Why Are The Kids So Attracted To Next To Normal?- Page 2

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 12:56pm

What attracts me to the show is its message, its score and its insanely talented cast. And I'm not even a teen anymore. I'm 20. Also, I connect with the show on a personal level.

What attracted this one teenybopper I know to the show was Aaron Tveit because he was in Wicked, which, of course, in her opinion, is "THE BEST MUSICAL EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!" Of course, she found out the rest of the show wasn't so bad either! But it was Aaron that was the drawing point for her.

Updated On: 6/26/09 at 12:56 PM

[Show Off]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 12:59pm

I'm 15 and I've been following the show for a couple years. I just love it because it's something really unique, the story isn't something you'd usually expect from a broadway musical, I guess. I mean I'm not personally bipolar or anything, but it seems like you can identify to pretty much all the characters at some point, or at least feel for them. The music is great and so fun to listen to even if you're not at the show, and it has a really legit cast on top of it. I really like the whole look and feel of the show, too. Like with the kind of modern pop art set, and the way they use it.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 1:16pm

My friends along with myself all saw and fell in love with the show before the TONYS.

[Madcap Maisie]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 1:37pm

For me its the fact that it is actually ABOUT something relevent and applicable to many peoples daily lives. The Natalie character is extremely relatable and the lyrics to the songs are so extremely poignant.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 2:14pm

Most kids who are not into theatre think that seeing a show means sitting through three hours of boring singing. That's obviously not how people who know anything about theatre feel, but there are people who have either never seen a show or have seen 1 or 2 in their whole lives. When a show like RENT, Spring Awakening, or next to normal comes along, kids get interested because it isn't boring to them.
For example, both RENT and Spring Awakening toured to my city this year, and a lot of my non-theatre friends attended. This was also helped by the fact that the touring cast of Spring Awakening came to my school and sang Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise), Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind, and Song of Purple Summer, proving to my classmates that theatre can include music that they listen to on an everyday basis. N2N has such music, which is why teens latch on to it.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 2:55pm

I agree with ljay---- Have seen the show around 14 times now, and hardly ever see "tweens"-- actually, since the Tony awards, the audience, as a whole, seems to be getting older---

But, if I can be a kid again (at 42 years young) works for me !!!
Thanks !!!!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 2:55pm

And the 3 times I have seen the show (before the Tonys), the audience mostly consisted of adults. And some college students, like myself. But I've never seen tweens at the Booth.

Wait... I thought from all your fussing about rush that you hadn't seen the show... *confused*

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 3:19pm

Um. I never said I haven't seen the show. I've rushed it once and got there at 8am (when you still get tickets that late). I used the old $60 dollar discount the second time, and the third time I bought a $36.50 mezz seat.

I was saying the rush is especially unfair to those who haven't seen the show, or those who cannot afford it. I fell into the category of those who do not live in New York. I never said I haven't seen it.


Updated On: 6/26/09 at 03:19 PM

[BenEBoyd]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 3:20pm

I think it's the music.
And the Tony number helped a lot. It looked very "now"

[Love the Tussin]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 3:35pm

"I agree with ljay---- Have seen the show around 14 times now, and hardly ever see 'tweens'-- actually, since the Tony awards, the audience, as a whole, seems to be getting older---"

I think people here have a skewed perception of how many teens are actually into Next to Normal due to the multitude of posts regarding rush. Proportionally speaking, it obviously has a larger teen fanbase than, I don't know, Chicago, but boards like these misrepresent the raw number of teenagers into the show.

[wizard2joe]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 4:03pm

It all started after the Tony's.

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 5:04pm

I also agree with Ljay. I've seen the show twice and I also haven't seen any "tweens" there. I just don't see the show being promoted for that age category. Many people have called it an adult musical. Aside from Natelie's struggles, I don't see how 'Next to Normal' is anything like 'Wicked' or 'Spring Awakening'.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 6:23pm

I saw the show once and most of the audience was late teen, early 20's(most who have seen it way more than once). Most of them were there to see Kyle Dean.

I also think that Aaron and now Kyle Dean had a lot to do with the younger crowd latching onto it and not the story itself.

I'm 36 and while I love the cast recording and the story(I relate to the issues going on in it being bipolar myself and having a dysfunctional family) I didn't like the show at all.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 8:07pm

I asked the same thing when I noticed most of my friends are crazy over this show. I'm 18 and I think it's because everyone thinks their family life is so hard and blahblahblah. The music is fresh and i'm sure that helps.

[I<3bway]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 9:19pm

This is my guess.


Since the RENTheads have no where else to go for the time being, and Spring Awakening is gone, the best thing they have right now is Next to Normal (directed by Michael Grief who also directed RENT.) Plus the stylings of the show also reminds of RENT in a way. But until then...

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 10:45pm

I thought that most of the Spring Awakening fans went to Hair instead...

[legally_popular]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 11:13pm

Pretty much what everyone else said.

My sister was 16 when we saw it last year at Second Stage and she had depression. The show really hit home with her. Her dealing with depression related with Diana dealing with her illness (though not as extreme) and going to therapy, etc. The music from the show really helped my sister get through some hard times.

[heo1128]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 11:21pm

I think any show with an original rock score draws the teen crowd. I'm in my early twenties and what draws me to the show is the incredible score/lyrics, the unique story, and the fantastic performances. Though last time I rushed and was in line behind four 15 year olds...I did realize it's a bit odd that the young crowd relates to a story about a 45 year old mother.

But I really don't think many people are there for Kyle Dean...does he have that big of a fan base? I know some people might think "Oh, he was in wicked" and there's that group of overnight rushers that comes to see him, but do people really think that Kyle is drawing the young audience to the theater? I'd have to strongly disagree. Updated On: 6/26/09 at 11:21 PM

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 6/26/09 at 11:35pm

i think it's the music that drags the teen fans to the Booth. also, probably has something to do with what I<3bway said about rent and SA being gone.

and i know it's just the rush line, but i've rushed 3 times for N2N and all 3 times the line was almost completely made up of teenagers.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 12:40am

I was never crazy about Rent or Spring Awakening, or really even felt strong feelings about them in either direction, but I love Next to Normal. I'm 19 currently, so not really in the tween bracket and just barely in the teens now, so whatever.

But I really couldn't sit down and write about why EXACTLY the show appeals to me. My family is extremely stable and functional, with no mental illness, no drug use, etc. Or maybe that's why I am drawn to it. Who knows, besides my subconscious?

I think the argument that kids are drawn to Next to Normal because Rent and Spring Awakening are gone is rather silly.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 12:44am

I HATED Spring Awakening.

[heo1128]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 1:04am

Kad, I agree. I think Rent is over rated and Spring Awakening is just ok...don't really care for Xanadu, either. But I definitely understand the point about theater fangirls latching on to the show of the moment...I'm sure there's a handful of them in the N2N following.

[I<3bway]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 1:33am

Well Liverpool, not everything has to taste like chicken to be to your liking.

And I don't see how the idea of RENT fans and Spring Awakening fans liking N2N is ridiculous. Can you explain that to me? It is possible, you know. Of course it's not going to be true for everyone who is a fan of N2N. But I think if it helps bring more people to go see N2N because of the director, then I say they better be milking that puppy for all it's worth! Even better if it makes them into a fan of Alice, J. Robert Spencer, and the rest of the cast!


I also think that the 8 degrees effect has helped me get into some of the shows that I really like. For example, I first heard Norbert Leo Butz in Wicked, and I loved his voice. A few weeks after I bought the Wicked broadway recording, I see a show called "The Last Five Years" which gets me interested, and I end up loving that show. Then Dirty Rotten Scoundrels comes out and so on. It was actually Wicked that got me into liking RENT as well!


And I got interested into N2N because of J. Robert Spencer. They had the N2N ads on broadway.com and I said "Hey! That's the guy from Jersey Boys!" So I checked it out, and now I love the show!

[Liverpool]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 1:39am

Spring Awakening tasted like wet **** covered in Indian food and baby vomit.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/27/09 at 3:50am

I don't think anyone is saying all of Rent OR SA OR any other one shows uber fans are flocking to N2N. Some are flocking to ROA, or BE or Hair. MY point was that the younger "kids" (and I'm NOT talking about tweens but teens and college kids) seem to go with the idea that multiple attendance at their favorite show is the 'thing to do'. That you cannot BE a fan of the show and only see it once. You need to pledge your devoution by continuously returning.

The reason you see more young people at rush is because:
Rush and the like was designed for young people
They are more willing to stand in line from the crack of dawn.
Rush is 'part of the experience' and proof that you are truly a fan.

I'm guilty of seeing shows multiple times as of late. In fact, My August "pilgrammage" consists of mostly repeat shows...but that is more because there is little NEW that I haven't seen that I WANT to see. (Which makes me think that perhaps I need to curtail my NY experiences!)