you just don't know who I am
Ok, so I just finished Next to Normal for the first time last night, and I am still basking in its glory. So much so, that I felt compelled to make a post about it, which hasn’t been done in a while. Do join me under the cut, won’t you?
Simply put: it was wonderful. And that’s actually an understatement, truth be told. I was kind of anxious, you know, before finally watching. There’s just so much hype around this musical, I couldn’t see how it would possibly live up to my high expectations. I needn’t have worried; Next to Normal didn’t just meet my expectations, it managed to pass them. I think, maybe, part of the reason for this is because I had absolutely no idea what the story was even about. I was entirely clueless going into it, and as such, was able to experience the surprises completely unspoiled.
For those who are curious, however, Next to Normal is essentially about a dysfunctional family. The mother, Diane (a role originated by the fantastically brilliant Alice Ripley), suffers from a bi-polar disorder that, from my understanding, was triggered by the death of her son, 17 years ago. She is constantly seeing visions of him, and as a result, her husband and daughter are often neglected.
The father, Dan (heartbreakingly depicted by one J. Robert Spencer), he does everything in his power to help his wife - perhaps to a fault, even. Regardless, I just, you know, I just loved his character. I found him fascinating. I don’t know that there are many men who could endure what he did for so long. But he, he just loves his wife so much. All he wants is for her to go back to the person she once was, the woman he fell in love with. And so he stays. He stays with her, because he wants to keep the promise he made on their wedding day.
Yet she, you see, she leaves. When Diane officially begins to recover, to move on from the tragedy that was her life, she realizes that all she’s ever done (maybe subconsciously) is rely on him to save her. She’s never had to stand up on her own two feet, because he would always be there to lean on. Understandably, she needs to get away from that, to learn how to be without him. The unfortunate side effect of this is, in my opinion, that it once again leaves her daughter, Natalie (the remarkable Jennifer Damiano), without a mother.
Their relationship is, I think, one of the most tragic aspects of the musical. Despite the fact that he died before she was even born, Natalie is constantly living in her brother’s shadow. Diane, she tries to love her daughter as much as she capable of, but the hallucinations - they just consume her. She misses so deeply what she lost in her boy, that she can’t see what she still has in her girl. I shed a lot of tears for both women and what they couldn’t be for each other. I’m not sorry about that, though. As sad as it was, the dynamic between mother and daughter gave me two seriously amazing song that I highly recommend you check out:
If I’m going to be suggesting songs, then I can’t end this post without talking about my current favorites.
I have yet to listen to that last song without crying. It just, oh my god. The musical had me so focused on the mother’s grief, I simply did not think about the father’s pain as well. Dan needs to acknowledge his son, but instead chooses to ignore him as much as he can. He continues to be haunted (albeit in a very different manner than Diane), until it's finally too much, and he breaks. And I bawl, because honestly, listen to the way they are singing these songs. That is what gets me the most. It’s not just the vocals that appeal to me. Those are incredible of course, but it’s also the raw emotion in their voice, the way you can feel their hurt and sorrow.
Y’know, I was convinced I would come out of this musical with a massive crush on Aaron Tveit (who played the son. Fucking gorgeous, and has great stage presence); I had assumed he would be the best part about the show. I was dead wrong. Each of the four leads brought their a-game, in terms of both acting and singing, and made it impossible to choose a favorite. I just can’t say enough about spectacular they all were, because I simply cannot find the right words to express my feelings about them. Whenever there was a song in which two or more of the cast members sang together, tears sprang into my eyes automatically. The audience gave a standing ovation at the end, and I just. I don’t think one has ever been so deserved. The other musicals I love - Rent, Wicked, Spring Awakening - there are a lot of factors involved. Next to Normal is the only one that I adore largely for its plot. The marvelous score is honestly just the icing on top of the already delicious cake.
I’ve gone on for too long. I shall leave and go watch Sons of Anarchy now. Goodnight.
Simply put: it was wonderful. And that’s actually an understatement, truth be told. I was kind of anxious, you know, before finally watching. There’s just so much hype around this musical, I couldn’t see how it would possibly live up to my high expectations. I needn’t have worried; Next to Normal didn’t just meet my expectations, it managed to pass them. I think, maybe, part of the reason for this is because I had absolutely no idea what the story was even about. I was entirely clueless going into it, and as such, was able to experience the surprises completely unspoiled.
For those who are curious, however, Next to Normal is essentially about a dysfunctional family. The mother, Diane (a role originated by the fantastically brilliant Alice Ripley), suffers from a bi-polar disorder that, from my understanding, was triggered by the death of her son, 17 years ago. She is constantly seeing visions of him, and as a result, her husband and daughter are often neglected.
The father, Dan (heartbreakingly depicted by one J. Robert Spencer), he does everything in his power to help his wife - perhaps to a fault, even. Regardless, I just, you know, I just loved his character. I found him fascinating. I don’t know that there are many men who could endure what he did for so long. But he, he just loves his wife so much. All he wants is for her to go back to the person she once was, the woman he fell in love with. And so he stays. He stays with her, because he wants to keep the promise he made on their wedding day.
Yet she, you see, she leaves. When Diane officially begins to recover, to move on from the tragedy that was her life, she realizes that all she’s ever done (maybe subconsciously) is rely on him to save her. She’s never had to stand up on her own two feet, because he would always be there to lean on. Understandably, she needs to get away from that, to learn how to be without him. The unfortunate side effect of this is, in my opinion, that it once again leaves her daughter, Natalie (the remarkable Jennifer Damiano), without a mother.
Their relationship is, I think, one of the most tragic aspects of the musical. Despite the fact that he died before she was even born, Natalie is constantly living in her brother’s shadow. Diane, she tries to love her daughter as much as she capable of, but the hallucinations - they just consume her. She misses so deeply what she lost in her boy, that she can’t see what she still has in her girl. I shed a lot of tears for both women and what they couldn’t be for each other. I’m not sorry about that, though. As sad as it was, the dynamic between mother and daughter gave me two seriously amazing song that I highly recommend you check out:
- Superboy and the Invisible Girl - Natalie is venting her frustrations about her family, and it is INCREDIBLE. Just listen, listen to the lyrics, to her emotion, to everything she wills you to feel. I promise you won’t regret it.
- Maybe (Next to Normal) - wherein Diane and Natalie address their relationship head on. I don’t even have anything to say about this, other than Alice Ripley is flawless. This number is what finally drew me to download the musical and its soundtrack.
If I’m going to be suggesting songs, then I can’t end this post without talking about my current favorites.
- I Am the One - Dan is trying to explain to his wife just how much he loves her, how he wants her to be okay, to move on from the death of their son. Meanwhile, the aforementioned son is vying for his father’s attention.
- I Am the One (Reprise) - Diane leaves, and Dan is lamenting her loss when his son shows up and forces him to confront what he’s been avoiding for so long. Dan is finally able to look his boy in the eye and say his name: Gabe.
I have yet to listen to that last song without crying. It just, oh my god. The musical had me so focused on the mother’s grief, I simply did not think about the father’s pain as well. Dan needs to acknowledge his son, but instead chooses to ignore him as much as he can. He continues to be haunted (albeit in a very different manner than Diane), until it's finally too much, and he breaks. And I bawl, because honestly, listen to the way they are singing these songs. That is what gets me the most. It’s not just the vocals that appeal to me. Those are incredible of course, but it’s also the raw emotion in their voice, the way you can feel their hurt and sorrow.
Y’know, I was convinced I would come out of this musical with a massive crush on Aaron Tveit (who played the son. Fucking gorgeous, and has great stage presence); I had assumed he would be the best part about the show. I was dead wrong. Each of the four leads brought their a-game, in terms of both acting and singing, and made it impossible to choose a favorite. I just can’t say enough about spectacular they all were, because I simply cannot find the right words to express my feelings about them. Whenever there was a song in which two or more of the cast members sang together, tears sprang into my eyes automatically. The audience gave a standing ovation at the end, and I just. I don’t think one has ever been so deserved. The other musicals I love - Rent, Wicked, Spring Awakening - there are a lot of factors involved. Next to Normal is the only one that I adore largely for its plot. The marvelous score is honestly just the icing on top of the already delicious cake.
I’ve gone on for too long. I shall leave and go watch Sons of Anarchy now. Goodnight.