Next to Normal, an Off Night for the Actors or Me?

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 8:50pm

Before I begin, I'd like to add that I had just come from seeing two of the three Norman Conquests and was probably a little exhausted come 8:00, however, I went in with an open mind and was excited to see one of the most talked about performances of the year.

Overall, the performances were an extremely mixed bag, running from drop dead amazing (Alice Ripley) to okay (Jennifer Damiano) to ventriloquist dummy (Kyle Dean Massey) to just plain bad at parts (J. Robert Spencer). The trouble, for me, began with some of Michael Grief's awkward direction, including his odd choice to have one of Alice Ripley's strongest lines (I feel nothing) spoken so that we can barely see her face. Most of the blocking was fine, but that one moment was such a disappointment for me after loving the cast recording. Perhaps it was Alice, but it read as the direction's fault. In addition, what was with the speed of the revelation of Gabe's death? It felt like Jennifer Damiano was exhausted and wanted that short little scene to end quickly. I barely had a chance to digest it before another song which was painfully performed by J Robert Spencer, who the entire night made me long for Brian D'Arcy James to leave Shrek and do this show. As I said, most of the night went fine, and the music is amazing, but two extremely sloppy moments just disturbed the hell out of me, for they seemed so easily fixable with proper placing and blocking. Kyle Dean Massey had no (visible) expression other than a self admiring smirk which irked me so. Jennifer Damiano, in addition, seemed extremely tired when performing, as was a common theme throughout everyone's performances, minus Alice, naturally.

Technically wise, the show is much more that I expected from a Regional/ Off-Broadway transfer, with those pannels perfectly establishing the setting, though scaring the **** out of me with their speed. Really, it's a pretty good show, but it just seems so easy to fix in those select trouble spts I can't get over it. I'm not sure, perhaps it was me, after witnessing purley flawless theatre, to view a less than perfect show. Call it next to perfect, if you will.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 8:52pm

Bobby Spencer is incredible. People really need to get over Brian. Bobby gives an honest, emotional, and tear inducing performance.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 8:56pm

I'm sorry, his awkward arm omvements in his songs in the opening of the show and the ending totally killed my chance of giving him praise over that he had a few good spots.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 8:57pm

I agree.

I loved both Bobby and Brian but because the version of N2N that is currently running at the Booth is so vastly different than the N2N that ran last year at 2ST, I have come to the conclusion that Bobby is much better suited for the role of Dan now. Before, N2N was a lot more campy and broad at parts and it felt much less intimate and real, material that Brian seems to thrive in... and now it is really emotionally resonant and gorgeously intimate and Bobby is perfect for that type of a show, or at least this one.

Both were excellent but Bobby has grown immensely in the role and is giving quite a heart-breaking performance. When he yells the "Diana, there's nothing there!" line (sometimes he yells it, sometimes he doesn't), my heart just shatters. He's truly fantastic.

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 8:58pm

I also agree with Ljay. I can't imagine he was that bad. I can understand the cast being tired. They have rarely missed out on performances and I can only imagine how tiring the show is mentally and physically.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:00pm

How did you like Norman?

[heo1128]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:01pm

Maybe Bobby just had an off night, but recently he's been phenomenal. And as had been said, his growth in the role is impressive. I saw the second preview and kept thinking about how much I missed Brian, but then saw the show for the second time at the end of May and completely fell in love with Bobby. And he's only gotten better.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:03pm

Not having been at the same performance as were you, it's hard to say...but I don't remember these being issues either times I saw the B'way production.

I haven't seen Massey yet, so I have NO comments. But I've seen both Spencer and d'arcy James. I think they each bring different but wonderful choices to the show. When I saw it just two weeks ago - Spencer really blew me away.

The things you mention as your negatives, seem like pretty small things in general. It also reminded me of when the movie of a book I've read doesn't include my favorite moments or ruins my pre conceived notions. But, if it took you out of the moment, it's still gone.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:03pm

At this point, Bobby Spencer is giving a performance just about at the same level as Alice Ripley. His work in the music box scene, that Rocks alluded to, is absolutely breathtaking.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:11pm

I'm not crazy about the show like most people are, but I thought J. Robert Spencer was amazing. Honestly, I thought he was better than Ripley.

So I'm going to say an off night for you?

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:14pm

***************Spoilers********************
I saw it Saturday afternoon, and I have to say, Bobby was a huge surprise to me, after hearing that he was a "weak link" early on. He SCREAMED "There's nothing there!" on my show and it was on par with Alice's best moments.
As far as Massey goes, I think Gabe is supposed to kind of just smirk, because he's not real. He's in Diana's imagination. He played everything just like Aaron did on the bits I've seen of Aaron's performances.

[heo1128]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:20pm

Honestly, your review of Kyle Dean isn't that far off. He does a fine job, but he doesn't do nearly as much with the role as Aaron did.

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:25pm

Granted he did just take over the role and Aaron has been playing Gabe throughout Second Stage, Arena Stage and Broadway. I will be seeing Massey tomorrow night so I really can't judge him, but i would assume certain actions and expressions come with comfort in the role.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:28pm

alightinthedark, you beat me to it. To expect Kyle Dean Massey to be where Aaron was after just one week in the show is a bit unfair.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/15/09 at 9:31pm

Agreed. Plus, he's fine in the part and will certainly grow into it in the next few months.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 8:13am

I mean, Aaron was/is very good, but Gabe is pretty much just supposed to smirk, and indulge Diana's best and (more often) worst impulses. He's the only cast member of the central family four that didn't get a Tony nomination and I think it's because there's the least "meat" to the character. Beyond being charismatic and energetic, there's not a WHOLE lot to work with (not a criticism of how the character's written, just a fact), so I don't really understand people's exclamations of "OMG, Aaron was AMAZING, perhaps in time, Kyle MIGHT be up to his level!"

That said, Bobby Spencer easily gave the best male performance in a musical this past season, so I don't really understand any bitchy criticism to come his way.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 9:34am

I've thought Tveit was incredible from the getgo (and thought it a ridiculous shame he wasn't Tony nominated, when David Bologna was). I didn't full appreciate his contributions to the piece until I saw Kyle Dean Massey. This is not a criticism of Massey, whom I enjoyed greatly. But, given the amount of time he spent with the character, Tveit was able to take the role to places that Massey isn't going yet. Mind you, I enjoyed Massey a lot, and think he'll be just fine, if a bit too old.

I agree with dottie, though, that to expect him to be anywhere near Tveit's level at this point in time is absurd.
Updated On: 6/16/09 at 09:34 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 11:32am

The thing that is keeping the show from reaching perfection is the direction. It's weak and not very interesting. It's all very "front and center" and very presentational. The show is very naturalistic, but some of the staging is so very "stagey."

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:17pm

I saw the 2nd to last performance in DC, and although I didn't particularly care for the show, I definitely appreciated the performances. I loved Aaron's performance and was shocked as well that he wasn't nominated for a Tony award.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:20pm

Ripped -- That's really the "staging" more so than the direction, but I'm guessing that came from the director as well.

That being said: I enjoyed the staging and the use of all three levels.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 12:44pm

I can certainly understand seeing a night that seems off to you and wondering if it is just you. My family and I had that experience at Billy Elliot in April ~ it felt like everyone on that stage was sleepwalking. While I can say that I have personally never seen a performance of next to normal where things felt as off as they felt to you, I'm not going to tell you it didn't happen or you imagined it (as was done to me).

I do think they're probably tired after everything around the Tonys. I know on Wednesday I thought Jennifer's voice definitely sounded tired and could use a break, and my friend saw it Friday and said it appeared even more to need rest. Bobby's too to a degree, though not as much as Jennifer's.

I am one who is completely enamored with Bobby's portrayal ~ and I LOVED Brian at Second Stage. That said, I think that the character of Dan has evolved more than any other ~ the Dan we have now is nowhere near the Dan we had at Second Stage, and while I'm sure Brian could do it, I'm not sure the character would have changed as much if they were having to overcome his ingrained habits from the Second Stage run. I think that Dan is probably the character who most needed to evolve a bit more, and as much as I loved Brian in the role, I'm glad that the opportunity to bring someone else in presented itself as that perhaps allowed them even more leeway into letting that character grow and evolve. Bobby truly has become Dan for me.

[mtkid08]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 2:01pm

I saw the show last night and thought everyone was on top of their game. J. Robert Spencer was out so we had Robert Massey on as Dan. He was fine. I was not a fan of his voice. He didn't seem to be able to support all the notes and "spoke sang" a lot, which got kind of irritating (especially since the music is so wonderful).It's not that he didn't give a good performance. It was just not on the same level as the rest of the cast. But he is an understudy and hasn't been doing the show 8 times a week so I understand.

But everyone else was great. Jennifer Damiano is going places. I guess they all got the rest that they needed.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 3:00pm

Funny, I didn't think Massey read too old at all.
And on the Saturday matinee, Damiano's voice sounded VERY tired, and I even thought she was sick, but she pushed through anyway and still sounded pretty great.

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 3:17pm

"J. Robert Spencer was out so we had Robert Massey on as Dan"
umm you mean Michael Berry right?

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/16/09 at 3:26pm

On the subject of Norman, I thought both of the shows I saw were incredible, and the cast's energy was sky high. It was every actor at the top of their game. The direction and design were flawless, and being so close (First row the first time, the fourth the second) really envelops you into the action. I kind of wish that this show could run forever, and I';m super excited to see the last show in July.