loves and loathes, Ms. Ripley is giving what promises to be the musical performance of the season. Her achingly exposed-seeming face and sweet, rawness-tinged voice capture every glimmer in Diana's kaleidoscope of feelings. Anger, yearning, sorrow, guilt and the memory of what must have been love seem to coexist in every note she sings."

Updated On: 4/15/09 at 10:18 PM

That review is more than very positive. That's an all out RAVE.

That's a great review from the Times.

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I am SO happy about that.

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WOW!!!!

That's such an exciting review. That is an out and out rave!!!!! YAY!!!!

That should help them sell a lot of tickets!

Great!

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Yayyyyyyyy!! If there's any show that deserves a rave like that, it's N2N.

Looks like Ripley has finally found a part as exciting as her talent.
Brantley writes one of his readable reviews,
Way to shake up a season NORMAL!

Updated On: 4/15/09 at 10:40 PM

Brantley's review seemed like a big long case for NEXT TO NORMAL for Best Musical. Basically, he said that the show is better than BILLY ELLIOT in the first sentence ("No show on Broadway right now makes as direct a grab for the heart - or wrings it as thoroughly - as "Next to Normal" does...")

In other words, that was a more-than-great review. That review was a keeper. Thank you, Mr. Brantley.

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Updated On: 4/15/09 at 10:52 PM

Whoa- Go Brantley ! Congrats to Alice and the entire cast.

Makes me wonder if Brantley has anything left for 9 to 5.

Brantley's review seemed like a big long case for NEXT TO NORMAL for Best Musical. Basically, he said that the show is better than BILLY ELLIOT in the first sentence ("No show on Broadway right now makes as direct a grab for the heart - or wrings it as thoroughly - as "Next to Normal" does...")


I agree.

Thank god.

And can we stop saying "This is going to win the Tony" and "This review means that this show is better than that show" and just rejoice in what IS? Who cares about the Tonys? Care about these reviews...they're excellent!

Congrats to all!

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