Next to Normal Coming to Broadway!!- Page 2

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:37pm

Oh I will be such a happy boy to have Alice back on Broadway!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:41pm

I think it'll come down to Janney vs Ripley. Ripley is, quite simply, a revelation. Janney is (and I'm not trying to downplay this) very funny and entertaining.

I hope they chose the right woman to win.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:42pm

Josefina Scaglione cannot be counted out yet. She received raves out of town.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:43pm

I'm surprised it's coming.

Didn't they need more time for more rewrites???

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:45pm

well then Ljay i guess it comes down to whether or not Josefina is a better actress than ALice because in many reviews (of both productions) it has been said that Alice is giving the performance of her career.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:45pm

Alice's performance was one of the best performances I've ever seen on the stage.

And they did the extensive rewriting between 2ST and Arena Stages. I think at this point it's just tweaking. The Arena Stages reviews (at least the ones I read) were all out and out raves.
Updated On: 2/16/09 at 08:45 PM

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:48pm

it was pretty clear that what was at Arena was the finished product, i mean, why would they make the recoding if they were going to continue rewriting it?

[legally_popular]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:49pm

Yeah, there'll definitely be lots of great female contenders this year for both Leading and Featured actress - WSS, N2N, 9to5. If Janney gets nominated for Leading there is no doubt that Ripley will be her toughest competitor (if she deservedly gets a nom too). I hope Block and Hilty are Featured nominees then along with Karen from WSS. Damn, I have no idea who I'd root for. [sorry for that rant/threadjack].

If this news is true, I will jump for joy. With both 9 to 5 AND Next to Normal opening this Spring, I will go broke for sure.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 8:50pm

That's about as close to an announcement as we can get!

VERY EXCITED!

You'd think that if they were opening the end of next month we'd have heard officially already!

PLEASE, please let this be true!!!

[jake6970]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:12pm

It will be a tragedy if Alice doesn't win.
Updated On: 2/16/09 at 09:12 PM

[snl89]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:18pm

kjasdlfjlaksdf

FINA-FREAKING-LLY.

It really, REALLY needs to be true. Like.. a need a little bit more confirmation, just to make sure. Right now.


(that said, I do worry with the present state of the economy that it wouldn't do well at all. But who am I kidding? I NEED TO SEE THIS SHOW AGAIN. Didn't get to see it in DC, and I just.. need to see it again)

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:20pm

I stand corrected. I wasn't aware the theater had been refurbished. And I never said it was on the "wrong side" of Broadway. I know where it is, I ushered there several years ago when GOLDEN CHILD played there. It just always seemed (at least at that time) that it was a somewhat "forgotten" theater. Glad to see how beautiful it is now. I still worry that a three level theater won't flow with the show, but maybe so. I'm just thrilled to see the show continue on.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:21pm

I really think this show has the potential to be a huge hit in the same vein as SPRING AWAKENING or RENT. Or be a massive failure. I don't think there will be any middleground. Something tells me to have faith though...I think this show could surprise everyone and be a huge success.

[iamdangoodman]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:24pm

Yahoo!!

Just to echo here:
* If you didn't see it at Arena Stage, you haven't seen it yet.
* If Aaron wasn't going to do the run, they wouldn't have him on the cast album. Plus it's the same producer as WICKED, so this can't be a surprise to anyone involved.
* I haven't seen Alison Janney (and I've got such a crush from West Wing days) but Alice Ripley's gonna be hard to beat at this point!

Yes, Virginia, there is an Easter Bunny!

[snl89]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:28pm

if you didn't see it at Arena Stage, you haven't seen it yet

TOTALLY aware of that. Mostly because I've heard the audio, and I already know the changes they made make the show like... TONS TONS better. Which is why I could NOT be happier that it is transfering!! <3

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:29pm

Well, gaaaargh! I never get to see Broadway shows, and this one came to MY turf, DC-- and I missed it. My friends all said it was fantastic. As usual, Schmerg's out of the Broadway loop.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:35pm

I haven't seen this show, but I really hope it's an accurate portrayal of bipolar disorder.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:44pm

It's not.

It wasn't, at least, when I saw it in NY.

[manic_magic_n2n2]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:49pm

AH I HAVE SPENT ALL NIGHT FREAKING OUT BUT MY OLD BWW ACCOUNT WASN'T LETTING ME LOG IN! NEEDED TO CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT.

I AM ECSTATIC. i have spent the past three+ hours freaking out and crying and hyperventalating.

and to reply to the suggestion that "it's not an accurate depiction of bipolar disorder," keep in mind that being bipolar is not diana's only problem. she has a complicated illness that encompasses more than just bipolar disorder.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:51pm

Is it said that she is Bi Polar? Because I think it's written to be much "worse" than that. She's actually dilussional.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:52pm

Well I haven't seen it. So no spoilers please.

I just hope this show is more accurate to bipolar than Rent was to AIDS. Updated On: 2/16/09 at 09:52 PM

[legally_popular]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:55pm

"I really think this show has the potential to be a huge hit in the same vein as SPRING AWAKENING or RENT. Or be a massive failure. I don't think there will be any middleground. Something tells me to have faith though...I think this show could surprise everyone and be a huge success."

That's exactly what I think and said in a thread in the past. I think it has the potential to gain a large fanbase. However, a show can't survive on just its fans. I think it will either be another Spring Awakening or another [title of show]. I hope it runs for a good year or two at least and wish it the best of luck.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:56pm

I hope this isn't spoiling anything, but the Alice Ripley character, from what I hear, had bipolar disorder and had serious hallucinations as well left over from some traumatic experience she'd had years back. So everything would be affected by that, and it wouldn't really be a portrait of pure bipolar.

manic_magic, what was your old username?

[snl89]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 9:58pm

It's not.

It wasn't, at least, when I saw it in NY.


They made some VERY significant changes between 2st and Arena :)

Granted, I don't necessarily think it's SUPPOSED to be a super obvious case of Bipolar disorder. As has been mentioned, there's much more to it.

But I do personally feel- just based off of the audio- it's a pretty darn good representation of mental illness. It's a bit of a mesh of different mental illnesses, but I like that about it. I think in real life not all mental illness IS that concrete.




As for success, I'm REALLY REALLY hoping you guys are right :) I would have LITTLE doubt that it would have the ability to do at least pretty well, except that with the economy... I just don't know that ANY small original show could do well right now. If it wins some big Tonys that could definitely help, but even still.. it's such a tough time right now. Although, In The Heights seems to be holding up, so I could be wrong! I hope I am!

Updated On: 2/16/09 at 09:58 PM

[changinandhow]

Posted: 2/16/09 at 10:00pm

Exactly, Schmerg. There is a scene in the show now where Diana tells the psychiatrist she was diagnosed bipolar, "only it turned out bipolar didn't totally cover it."
Updated On: 2/16/09 at 10:00 PM