Next to Normal Matinée (12/22)

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:09am

This is my 4th time seeing the show, and I have to commend the audience I didn't hear one cellphone. This is the second time is saw it with the new cast. I think there was a problem with the microphones because all the voices except Marin and Kyle's were drowned out.

Marin was amazing again, she handled the comedy better and she stopped the over exaggerated crying, which I appreciated. The person I was with though she was amazing as well.

Jason cleaned up his first act and I thought was much better than the first time I saw him.

Meghann did great too, but again she seemed like she was doing Jennifer Damiano's performance.

Kyle stole the show, that's all I could say. He was perfect.

Louis was at his best I believe, and regarding Adam I agree with everyone else he seems really bored, but he cleaned it up in the second act.

Overall (other than the sound) it was great performance.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 11:14am

Saw the show a month ago and I couldn't agree more. Marin and Kyle steal the show and Adam looks insanely bored.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 11:52am

It's interesting that you say Meghann is just like Jenn. I thought that of her when she was covering the role, but now that it's hers I think she's actually grown leaps and bounds with the character in her own direction. I've asked her a few questions about her approach and it's way different than what Jenn was doing. Jenn's Natalie was more on the manic side, Meghann's Nat is really quite sad and reserved, I think.

Steven, I'm interested in your comment about Adam looking bored. I always find him very engaged and entertaining. Wonder if it was a low night for him. Maybe they forgot to use Kinnikinnick that night and used the real stuff...(obviously joking)

I don't mean any of this to sound snarky. Just love to have some lively conversation about a beautiful show.
Updated On: 12/23/10 at 11:52 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 1:24pm

Is it wrong for me to say that I think Marin and Jason are better than the originals? I've seen them three times now. Astounding performances. Glad you enjoyed the show.

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 1:44pm

"Is it wrong for me to say that I think Marin and Jason are better than the originals"

No and I couldn't agree more.

I do think, at this point, that Louis and Adam are just going through the motions.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 4:45pm

jv92,

I actually agree, Alice deserved that Tony, but if Marin was in the category with Alice the award would go to Marin.

Although it took Jason a while to clean up the first act I enjoyed just as much as I did Bobby.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 4:47pm

Marin and Alice are equal for me, however, very different interpretations of Diana. While I do like Jason, Bobby just seems far superior and TO ME, has better chemistry with Alice then Jason has with Marin (ironic, right?).

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 5:13pm

I prefer Marin over Alice, Bobby over Jason, Aaron over Kyle Dean, and Meghann over Jenn. Adam and Louis were strong as ever when I saw them last month. Both the OBC and the current cast were/are phenomenal, but I think the current cast has much more chemistry and believability as a family. They are my favorite cast overall.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:04am

Anyone else see MacKenzie go on? I love Meghann (and also loved Jenn) as Natalie, but MacKenzie, I must say, makes my "dream cast" - it's so clear that she's studied acting for a long time and really knows what she's doing up there. I thought she was absolutely astounding.

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:31am

I'm the only one I know who has seen her that liked her.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:33am

Really? Wow, I thought she was so impressive. Well, now you're not alone.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:35am

Meghann's Natalie didn't seem to pissed off as Jenn's. Jenn was just pissed ALL the time, to me, and it didn't seem to work as well. Then again, I did see Jenn towards the end of her run, so she may just have been over the show by that point.

And just to voice my opinion, of all the Dans that I've seen (Bobby, Michael Berry, Brian d'Arcy James, and Jason), I'm afraid that Bobby is my least favourite. He just didn't fit as well for me. And I'm of the group that prefers Marin over Alice. Blasphemy all around, I know.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:38am

Michael is my least favorite Dan, followed by Brian. Favorite is Bobby (not one can do it like him, in my opinion), then Jason.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:41am

See, and I LOVED Michael when I saw him. I'd um...heard some stuff from him before that performance, so I wasn't really STOKED to be seeing him that night. But he quickly proved me wrong, since he'd found a way to make the score work for him and drastically improved. Plus he had such great chemistry with Jessica as Diana.

With Bobby...I dunno. I never really felt as 'connected' with him and his struggles as I did with the others.

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 12:53am

dragon, I agree with you on Bobby and Michael. The last time I saw Michael as Dan I saw him with Jessica and their chemistry together was amazing. I think that other than all of the lasts I've seen that was my favorite performance of the show.

[SpellRENT777]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 3:58am

I was at the same matinee performance and it was also my fourth time, but my second on broadway. I had seen the tour twice before as well. For me, Marin and Alice do two completely different interpretations of Diana. Alice does her in a way that is more manic and weird, while Marin makes her like every other suburban housewife (down to certain hand motions). What is intereting about Alice is that she seems to have lost it while Marin is deeply hurt and devastated. With Alice, it feels like it she will never get better, but Marin has a bit of hope due to her still seeming a bit "normal". I like them both a lot and enjoy watching each of them.

I'm sorry, but I have such issues with Meghann's Natalie. She simply says the lines without emotion. She does have a lovely voice, but there is nothing behind it. I really can't see her arc. She is just as mad at her life in the beginning as she is when she is telling Diana that "next to normal" is all she wants. My first Natalie was Emma Hunton, and she completely brought down the house in my opinion. She had so much feeling behind everything she did, and you could see her go from stressed out, to strung out, to a bit more leveled. At this performance, there were even times when she cracked up a bit when interacting with Adam Chanler-Berat. Not my favorite.

Jason as Dan is amazing. Love his voice. Comparing him to Asa, he is much more tired of it, in a way. Asa still fights with Diana as Dan, especially when he tells Diana that there is nothing there when she sees Gabe again. Jason simply seems tired and worn out, which is a nice character choice, as it parallels with being worn out by Gabe's presence in his own life. Both do great things with the role.

Kyle is incredible. He really runs that stage. Where Meghann simply goes through the motions, Kyle has a purpose for what he is doing and does it 110%. Not to mention his voice is spectacular.

Louis really embodies a doctor and is completely believable. You think he really knows what he is talking about. Adam is amazing as Henry. I've seen two other Henrys and they both played up the giggly, frantic stoner types. Adam really slows down and mellows out (could be due to the amount of time he has been doing this role) and take the time to get to know Natalie. Also what was amazing about him was that you really get the feeling that he truly loves Natalie and would do anything for her. With the other Henrys, you do not feel that. I always heard how people wish there were more henrys in the world and I never got it until Adam's performance.

Just my two cents haha.

[binau]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 4:56am

I have only seen Meghann. Back when she was an understudy I thought she was simply 'going through the motions' (whether she was or wasn't is probably a different thing - I can't remember really), but seeing her again I thought she was pretty good and different to how I remembered her. I remember well that e.g. when she says "you give up too easily" she does so in a kind of hurt, affected way, compared to a performance I 'saw' of Jennifer Damiano who kind of just read the line without 'any emotion' and was otherwise consistently angry. I would like to see another take on it though, out of all the characters in the show I haven't been completely convinced that Natalie could be a real person yet.

Updated On: 12/24/10 at 04:56 AM

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 5:16am

I didn't like MacKenzie's performance at all. There was no depth to her portrayal. Her Natalie was simply a brat and I wanted to slap her (the character) for being so selfish. Meghann was the complete opposite. I understood and felt deeply for her Natalie because she was so layered and vulnerable. Jenn was somewhere between the two.
Updated On: 12/24/10 at 05:16 AM

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 7:35am

I have never seen any of the understudies. This time I was hoping to have the entire current cast just because the person that saw it with me never saw it before. I just wanted to see a new version of each character because I've only seen the OBC and the current cast. And what people said about Jessica, I really wanted to see her.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 9:23am

I saw Mackenzie go on in September and I just felt like I was watching a blonde Jenn, her Natalie just came off whiny and bratty.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 10:02am

I'm surprised that people haven't seen the depth of emotion in Meghann's Natalie that I did, especially the last time I saw her. For the first time during "Maybe (Next to Normal)" I really felt horrible for Natalie. Meghann played the emotions perfectly to me, from pretending to be strong, and then breaking (with her back turned to her mother) when it became apparent that her mother really was leaving her. She was MUCH better (though she had still been good) than the first time I saw her. So I really do prefer her to Jenn's ever-so angry Natalie.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 12/24/10 at 5:23pm

I've seen Meghann and Jenn as Natalie (both several times) and I prefer Meghann's interpretation...her Natalie has more of an arc than Jenn's and I think it's easier to feel sympathy for and identify with her Natalie. She isn't as angry or aggressive, and she's also a lot more vulnerable, which I really liked. I also think her voice is better suited for the role...Jenn sounded like she was straining for some of the higher notes a lot of the time, especially toward the end of her run.

I've also seen Alice, Jessica, and Marin as Diana and all three of them have such wildly different interpretations that I can't even compare them in my mind as one being "better" than the other.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 12/25/10 at 12:31am

In a few words, I'll try to sum up my understanding of each performer's take on their character. I wonder if you agree...

**it should be noted that I believe each actor has been able to shed light on different and interesting facets of each character and I've enjoyed each performance. (Some more than others, obviously, but it's my hope to not let my bias show too often on these boards.)

Diana:
Alice Ripley - fighter, strong-willed but caught off-guard
Jessica Phillips - struggling but focused and strong
Marin Mazzie - self-aware, motherly (somehow still a leader to the fam)

Dan:
J. Robert Spencer - attentive
Michael Barry - internal, somber
Brian D'Arcy James - patient, loving
Jason Daniely - exhausted but attentive and focused

Natalie:
Jenn Damiano - desperately hopeful
Meghann Fahy - endearing, quiet strength, worried
Mackenzie Mauzy - keyed-up but persevering

Gabe:
Aaron Tveit - Menacing (in a good way)
Kyle Dean Massey - Captivating, haunting, playful
Brian Crum - sad, wanting

Henry:
Adam Chanler-Berat - sweet, charming, patient, in love
Brian Crum - fun, encouraging

Doctors:
Louis Hobson - seeking understanding, thoughtful
Michael Berry - detached but calm and professional



Updated On: 12/29/10 at 12:31 AM

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 12/25/10 at 10:25am

^Agree.