Music by Tom Kitt
Books & Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Directed by Dr. Craig Rosen
Next to Normal,听with book and lyrics听by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize,听Next to Normal听was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including听The Los Angeles听Times,听The Washington Post,听Rolling Stone听and听The New York Times.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal听because the mother has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years.听Next to Normal听takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
This deeply moving piece of theatre provides a wonderful opportunity for performers to explore dramatic material and showcase vocal talents with an energetic pop/rock score.听Next to Normal听is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry,听and suburban life and is ideal for community theatres, as well as colleges and regional theatre companies.
