Next to Normal- the Arena Stage edition

So I know that it's a little while until it actually starts and everything, but I thought we should have an official "NtN part deux" thread, to discuss all the goings on with the show!


I've been getting reeeally into the show again lately, and cannot WAIT to see what changes they've made and so forth.

What are you guys thinking about? What changes are you hoping they've made/havn't made? Do you think there's a legit chance the show could get to Broadway? What are your favorite songs/scenes/etc?

in short, let's discuss

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Updated On: 10/8/08 at 05:53 PM

J. Robert Spencer will be playing Dan. Nothing else has been announced yet.

I think that as of now the only cast that have been announced is Alice and J Robert Spencer as Dan. Seeing as Brian was pretty much equal to Alice in brilliance for me it makes me REALLY sad that Brian's not doing anymore, but Bobby seems pretty awesome too, so it shall be interesting to see his take on the character :)

I too was in love with Aaron!Gabe, and he's *actually* probably the one who I'm most weary of seeing anyone else take over the role. Not so much because of singing and acting (he was GREAT in those respects, but I'd bet there's other people who could be great too), but because he moves like a gazelle. He's just so SMOOTH and light on his feet in everything he does, and it happened to work absolutely brilliantly for the role imo because it gave him a very ghost-like vibe. So I feel like that's something pretty much NO ONE else is going to be able to redo. Plus, he was just fantastic over all :)

So yeah, the casting should definitely be interesting!



ALSO, in terms of changes in the show:
This is definitely NOT a for-sure thing, but it seems like there's probably a PRETTY good chance that I've Been is coming back into the show, completely re-written! At the Tom Kitt concert a few nights ago, Gavin Creel did the song, and it was totally re-written. Which is like.. why would they go through the trouble of completely re-writing the song if they weren't intending to put it back in the show? <33

If this is the case I will be SO SO happy. That was ALWAYS the one song that I truly missed and wished they'd have found a way to keep in

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The 2005 NYMF cast featured Anthony Rapp, Amy Spanger, Joe Cassidy, Anneleigh Ashford, and Benjamin Schrader.

When I saw that production, they didn't seem subdued. That performance still still has an effect on me to this day.

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I've heard rumblings that they're toying with making it into a one-act show.

I do hope it's able to make the move...but without that nightmare-inducing Arena artwork. I wasn't a huge fan of the dangling feet, but compared to what they're using at Arena, it was amazing.

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After I saw the show in March, I was walking behind Asa and I'm guessing his grandmother and her friend, or just two old ladies? but anyways, he mentioned that the writers are considering getting rid of his Act 1 Finale song ("Feeling Electric"). I have to agree, I thought the song was terrible, and just all together bad. I don't like the idea of it being a one act though. I love the idea of the act ending with her surgery, and then in act her not remembering who her daughter is. That moment totally landed to me, and I loved it. I think without the intermission there it would not have been as affective.

And whoever played the son in the NYMF has a very nasal voice. Not my cup of tea.

As Henry goes... Skylar Astin was involved in readings as Henry before the second stage run, and I'd KILL to see him actually do it :) I think he'd be a perfect Henry.


In terms of the one v. two acts:
I definitely had the same reaction at first. I did NOT think it would work as one act. And then I started thinking about it and realized.. it might not be such a bad idea. The thing about this show is that SO many parts of it are almost made, in a way, by the perfect flow that they have.
I Miss The Mountains- It's Gonna Be Good- He's Not Here-You Don't Know- I Am The One
Didn't I See This Movie- Light In The Dark- Feeling Electric
Why Stay/A Promise- I've Alive (reprise)- The Break- Catch Me I'm Falling (reprise)

Now granted some of these songs could be majorly tweaked or even eliminated and the show would still flow wonderfully as a whole. But the point is.. it's a show that's based on flow. It's a rollercoaster ride that you get on and don't get off till the end- if you do, it disturbes your enjoyment of it. At least, that's always how I've felt about it.

So thinking about it, I think that it might actually contribute to that idea to get rid of the intermission. It would allow it to be one single, evenly-flowing experience as opposed to being broken up in the middle by an intermission.

Granted I don't think we even know for sure that this WILL be done- from what I've heard it's just an idea they're toying with. So we shall see. But basically, I personally feel like making it one act might actually help matters, as long as it doesn't mean cutting a whole lot just for the sake of shortening to time. And because it's not too long a show anyway and they've got some material they CAN clean up and cut, it shouldn't be a problem :)

All I know is that a whole lot of people seemed to not like Feeling Electric, and I don't *really* see how they could turn it INTO something people would like more. Because I think it's the basis of the whole song that people don't like- the idea that it's satirizing ECT. If they made it one act, it would be easier for them I would imagine to find a way to make the show work without that scene- or, at least without the.. flamboyance (for lack of a better word) of that scene as it was in the 2nd Stage production

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^HAHA

see, I actually really enjoyed the STAGING of it at 2st. I'm a fan of trippy so I thought it was awesome haha. But I agree about Asa. For most of the show he was fine, but for that particular song... he just wasn't as FIERCE as he needed to be to actually pull it off. And I think you hit the nail on the head: because he wasn't fierce enough he came off seeming just wierd and slightly creepy, and since HE didn't come off right, the whole scene fell flat. Dr. Madden really has to carry that scene.

Hence why Anthony needs to get his butt back in the show :) When ANTHONY did the song, even in CONCERT format without any set or anything, he just made it amazing and thrilling. He has that waily edge to his voice that makes it... sexy. The way Asa sings it, it's just wierd.


WOW okay I'm gonna try and not post in here for a while because I'm like practically making every other posts so far LOL. Sorry bout that guys :P

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Updated On: 10/9/08 at 01:52 AM

Hi JordanGirl,

You know how AR puts "These are not my legs". We gotta get her to now put, "These are not my arms."

LK

Just a thought:

I haven't heard the new I've Been (can someone help nudgenudgewinkwink) but I wonder if it's meant to replace Light in the Dark, as I recall the critics ragging on it and the 2ST version was a bit anaemic compared to the 2005 edition so it could be on its way out...

I just received an email from Asa Somers, and he said that due to scheduling conflicts, he will not be able to reprise the role of Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine.

I'm really disappointed about this. I really think that he was great in the role.

as per the "new" version of "I've Been" -
Gavin is actually singing (for the most part)the arrangement/lyrics of the version of the song that Tom Kitt's band plays in concert and on their CD.

Unfortunately, this probably means that the song still isn't in the show (which is such a shame because it is hands down my favorite song from any version of this show).

I stated a while back on my old username on this forum (i'm back though ) that i emailed mr. kitt about the song and he told me it was taken out because they felt it stopped the flow of the show and that we didn't really need to hear from Dan's character at that point. Shame though, because its such a beautiful song. I was so happy Tom sent me the music to it though!

Hope that clears up the confusion of the differences of the "new" version of the song

haha i understand where you're coming from...
I don't know WHEN exactly Tom "created" the band version of I've Been, but my guess is at LEAST 3 years ago. And my assumption is that the Feeling Electric lyrics were much too dark for a band to play as a pop song. Copyright issues might also be a reason for this (in the case of record label distribution, etc.)

There are a few reasons why i still don't think the song will be in the new version (unfortunately, because i'll repeat how much i love this damn song)
1. The alternate version that Gavin sings is a bit more repetitive than the old version.
2. The tenderness of "Light In The Dark" fits perfectly in the moment where Dan is basically pleading with Diana to try the ECT therapy. The tone of "I've Been" is almost opposite of LITD, in the sense that its much more driving. I still think it would work brilliantly after Diana's attempted suicide.
And as much as i LOVE LOVE I've Been, the removal of "A Light in The Dark" would not be warranted at that point in the show.

I still just think they should put it back in its original place. But i guess with the new "vision" the show has taken, it is more through the eyes of Diana, rather than Dan. Whereas i felt Feeling Electric was much more through the eyes of Dan.

just my .02