Sometimes the most challenging Broadway productions skip our town for a variety of reasons. This can be seen in the absence of Wicked, The Lion King, and Xanadu from our stages.
Okay, so Xanadu might be a stretch, but it was damn funny at the Helen Hayes Theater in NYC, and this roller skate-infused show DID tour the U.S.
Actors’ Theatre of Grand Rapids, however, rarely misses an opportunity to perform challenging (Spring Awakening) or up-to-the-moment (Rust, Nadia) work, and they will do it again with Next To Normal, a musical centered around the topic of what happens to a family when the matron, who is bipolar, goes off her meds.
If you think this is the fertile ground floor for the latest from the comic landscape covered by Judd Apatow, think again. This is a serious musical that not has only been awarded the Tony for Best Musical, but also received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of only eight musicals ever to be given this prestigious literary award.
This new, American family story follows Diana, a suburban mom whose family helps her cope with her inner demons (while coping with their own unique struggles). Critics have lauded this musical for its bold and topical storytelling.
Next to Normal is the 58th production to be directed by Actors’ Theatre founder Fred Sebulske. The director is reunited with music director Scott Patrick Bell, who worked with Sebulske on last season’s Actors’ presentation of Spring Awakening.
Next to Normal features Kelly Carey (as Diana), Larry Young (as Dan), Maggie Nye (as Nataliel), Kyle Los, Duncan McCargar, and Actors’ newcomer and Hope College graduate Jared Graybiel (Dr. Madden).
Tickets are selling very fast so do not delay. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the Dec 9, 2 p.m. Sunday matinee will benefit the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan.
Admission: From $24
More Info