Sooo...
who's watched this?
I'll be in NY next month and am hoping to catch it. Heard really good things about it as well. Ben Brantley of the NY Times even suggests that it's the best new musical on broadway (surely anathema to Billyots but there you go..).
Next to Normal
Next to Normal
Red's my colour
-
musicinyourear412
- Audience Member
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:44 pm
Re: Next to Normal
I haven't seen it, but I have the cast recording, which is mostly the show, since the majority of it is sung through. I love the recording and have heard nothing but great things about the production.
Re: Next to Normal
I haven't seen it yet, but I'm going to sometime in July! I'm just mad cause Aaron Tveit isn't going to be in it then 
-
ERinVA
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17968
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:33 am
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Re: Next to Normal
StevenKing and Billy Whiz have seen it. Perhaps one of them will give you an idea of what to expect.
Ellen
"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983
To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983
To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
Re: Next to Normal
Well....
It's a very daring musical in tackling the topic but done in really rather an interesting way.
It's not exactly family viewing therefore (and certainly no Disney moments) and takes some concentration to work out what's going on and what's being sung.
It has a fairly shocking twist in the middle.....at which point you reach for the valium and look at the whole audacity of the musical in a different light.
The score is good although fairly subtle in variation between numbers. It perhaps puts things in context when you have the part of the psychiatrist providing the comic relief....
It has a good pace although still (even after quite a bit of work) has one or two slow patches where you can recover your senses.
Trying to compare it to a typical broadway musical would be like comparing The Little Mermaid with Equus.....
Alice Riply as the mother is quite amazing...and really deserved the Tony to be honest with a quite startling performance. When you play such a deeply disturbed character it probably spills out from the stage into real life...
You leave the theatre not so much humming and dancing as needing a stiff drink.
Nonetheless something anyone interested in theatre really should see and enjoy.
It's a very daring musical in tackling the topic but done in really rather an interesting way.
It's not exactly family viewing therefore (and certainly no Disney moments) and takes some concentration to work out what's going on and what's being sung.
It has a fairly shocking twist in the middle.....at which point you reach for the valium and look at the whole audacity of the musical in a different light.
The score is good although fairly subtle in variation between numbers. It perhaps puts things in context when you have the part of the psychiatrist providing the comic relief....
It has a good pace although still (even after quite a bit of work) has one or two slow patches where you can recover your senses.
Trying to compare it to a typical broadway musical would be like comparing The Little Mermaid with Equus.....
Alice Riply as the mother is quite amazing...and really deserved the Tony to be honest with a quite startling performance. When you play such a deeply disturbed character it probably spills out from the stage into real life...
You leave the theatre not so much humming and dancing as needing a stiff drink.
Nonetheless something anyone interested in theatre really should see and enjoy.
-
StevenKing
- Mrs Wilkinson
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:03 am
- Location: palm springs,usa
Re: Next to Normal
Its a kick you in the gut musical...I knew the twist from the middle(its debatable if its THAT important to keep it quiet) but even then something happens right near the end that will just drain you dry(THAT is to be kept quiet!!!!!). And Ripley gives the most amazing performance I have ever seen singing wise at least...as good as the cd is it compare to the live show, I have no idea how she can do that amount of emotion every day...and my prediction the show dies when she leaves.
Steven
Steven
Re: Next to Normal
Safuza wrote:I haven't seen it yet, but I'm going to sometime in July! I'm just mad cause Aaron Tveit isn't going to be in it then
SCRATCH THAT!!! I decided to move my Broadway trip to September. That means I get to see the FULL cast...Aaron included!!!! 
My VERY impressive Billy Track record:
....Kiril.....X1
Oh yeah! It's a record breaker and you know it!
...*sigh*...Why, oh why must Broadway be so far away! =(
....Kiril.....X1
Oh yeah! It's a record breaker and you know it!
...*sigh*...Why, oh why must Broadway be so far away! =(
-
StevenKing
- Mrs Wilkinson
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:03 am
- Location: palm springs,usa
Re: Next to Normal
Spoiler alert...do NOT watch this if you ever will watch this musical, But it is THE kick in the gut song from the musical(if you dont cry...why are you going to theatre?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCJfk0w ... re=related not THE best song from the musical(I am the one wins that) but Biggest twist and most emotional(if open to interpretation, which I cant get into with out spoiling it) Singing wise N2N is as good as it gets in parts on Broadway, sorry to say theres a streak of 4-5 songs in act 1 that demolish BETM song wise...act 2 starts too slow though(dont put 90% of your best songs in act 1 !!!)
Steven
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCJfk0w ... re=related not THE best song from the musical(I am the one wins that) but Biggest twist and most emotional(if open to interpretation, which I cant get into with out spoiling it) Singing wise N2N is as good as it gets in parts on Broadway, sorry to say theres a streak of 4-5 songs in act 1 that demolish BETM song wise...act 2 starts too slow though(dont put 90% of your best songs in act 1 !!!)
Steven
Re: Next to Normal
I've already been spoiled beforehandStevenKing wrote:Spoiler alert...do NOT watch this if you ever will watch this musical, But it is THE kick in the gut song from the musical(if you dont cry...why are you going to theatre?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCJfk0w ... re=related not THE best song from the musical(I am the one wins that) but Biggest twist and most emotional(if open to interpretation, which I cant get into with out spoiling it) Singing wise N2N is as good as it gets in parts on Broadway, sorry to say theres a streak of 4-5 songs in act 1 that demolish BETM song wise...act 2 starts too slow though(dont put 90% of your best songs in act 1 !!!)
Steven
Do not read the comments on YouTube of a N2N vid. Spoilers abound!But I do have to say, that that song is my absolute favorite song in the show out of all that I've seen so far.It's just too beautiful! When Dan turns around and says...well...what he says... the water works just burst!
My VERY impressive Billy Track record:
....Kiril.....X1
Oh yeah! It's a record breaker and you know it!
...*sigh*...Why, oh why must Broadway be so far away! =(
....Kiril.....X1
Oh yeah! It's a record breaker and you know it!
...*sigh*...Why, oh why must Broadway be so far away! =(
-
StevenKing
- Mrs Wilkinson
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:03 am
- Location: palm springs,usa
Re: Next to Normal
Its too bad in a way that so much of this musical IS online. Pretty much all surprises are revealed. But because of the nature of it they HAD to do it to build up word of mouth...the concept looks horrible on paper. In the end the vids worked...but this musical would have destroyed me(to a Les Miz level I think) at a first viewing without my seeing the clips(in a good way). But Id never have gone seen it without them...so owell.
Steven
Steven