Review: Next to Normal 4/4/09 matinee (small spoilers)

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:20pm

Here goes nothing. It won't be very coherent.

First things first, the theatre is tiny and the seats are really close together. It was almost a full house. I had high expectations for the show and Alice, but I didn't set them too high in case I'd be disappointed. My expectations were exceeded.

As soon as Alice appeared onstage, I was in love. Her charisma and stage presence is something to have to see to believe. The show had a very different feeling than anything else I've seen, so it took a while for me to settle into it. I did around the birthday party scene. I was really moved by "I Dreamed a Dance." It was perfectly done by Alice and Aaron, and perfectly staged.

At first in Act 2 I thought it was Alice on the table with the mask on her face, so when she came out, I was pretty surprised. When Diana finally remembered Gabe, I literally started hyperventilating and convulsing, which continued for almost the rest of the show.

Aaron and Jennifer were really good. J. Robert Spencer got better as the show went on, but I kept wishing he were Brian d'Arcy James. And then there's Alice. If she's taken the performance one step farther, it would have been a caricature of a crazy person. But she didn't. She was perfect. She had the perfect mix of every human emotionand really made you feel for her character and understand what she was feeling. If Alice doesn't win the Tony, it will be one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the Tonys.

I did SD and everyone except Jennifer came out. I got a pic with Alice, which I'll post when I get home.

If you see Next to Normal, know that you'll feel like your heart is being violently ripped out and that someone is repeatedly punching you in the stomach. And as soon as it's over, you'll want to do it all over again.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:27pm

Gee...I'm not so on board with the violent heart ripping...but I suppose I'll endure it.

Seriously, can't wait. Less than two weeks.

[little_sally]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:39pm

Seeing this show Wednesday night, can't wait! Thanks for the review.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:46pm

Hope this show hits. Its advertising campaign totally sucks.

[steven22]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:57pm

13 days till I see it! i can't wait

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 2:05pm

You don't think the whole "My husband's waiting in the car" bit isn't over-the-top? C'mon.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 7:12pm

<< Hope this show hits. Its advertising campaign totally sucks>>

I keep talking about the show to co-workers, and not one single person has heard of it !!!

Really hope that changes !!! I really cant get enough of the show !!!!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 7:23pm

*spoiler* If they're following the same pattern as at Arena, it is either the understudy for Diana or Natalie on the gurney. They'd rotate down there.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 7:25pm

It's actually a mannequin. I was front row center, I could see it quite well (although I didn't realize it was until Alice came out anyway).

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 7:26pm

Ok, so maybe they've changed it. I did say IF.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 7:56pm

It's either a mannequin or the understudy is able to go that entire scene without so much as breathing.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 8:01pm

It's a dummy. Apparently the producers wanted to cut costs and so they made a fake person instead of having to have the u/s in the show - which I'm glad they did anyways. Is the extra person still in that scene pushing the gurney? I hated that.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 8:05pm

No, the people pushing the gurney are Aaron (the anesthesiologist) and Robert Spencer.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 8:09pm

I'm pretty sure it's a dummy.

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 8:13pm

You don't think the whole "My husband's waiting in the car" bit isn't over-the-top? C'mon.


SHE'S SINGING A SONG ABOUT HOW HER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PSYCHO PHARMACOLOGIST IS LIKE A ROMANCE WITH A STRANGER. The line is clearly there being played for laughs, its supposed to be over the top.

For someone who claims to like the show i never see you post anything but complaints about it.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 8:58pm

My psychopharm(...) sucks. It is kind of sick. I don't think the relationship between a professinal therapist and a mentally ill patient is subject matter for a humorous song.

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:00pm

oh lord. bring on the people with sticks up their asses now.

undoubtedly wannabeafoster will be next to chime in about how inappropriate it is.

the song is CLEARLY not realistic, its one sided.

but, no you're right, its completely off limits, how dare they.


what bull****.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:03pm

It's not about their relationship, since one doesn't exist. It's about their lack of one, and how one-sided it is ("he knows my darkest secrets, I know his name").

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:03pm

Oh boy. KingKong, must you throw a hissy-fit everytime some one has an different opinion on your beloved N2N. I didin't accuse it of being unrealistic... I just think it is kind of wrong as a humorous song.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:03pm

"My psychopharm(...) sucks. It is kind of sick. I don't think the relationship between a professinal therapist and a mentally ill patient is subject matter for a humorous song. "

How about two people talking about how they're going to kill people and make them into meat pies, and what those meat pies would be like?

Ooh, or a mentally unstable woman considering suicide instead of marriage?

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:05pm

shouldn't you be prepping for the psat or something jazz?

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:05pm

Kad, you can do anything if you do it well. I actually find my phsyco... to be kind of offensive.

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:06pm

because you're an idiot


There is nothing offensive about the song.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:07pm

Adam is right...but kingkong is ridiculous.

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 9:09pm

no, Jazz is ridiculous, and hypersensitive. What kind of priss do you have to be to find that song offensive?