"Perfect for US": The NEXT TO NORMAL love thread!- Page 18

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 12:51am

At the VERY LEAST, mom should have killed herself.

She did, once upon a time at Second Stage.

Umm, in NO version of the show did she ever kill herself. Especially no at Second Stage. Hell 2ST was where there was all the confusion with people thinking she came back home.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 12:53am

I hate the new ending, too. Granted it sums up where Diana is...but thats really all it does. I liked the 2nd Stage "Light" MUCH MUCH better. But I don't think they should end it after I Am The One Reprise....I like the semi-hopeful ending.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 12:57am

I really, really dislike the new ending, with the Daughter going "Ma is at Grandma's house."

It's a bull**** ending. At the VERY LEAST, mom should have killed herself.

She did, once upon a time at Second Stage.

But frankly, the end of the show happens when Aaron Tviet grabs onto his father, and the father gets it.

Curtain.

The line about her being at the Grandmother's house was inserted to clear up confusion about where Diana ended up. People were concerned that she was off her meds and "wandering the streets" if you will. This, coupled with Dr. Madden's basically admitting (without actually saying so) that he is still treating her, clarified that she is still getting help.

She never killed herself at 2nd Stage. Not sure where you got that from.

The only complaint I have about the ending is the characters lining up for the last verse of the song. I think you have a PERFECT stage picture with Gabe on the top level alone, Diana and Dr. Madden in the middle, and Dan, Natalie, and Henry at the bottom. They should have just sung the last part of the song that way. It looks fantastic.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 12:58am

My husband said, (and I agree with him), the end of the show should be the word "GABE."

When the father says that word, it's devastating.

[WeDon'tHaveGreyGoose]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 12:59am

ZiggyCringe: I disagree wholeheartedly, but without getting too deep into it myself, can you explain how you feel that having Diana kill herself after a second successful attempt would adequately support her reconciliation with her daughter?
Updated On: 4/16/09 at 12:59 AM

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:00am

you're talking to the wrong person, i said SHE DIDN'T KILL HERSELF.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:04am

"Umm, in NO version of the show did she ever kill herself. Especially no at Second Stage. Hell 2ST was where there was all the confusion with people thinking she came back home."

Yes, she did. During her suitcase "leaving the stage" number, it used to be very unclear if she killed herself or not. Now, they've added dialogue ("Are you sure those grandparents are real?) which makes is very clear that she DIDN'T kill herself. It used to be unclear, which in my mind, was better. I, personally, love a baroque ending.

[changinandhow]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:06am

Wow, I've never heard anyone say that they interpreted the ending at 2ST as Diana killing herself.
Updated On: 4/16/09 at 01:06 AM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:07am

I'm with changinandhow. I never even once interpreted it that way OR heard anyone else interpret it that way. Sorry...no.

[WeDon'tHaveGreyGoose]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:07am

Sorry ZONEACE, dunno how I mixed that up. Corrected now.

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:08am

SHE DIDN'T KILL HERSELF AT THE END OF ANY VERSION OF THE SHOW. EVEN AT NYMF, A MUCH DARKER VERSION, SHE DIDN'T KILL HERSELF.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:08am

When it was still Feeling Electric, it had Dan attempting suicide right before "Light"...which was really dark, but I liked it. I'm not surprised at all that it got axed though.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:13am

Also... ZiggyCringe... The whole daughter/father thing is VERY Lolita.

Are you kidding me? You obviously have never been around a father and daughter. That admiration of her in the dress and kiss on the forehead is SO "typical" father-daughter interaction.

Sorry. But again...no. Just...NO.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:14am

"Wow, I've never heard anyone say that they interpreted the ending at 2ST as Diana killing herself."

Hey, I'm not saying that she killed herself. The end of the show used to be WHO KNOWS? I love a who knows? ending. And it WAS there.

I'm not saying I want that ending.

I just like it if the possibility is there. It's more.... well, more, if you get what I'm saying.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:18am

Technically it is STILL a who knows. Just because she's with her parents doesn't mean everything is magically better. You can still be morbid if you want to.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:20am

Sorry about the Lolita thing.

I just didn't like the new husband.

Bryan Darc'y James was AMAZING in that role, but he's in Shrek.

WTF is Norbert doing these days, and why didn't he play the husband? He would have ROCKED.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:20am

Exactly, jordangirl. The only thing the new ending does is clarify that she's not out wandering the streets aimlessly.

[heo1128]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:21am

It IS possible...I suppose...but I don't think that was Yorkey/Kitt's intention whatsoever.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:22am

Well, Brantley liked Bobby! :) Hooray!

[WeDon'tHaveGreyGoose]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:23am

Well now that you've made it clearer what you meant in terms of the idea of the suicide, it does make more sense; people will have different dispositions to how dark they want a story like this to conclude. Some will want everyone to have died, some will want them to become the perfect family. It seems we are all somewhat talking about the same thing now, the idea of posing the possibilities, but in varying degrees.

What I'm curious to know now, though, in more specific terms, is why you feel like the current ending is, as you say, bull****. I can understand having feelings of ambivalence and wanting to see them tweak it, as people on this board have suggested about other elements of the show. But why such strong words? At first you seemed to be suggesting that anything other than suicide would be bull, but what really would make the most sense to you?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:23am

Brantley mentioned overwhelmingly positive things about ALL SIX performers! Good for all of them.

Bobby gets better and better every time I see the show.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:26am

Yes, he did. I'm just happy that SOMEONE is giving Bobby credit for making the role his own and not whining that it's not someone else.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 1:27am

Good point, jordangirl.

What I LOVE about this musical, is that we can all chat about the ending. We disagree. Fabulous.

Isn't that what musical theatre should be about?

YAT, Next to Normal, for doing that.

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 8:23am

You knew Brantley would say great things about Alice Ripley, but I was so happy with all the praise he gave the rest of the cast, especially J. Robert Spencer who doesnt get the credit he deserves and Jennifer Damiano who I think is giving the most underrated performance around.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/16/09 at 10:00am

I got a TDF ticket for next week. Doubt they'll be up for much longer.