Next to Normal: A Rock Musical
On April Fools’ weekend, dozens of people filed into seats in Powell Hall and eagerly awaited the first show of spring term: Next to Normal. For weeks, the show had been advertised on campus through posters and a school-wide email. In no time, seats were filled to maximum capacity. Students, faculty and other members of the community eagerly watched as the director and pianist, senior Zoe Marshall, gave a short introduction before the lights were dimmed to let the performers walk onstage. When the lights came back on, the audience was greeted by a single actress, senior Charis Edwards.
“The show displayed a powerful message about the real life struggles and impacts of mental illness and visibly provoked emotions in every audience member. I was blown away by the incredible performance by the cast and left feeling sad but thoroughly satisfied.”
Next to Normal presents an authentic look at a family struggling with the effects of mental illness and drug abuse. The six main characters consist of the mother, Diana Goodman (senior Charis Edwards); Dan Goodman (upper Ian Johnson), Diana’s husband; their daughter, Natalie (upper Daisy Tichenor); their son, Gabe (lower Jacob Hunter); Natalie’s boyfriend, Henry (upper Isabella Abate); and Diana’s therapist, Doctor Madden (upper Harry Fitzgerald). Each and every family member is affected by the mother’s battle with bipolar disorder and her attempts to overcome her illness. However, the play also addresses several other important issues in modern society. Senior and director Zoe Marshall explained, “It not only speaks to mental illness and grief, but also stress and high school relationships.” Each of these issues receives its fair share of attention throughout the musical, as each character attempts to solve their unique problems. Thus, each character displays depth and complexity, which revealed itself as moral ambiguity. “The characters are three-dimensional and often the cast would get into debates about the moral compass of one of them,” Marshall said. Regardless of how righteous they are, all six characters are stunningly real, allowing the audience to sympathize with the cast effortlessly—whether it be with Natalie, who is caught in the middle of the conflict between her parents, or Doctor Madden, who debates the ethics of certain treatments. The plot’s intricacy creates an entertaining story arc as the actors artfully lead the audience through a series of astounding highs and lows. With Next to Normal, one could never be sure of what was going to happen
In preparation for the musical, actors participated in daily rehearsals all throughout winter term. To every person involved, the production was a huge time commitment, but one that ultimately paid off in the end. The cast faced several obstacles in the creation of this production. Finding time to prepare for the musical was a major problem. “We had nine or ten different schedules to work around, two cast members on stricts the two weeks prior to opening night and a restriction of space,” said Tichenor. However, she would not have had it any other way. Th end result erased any lingering negativity she had towards the musical. Tichenor explained, “It was hard and time consuming, but it was worth every late night and every early morning.”
The songs also required an incredible amount of practice, due to their exceptional degree of musicality. “Every song has insane harmonies that took even the best of us weeks to learn,” said Tichenor. The melodies even ended up injuring a cast member. “The part of Dan is well beyond my natural vocal range, so I wound up damaging my vocal cords and having to go silent for three straight days,” said upper Ian Johnson. Moreover, the actors were forced to practice and perform in the small, cramped space of Powell Hall, which audience members viewed as a disservice to the high quality of the musical. As prep Emma Cerrato put it, “Next to Normal deserved more than its ‘stage’ in Powell Hall.” However, even with these hindrances, the group persevered and gave a beautiful performance.
The musical was met with overwhelming appreciation and respect. The performance addressed drugs and their effects in an uncommonly candid way, surprising many audience members. “The show displayed a powerful message about the real life struggles and impacts of mental illness and visibly provoked emotions in every audience member. I was blown away by the incredible performance by the cast and left feeling sad but thoroughly satisfied,” said Cerrato. Similarly, many praised the musical’s ability to touch the audience. “I cried three times during the show and had to put my hair down so other people couldn’t see me bawling,” joked lower Heidi Lichtl. By using an unconventional storyline to present one of today’s most pressing issues in a relatable and down-to-earth manner, Next to Normal definitely succeeded in touching the hearts of the audience.
The musical was an amazing accomplishment. Entirely student-run, this performance was certainly distinct from previous theatre projects. All aspects of the production—from the directing to the musical performances to the acting—reflected an immense amount of effort and preparation. As Next to Normal ended, the audience cheered from their seats, hearts warrmed by the emotional screenplay brought to life by an astounding cast and crew.