Next To Normal

If you have tagged the musical like this, please credit it to: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Next to Normal is a musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. Its story concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. The play also addresses such issues as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life. Originally titled "Feeling Electric", it was seen as a reading in the Cutting Room in New York City. As the show progressed in popularity and notoriety, the Village Theater, Second Stage before making its "home" at the Arena Stage. Extensive editing including "removing "comic songs and glitzy production numbers" and substituting some songs that are complementary to the emotional content of the book; the production received rave reviews". The cast, after Brian d'Arcy James, who played Dan left to be in Shrek: the Musical was solidified and was solidified by being the cast on the Next to Normal recording. This cast consists of Alice Ripley as Diana Goodman, J. Robert Spencer as Dan Goodman, Aaron Tveit as Gabriel Goodman, Jennifer Damiano as Natalie Goodman, Adam Chanler-Berat as Henry and Louis Hobson as Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden Next to Normal received several workshop performances before it debuted off-Broadway in 2008, winning the Outer Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Score and receiving nominations for Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actress (Alice Ripley) and Outstanding Score. It then played at the Arena Stage in Arlington, Virginia from November 2008 to January 2009 and opened on Broadway in April 2009. The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley and Best Score and Lyrics of a Musical.