next to normal tour anyone see it?- Page 2

[Popular]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 2:46am

DAME, the picture says it was posted 'a month ago'. Was Leap of Faith still playing at that time? It looked like the Ahmanson to me until you made me question it LOL Now I'm not so sure either!

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 2:59am

That set picture looks like the Booth to me.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 11:08am

I think that the show should definitely come to NJPAC since it is a smaller tour theater.

[KA2007]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 8:04pm

RazzleDazzle3...so true about the minor adjustments for the N2N junkies! I'm seeing it tonight..so I will report soon...officiail opening! Let's see if the adjustments keep. Alice does continue to blow me away with her choices...should be fun tonight!

[RazzleDazzle3]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 8:49pm

KA2007, I'll be there as well! Just snagged a ticket by stopping by the box office. The lady said it's completely sold out. (My ticket is the last row of the 2nd balcony!!!

I can't wait to see who is there tonight!

[jaxel614]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 8:55pm

Can anyone give some info on these little changes? No chance of getting to see the tour, this time around. but have seen the show on Broadway three times.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 11/28/10 at 11:55pm

I would also like to know those little changes, the only thing I saw was a lot of different costumes.

(Long review...)

I took me seeing this again to fully realize how good this show is. The technical elements are amazing. The set looked the same to me no big changes really stood out. The lighting is really really amazing. I still think this show should have won lighting over Billy Elliot. They way it moves and changes on certain beats in the music is chill inducing. And I notice how much I liked the musical staging/blocking. It seems really well thought out and tiny details that make all the difference stand out. Now to the performances.

Alice- I have seen her on Broadway and she is still top notch. Her voice was in better shape then when I saw her before, and her high belt is clear and intense. She played Diana a bit more sarcastically than I remembered. Her performance is bold, thought out, and full of emotion. She is so passionate. You could practically see Diana thinking. It is really something to see tears streaming down her face at multiple times in the show.

Asa- I liked him, but I liked Bobby more. He played Dan kinda passively which was interesting. His whole manner was just calm. So Dan seemed to have to finally step up and do something but doesn't know what to do. I have never seen more of a connection between Dan and Natalie then at this performance. His voice is great, very clear and pleasant. I think that once he gets more comfortable in the role his performance will improve.

Emma-She was great. She played the role much differently than Jen and Meghan. She made Natalie very shy and timid and channeled this a lot in her movement. She seemed quite fragile but still had that sarcastic bite as almost like a defense. Like someone else said the role vocally is a breeze for her. She sounds amazing and has a great pop belt. Some interesting choices I thought she made were during her and Dan talking during "I'm Alive" she yelled at him and during "Maybe" she turned her back to her (staging?) and started to sob which was very touching and vulnerable

Preston- I have to say I think I liked him better than Adam. But to be fair I haven't seen Adam in a long time. He played the role very sweetly and I liked the romantic side of the character being so pronounced. Like everyone else in the cast, he had a great voice. Someone pin-pointed it best when he said the chemistry between him and Emma was like an awkward first relationship kind of thing, in a good way though.

Curt- His voice is just perfect for the role. A really great pop tenor. There wasn't any weird misplaced sexual tension "There's a World" wasn't particularly sinister it along with "I Dreamed a Dance" was just sweet and touching. In the very beginning he played the opening dialogue very fed up teenager but the rest of the time it was just as if he was trying to hold on to and protect Diana. "I Am The One" reprise was really great and I loved his "hi dad".

Jeremy- Not to much to say about him but his voice was great and his performance was very honest. There isn't to much to say because the doctors are the smallest characters and there really isn't much development but that being said he was very very good.
Updated On: 11/28/10 at 11:55 PM

[bluesoprano]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:13am

I saw the show on Friday evening and couldn't be happier!! The show fits in the Ahamanson so well and I noticed that the walls were purple up near the balcony....I don't recall them being purple before, but if they did it for the show specifically its a great fit.

Alice- she can do no wrong with this role. She was great in voice and spirit. She just commands the stage when she is on and truly holds the crowd in the balm of her hand and takes us all on a wild ride. Her "I Miss the Mountains," was just amazing.

Asa Somers- was good as Dan. At some points I did think about J. Robert Spencer, but Asa did a wonderful job. Vocally he did amazing and had good chemistry with Alice. Once he gets more comfortable with the role he is going to be amazing.

Curt Hanson- was a good Gabe. His "I'm Alive," was great and as someone stated earlier I was not expecting the last note of the song. His chemistry with Alice in "I Dreamed a Dance with You" and "There's a World," was amazing.

Emma Hunton- was an amazing Natalie. I loved that she took the role and truly made it her own. Interesting choices made during the show, but it fit the way she was playing her. Her voice was amazing and her "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" was wonderful. I loved how vulnerable she became during "Maybe," she started sobbing and it truly showed just how vulnerable Natalie is. Her chemistry with Alice couldn't have been more perfect....they both cried during this song and it was a great mother/daughter moment.

Preseton Sadleir: was a good Henry. But I really did miss Adam in this role. He was fine, had a good voice and had good chemistry with Emma.

Jeremy Kushnier: did great with the Doctors. Although the Doctor's role is small, he made great use of his time on stage and had a great voice.

Truly a great night of theater!!! I'm looking forward to seeing it again. All the cast members did come out of the stage door except for Alice. So I know I'll be back to see her. The cast couldn't be more generous to the fans....Emma also got hot tea for some people waiting in line (it was a cold night in LA). Michael Greif, Charlie Alterman, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey also came out of the stage door as well. Although no one bothered them.

If your in the LA area go and see Next to Normal!!!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:34am

Looks like the Ahmanson just swallows the set. If this tour comes to my city next season I don't know how it would work. There is a grand tier and a balcony. The tier is fine, but the balcony is insanely high and whenever there are two levels the second is completely cut off from view. Great to hear that the show is good though!

[bluesoprano]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:41am

Also, in the balcony, they only have about 6 rows or so open the rest are blocked off with a wall divider....cause any higher you wouldn't be able to see the third story of the set.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:42am

I was there on Friday too! I thought that was so sweet of Emma! And though I understand actors have lives too and can't always stay for fans, I was a little sad that I didn't get the chance to see Alice at the stage door I'll have to catch her next time!

[Popular]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 11:18am

We ended up getting free standby tickets last night, Row Orch L center - definitely worth the wait in the cold! I enjoyed the show 100% more the second time around (saw it once in NY). I don't know if it was because the story was clearer to me or if it was because of the performances. There was not a weak link in the cast at all. They were all so amazing I was especially impressed with Emma Hunton as Natalie.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 11:29am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2VuUGPN_Ew

There is a review of the tour. They have great things to say about it, besides Alice Ripley, who they both seemed to hate.

[Spacedog78]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 11:36am

I saw the show twice in NYC with the original cast this past January and then again in LA this past Saturday and I have to say that the set looks fine. I sat in the U row of orch and the view was great.

Alice's voice is a lot stronger than I remember and her new take on Diana is fresh and funny, she was outstanding. In fact everyone's singing was outstanding, but the acting....a little "dolly-dinkle" school of acting for me.

Asa, although a strong singer, his acting was very surfaced and placed, even at the crucial ending, he looked like he was doing what he "practiced" to do not what comes naturally.

Emma's take on Natalie was so different than Jen's, which I liked but again her inorganic acting was a turn off. I know they are both still finding their feet in the roles but as I was taught, to be a good actor you have to be a good listener and neither looked like they were listening, just waiting to say their next lines. However, the show was just a amazing as I remembered and I incourage everyone to see it.

[Popular]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 12:39pm

I had to laugh a little at that video review. I enjoyed Alice's performance, but I have to agree about having a hard time understanding her lyrics. I do believe, based on the opinion of others there last night who are more familiar with her voice than I, that this is not the norm for her - and I certainly don't remember having a hard time understanding her when seeing it in NY. Oh, and like the girls, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Pearl go on for her!!
Updated On: 11/29/10 at 12:39 PM

[KA2007]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 1:47pm

Saw the show last night! Alice never dissapoints. Since this was the second time for me seeing it in L.A.(saw it a few times in NY as well) I wanted to go in as if it had been the first time ever seeing the show. Here's what I took away from Alice's Diana this time around: It is true as stated that if you are not familiar with the score, it's a bit difficult to understand every word that Alice sings. As we all know, she has a specific tone and pronounciation and sometimes with the "crackle" in her voice, you lose some of the words. However, her acting is truly amazing. What I saw in Alice's performace last night was a Diana who had been "asleep" or away, perhaps in treatment for a while, but now back. When she sings "I miss the mountains" you feel like she is singing directly to the audience and having been away for a while, has another section of her life that is missing, for lack of a better word. You can see in her mannerisms that she is trying to piece everything (even the last few months not being Diana) together. You can tell that Alice IS DIANA on stage and I think for that reason, she is not conscientiously singing so that the audience can understand every word. I think she is just Diana. It was great discoving Alice's new take on her as well...softer and funnier and much more subtle..a la Jessica Phillips (Bway). I was lucky enough to be in the orch section of the theater, so really got to see the cast play off each other and the tears did flow- Diana, Dan, Natalie and Gabe. Even Henry teared up with Natalie on "Perfect for You".
I also love the relationship between Gabe and Dan throughout. Of course, Curt is not as "polished" vocally as Aaron and Kyle, but you feel a HUGE bond between the two and the final "I am the one" is AMAZING. Gabe's hold on Dan throughout was one of the subtle changes that I didn't see on Bway...not to mention Natalie's breakdown and Diana's wailing while going through Gabe's things.

Anyway, I hope to see it again later on in the run as I am sure it will even get more buttoned up.

[nexttotheheights]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 5:51pm

The Opening in LA was starpacked:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_NEXT_TO_NORMAL_Opens_in_LA_20101129

[steven22]

Posted: 11/29/10 at 10:59pm

Any audio or video clips yet? I'm dying to hear this cast!

[fade2black2]

Posted: 12/1/10 at 5:31pm

Found this clip
Superboy and the Invisible Girl Emma and Curt

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 12/7/10 at 2:49am

Just bought tickets to see it in St. Paul Fourth row and so excited!

[KA2007]

Posted: 12/8/10 at 1:14pm

Saw the show again last night! I wanted to give it a little time to see how much more comfortable the cast has become in their roles! They definitley have. I'm still in awe at how Ripley can pull up the emotion night after night. I do have to say that her voice sounded just a bit strained a couple of times last night. I was a little worried because the show is dark on Monday and yesterday was Tuesday, so she had a day to rest. Second Act she sounded better vocally, so maybe she needed the first to work out the kinks. Every time I've seen it, I've sat in different places to get different perspectives. Last night I was in Center Orch. It seems that with this show, the closer you are to the stage, the better...

Show was FANTASTIC once again.

[shomeika]

Posted: 12/8/10 at 3:08pm

I have 3 tickets for Friday Dec 17th 8pm; row R seats 6 7 8 prefer to sell them all together. Selling them for under face value because I have ended up with two sets of tickets for same show...my party bought tickets for us as well without advising me. Only 80 each.

[shomeika]

Posted: 12/8/10 at 3:10pm

Looking forward to seeing N2N next Friday (coming from east coast to check out the tour). I have peeked at online ticketing on the website a few times, and even day of seems like plenty of tickets remaining. is this the norm for Ahmanson? Wondering how sales are doing...

cheers!!!

[emo_geek]

Posted: 12/8/10 at 9:53pm

Yep, the Ahmanson is a hard house to fill.

Updated On: 12/8/10 at 09:53 PM

[KA2007]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 11:16am

Shomeika-
Have you tried going to the box office (Tues-Sun 12-6)? I've bought and exchanged several times with them and they are really easy to work with. Online it says no exchanges or refunds but if you tell they your story they will probably accomodate. The prob is, you need to go to the box office and not over the phone. Hopefully you are close enough to do so. I've had great experience with the Ahmanson.