Tony Frankel from Stage and Cinema holds nothing back with his review of Next to Normal:
Read full review' | Buy Tickets | More about 'Next to Normal'“Next to Perfect”
“Next to Normal infuses me with a rush of suspense, fascination, and moral courage.”
“Under Stephen Hulsey‘s tremendous music direction and dynamic piano, Sho Fujieda‘s drums, Jacob Gonzalez‘s guitars, and Jimmy Beall‘s bass, this teeny-tiny band brought more versatility to the music than did a large orchestra. Thanks to Ryan Brodkin, whose sound design put actors front and center while still allowing us to bask in those amazing orchestrations.”
“The 2010 Pulitzer- and Tony-winning musical presents one of the best-realized American families you’ll see on a stage”
“all these performers pour out their guts through a harrowing 40-number workout, making every performance a standout as the ensemble propels the action relentlessly toward the show’s satisfying, uneasy climax”
“Jared Machado’s teenager is as awkward and endearing as any boyfriend you’d wish upon your daughter; Ron Hastings’ glib, well-meaning shrink is as frustrating as any doctor you’ve ever overpaid. Jaylen Baham’s Number One Son is not only very vulnerable but he prances and wails just like an awkward adolescent, the perfect choice to alienate Tym Brown’s heartbreaking, stolid father figure.”
“Jocelyn A. Brown’s Diana, the charming, funny, “batshit crazy” mother, anchors the story and the production. It’s a star part inside a well-balanced ensemble piece, and Ms. Brown reaches high and low to pull out a really exciting character. … an authentically legit Broadway-caliber voice, filled with emotion and control.”
“The surprise of the evening was understudy Jessica James as the disaffected Type A daughter, Natalie, normally played by Angie Chavez. James’s lucid, lovely, lyrical voice is the perfect antidote for the snarling, impatient, disconnected, talented 17-year-old who you’d like alternately to hug and strangle. This is a lesson for audience members who believe seeing an understudy is verboten. I say “Bravo!” to Ms. James.”
“its message is one of resilience rather than victory”
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