This contemporary musical explores how one suburban household copes with crisis. With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score of more than 30 original songs, Next to Normal shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family’s world intact.
Next to Normal was chosen as one of the Best Shows of 2009 by the editors of Broadway.com! Read More
This new musical centers on what appears to be a typical American family: Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens. And yet their lives are anything but normal, because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
"It is much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel everything musical. A brave, breathtaking musical!"
The New York Times
Ben Brantley
"Next to Normal covers a challenging subject, no question. That it's hopeful and uplifting, not depressing, is more than a triumph—it's next to wondrous."
The New York Daily News
Joe Dziemianowicz
"There are no easy answers to be found in Next to Normal, a startling, emotion-drenched musical about one family's attempt to cope with mental illness. The show is an impressive achievement, a heartfelt entertainment. One of the most adventurous and satisfying musicals of the season."
Associated Press
Michael Kuchwara
"Rock is alive and rolling like thunder in Next To Normal. It’s the best musical of the season by a mile,an emotional powerhouse with a fire in its soul and a wicked wit that burns just as fiercely. You leave this show feeling you’ve discovered something fresh and vital."
Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
"Its choice of subject alone is reason to admire Next to Normal. The creative team here poses a potentially hackneyed question—is it better to feel pain or smother it?—and gives it freshness, urgency and emotional integrity."
Variety
David Rooney
"Grade A: agonizingly beautiful."
Entertainment Weekly
Melissa Rose Bernardo
