(This is Victoria's post.)
Next to Normal is a rock musical by
Brain Yorkey and Tom Kitt. Directed by Michael Greif, it opened Off-Broadway in
2008 and then Broadway the next year. The show has received several awards
including the Tony Award for Best Score and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The
musical to win the Pulitzer the year before was Rent which was also directed by
Greif. It was nominated for 11 Tony
Awards.
Brian
Yorkey is a native of Issaquah, Washington and graduated from Columbia
University where he met Tom Kitt. He served as the associate artistic director
for Village Theatre for six years before Next
to Normal. Tom Kitt has composed and
orchestrated many awarding winning musicals including High Fidelity and American
Idiot. His new musical Bring it On
recently opened on Broadway. He received the Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic
Composition for Next to Normal. Kitt
and Yorkey’s most recent project is a new musical called If/Then starring Idina Menzel and directed by Michael Greif. The
show is set to open on Broadway Spring 2014.
Next to normal began as a ten minute
piece called Feeling Electric that
Kitt and Yorkey wrote as a final project for the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.
Their inspiration was a segment about electroconvulsive therapy on Dateline
NBC. Yorkey has been quoted saying, “exponentially harder to write an original
musical. Musicals that go wrong can be ridiculous because it’s a ridiculous art
form. People bursting into song can be ridiculous. But musicals that go right
can be sublime."
Next to Normal tells the story of a
mother who struggles with several illnesses including manic depression, bipolar
disorder, and delusional fits. Some symptoms of bipolar disorder are increased
sex drive, disconnected racing thoughts, empty moods, feelings of guilt, worthlessness
and helplessness, poor judgement, inappropriate elation, grandiose notions, and
delusions. It explores the effects of
loss on a person and the effects that these illnesses have on a family. The
musical addresses issues like suicide, drug abuse, and ethics in modern
psychiatry.
The
set is made to look like a doll house. There are doors that slide open and
closed so we can see inside the home of this suburban family. It is also a
symbol for Diana. For instance, Gabe’s room is in the attic/ Diana’s mind. When
the musical begins it seems like the audience is about to watch a show about a
typical suburban family. It is not until after the opening number that we
realize Diana is not all there. I found it interesting that we do not realize
Gabe is a vision until 30 minutes into the show. Up until that point we think
the entire family can see him. You will notice if you chose to read the play
and watch it on Youtube, that they are somewhat different. Some songs were cut
from the show when it moved to Broadway.
I
enjoyed the use repetition in this musical. Many times the word crazy was used
but sometimes it was good and sometimes it was bad. Also the word perfect. In
the song I Miss the Mountains Diana
talks about the importance of feeling. At this point the doctors have taken
away all feeling from her. But she would rather feel pain than nothing at all.
Throughout
the show we learn that Dan never got to grieve his son’s death. He was too busy
taking care of Diana. This show explores the effects of mental illness on a
family. Natalie is constantly in the shadow of her older brother who does not
exist. She is always afraid she will end up crazy just like her mother. This is
why she is scared connect with Henry. I love the brief glimpses into Diana’s
mind. One example is when she first meets the doctor and she sees him as a rock
star.
I’m Alive is when we get to see Gabe’s point of view for
the first time. Diana cannot get rid of Gabe until she comes to terms with the
fact that he is dead and grieves his death. The musical not only deals with the
effects of drugs but also the effects of hypnosis and electric shock
therapy. “The aim of ECT is to induce a
therapeutic clonic seizure (a seizure where the person loses consciousness and
has convulsions) lasting for at least 15 seconds.”
Questions:
1.)
Which is worse, the symptom or the cure?
2.)
Is forgetting better than feeling pain? What was
the effect of forgetting for both Diana and Dan?
3.)
What are the parallels between Gabe, Dan, and
Henry?
4.)
Did you think the emotion was lost because the
dramatic moments were sung instead of spoken?
5.)
Did Gabe live in Diana’s soul or her mind?
6.)
Why did Diana decide to leave and not Dan?
7.)
Why did Dan not admit to being able to see Gabe?
8.)
Do you think Henry was a bad influence on
Natalie?
9.)
If Henry had not been in Natalie’s life, what do
you think would have happened to Natalie?
10.)Why did Dan never talk to
Natalie about Gabe?
11.)Do you think musicals like Next to Normal and Rent are the future of musical theatre? Is it possible to have a
dramatic musical be as realistic as a dramatic play?