Next to Normal at the Arden in Phila – a very different take

[mikem]

Posted: 10/26/12 at 3:33pm

I recently saw Next to Normal at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, and it was a very interesting production that is well worth seeing. I saw the Second Stage/Arena Stage/Broadway version many times, and I was a little nervous about whether I would like a new production, but they did a great job of creating their own take on the show rather than trying to re-create the original production.

TONS of SPOILERS BELOW

The music was much quieter in volume than in NY, so the lyrics really came to the forefront. It was the first time I really listened to the words rather than being caught up in the songs. The acting in general is not as aggressive as in the Broadway production – the show is very quiet in comparison, almost like a staged concert. It really brought the lyrics to the forefront.

Also, each actor made radically different choices than in the Broadway version. Diana was very muted and depressed, rather than the wild and manic version of Alice Ripley, so she faded into the ensemble much more, and the show became just as much about Dan and Natalie as about her. Natalie was very vulnerable and hurt rather than angry and angsty, and Dan was on the edge from the beginning and seemed pretty unstable himself, not really knowing what to do and looking lost. Gabe (played by Robi Hager from Spring Awakening) was also more muted and less forceful. Henry seemed kind of happy go lucky but clearly really, really in love with Natalie. The doctor role is a pretty generic one, anyway, but also seemed less forceful.

The show in general seems very somber – there was a LOT of crying throughout the piece from the audience, more than I think in NY, where the crying was mostly at the end. I think it’s partially because both Natalie and Dan are so saddened and damaged from the beginning. The Broadway version seemed larger than life – this one doesn’t, in a good way. It feels like an ensemble piece rather than a showcase for the actress playing Diana.

The show also has background video projections throughout, which are kind of interesting and add to the show without being distracting. That technology has really come a long way since The Woman in White, just a few years ago.

So worth seeing in my view, for the different take. It made me think about the material differently. Tickets are not too much -- $36 - $48, and I have a half-price discount for this Weds and Thurs – just PM me if you want the details. The show is running for another week, until Sun, Nov 4.

(I’m not shilling, by the way. I don’t have any affiliation with the Arden (and honestly do not always think their shows are that good – partially because they tend to cast the same uninventive actors over and over, which they mostly avoided this time).)

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 10/26/12 at 4:26pm

Just saw this a few nights ago and I agree wholeheartedly. I was so pleasantly surprised!

I think the Arden's production works quite effectively and originally I thought I was getting emotional throughout the beginning of the show because I kept knowing everything that would come, but I think you may be right about how the production really evokes emotion.

The projections, while at first a bit annoying, were used incredibly effectively, especially towards the end and really enhanced rather than distracted from the staging. I was also surprised at how well it was staged.

Kristine Fraelich's Diana is far more subtle than Ripley's. To be honest, I actually preferred her portrayal. Rachel Camp's Natalie is phenomenal and she really added depth to a role that sometimes seemed very irrelevant and tangential to the rest of the story on Broadway.