Why Are The Kids So Attracted To Next To Normal?

Could it have something to do with their ability to relate to Natalie?

Aaron Tivvie in his skivvies.

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For me it is the incredible music.
And then the amazing Alice Ripley.

EDIT: I'm a teen as well

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Updated On: 6/26/09 at 11:24 AM

The show has a huge teen fan base, and I say that as a teen.


For me it's that I can relate to Diana and some of her mental issues, but for most kids it's the story as a whole and the music.

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I'm hitting the tail end of teen years (19) but I think:

- Semi-rock score
- Family dysfunction
- Relatable teen characters

And I think that the teen years in general are a time when issues like suicide and mental illness are hitting for the first time- a lot of times on a personal level. I know that I was around 14 when I first started being confronted with those things. Especially nowadays when everyone over 12 seems to have a shrink, this is especially potent.

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It's very RENT-esque in terms of Music. Kids LOVE that thing.

Well, all of the theatre kids I know are still hung up on Rent, Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Spring Awakening. NONE of them even know what 'Next to Normal' is.

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Updated On: 6/26/09 at 11:49 AM

We should be happy they're being drawn to something like this and not Shrek.

My students are dying to see this. Some from what I've told them and some from their own involvement. Mental issues are not just relegated to Diana's age group.

Walk into any guidance counselor's office today in the average american high school....they'd give you an earful. I have students that battle with depression and bi-polar issues everyday (well, not now in the summer). They all know kids that suffer...so the topic is also appealing to them.

And I agree...for many "teens" their level of sophistication is higher and higher, and they crave to be satisfied too. I know I've mentioned taking my HS kids to Ny every year. THEY pick the shows: and while Shrek made the final voting list -- only 5 kids out of 80 actually voted to choose it to see.

Their choices:
WSS (before we knew it was terrible -- and most of them concurred)
August (by far their favorite show)
Altar Boys (ok, this one goes against the grain....but only 2 or 3 of them had scene it before.)


However, on a negative side -- I do think many of our youth yearn to be a part of something. Being a "groupie" of the show du jour seems to fill that void. All the SA 'guilty ones' and Fanadus had to go somewhere. They are currently stalking: ROA, Hair, & N2N. When that respective show closes, they will find something else to give them some identity. Better than doing drugs or getting knocked up in the back of daddy's Lexus.

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The score is a lot like RENT in many ways, only teenagers can relate to the storyline better.

Also, probably because it deals with a pretty big issue in today's society.

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I think that possibly combining what guettboy is saying AND what allthatjazz22 is saying may hit it as well. It's possible that some of those people "hung up on Rent, Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Spring Awakening" (I'd say SA and Rent to a lesser degree than the middle two) may be in that camp that just hasn't heard next to normal yet but when they do hear/see it, may well be on board and thinking "This is what I've been listening for!" or something similar. Think about how many of us may have come into the musical theatre world via something we may not want to admit to now (Phantom, Cats, etc.). It's all a journey. :)

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The thing about Next to Normal that I love so much is that I think EVERYONE can relate to it in some aspect. It's not just about mental illness. Not at all. It's about a family that tries very hard to live up to this "normal" ideal, but in the end they just have to find their own way of doing things, that helps them to best get through each day. And I think most everyone can relate to that in some way. We live in a culture where there's a very strict ideal as to what the "perfect family" should be. Everyone knows what it's like to try to achieve that ideal, and eventually realize that it's just not possible to be "perfect".

So yeah, I don't think it's one specific character (even Natalie) that young people connect to in this show. Though having a character like Natalie I'm sure certainly HELPS. But I think really it's just that this story is so incredibly real. In SOME way, anyone who sees it is going to understand how these characters feel, because everyone's felt what it's like to want so much to be "normal" and to not be able to achieve it.

I mean come on, who DOESN'T grow up feeling a bit "dysfunctional" in some way? I had a pretty darn easy childhood compared to most, and I've still had SO many "wow my family is so dysfunctional" moments! Haha. My mom's struggled with mental illness, my parents were never really that happy together, etc. We've all been there. And I think even a 12 or 13 year old will have been there.


All I know is that this show probably touches me more deeply than any other show. Even with RENT, Spring Awakening, Bare, etc... I ADORE those shows with all my heart, and I am highly affected by them, but Next to Normal is much more real for me. And I feel like that's the case for MANY people- even kids and teenagers :)

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