next to normal
- Author: Kitt, Tom
- Author: Yorkey, Brian
Compassionate, thoughtful, but also witty... implicitly rebukes those who think musicals can't be serious
next to normal
- Author: Kitt, Tom
- Author: Yorkey, Brian
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Compassionate, thoughtful, but also witty... implicitly rebukes those who think musicals can't be serious
About
'I never know what to say when I have to go over all this. It starts to sound like some story I tell that's about some other person entirely.'
From the outside, they're the picture of a nice, normal family. Inside, they're in crisis. At their heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. How far will she go to keep her family's world intact?
With powerful lyrics and an electrifying score of more than thirty original songs, next to normal is an intimate exploration of family and loss. It opened in New York in 2008, and transferred to Broadway in 2009, winning three Tony Awards including Best Original Score, and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
This new edition features the complete book and lyrics of the musical, and exclusive new material, including testimonials on creating the show by James Lapine, Michael Greif, Alice Ripley, David Stone and Michael Longhurst, an essay on its presentation of mental health, and the lyrics to a dozen deleted or alternative songs.
It was first published alongside the acclaimed 2023 London premiere at the Donmar Warehouse, which was nominated for four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, and transferred to the West End in 2024.
Contents
- next to normal
Awards and reviews
Compassionate, thoughtful, but also witty... implicitly rebukes those who think musicals can't be serious
Mesmerizing – an emotional powerhouse with a fire in its soul and a wicked wit that burns just as fiercely
A hit rock musical powered by huge, messy emotions and gorgeously, earnestly delivered ballads... an unusual, wholly kitsch-free kind of musical, one that's got the narrowed focus and emotional intensity of a kitchen-sink drama
Brilliant... gut-wrenching and blackly comic
A musical that sings in its own consistently ravishing voice. It is a moving, blisteringly honest, and inordinately powerful new musical stocked with beautiful songs that get to the heart of the story – and simply get to the heart
A brave, breathtaking musical. It is something much more than a feel-good musical: it is a feel-everything musical
A blistering musical portrayal of mental anguish... beautiful and unflinching
A startling, emotion-drenched musical about one family’s attempt to cope with mental illness... an impressive achievement
The rarest of Broadway species: a thoughtful, emotional musical for grown-ups
Sensational... first-rate entertainment... as a boutique musical theatre experience, this is pretty special
