J. Robert Spencer Sets Departure Date from Next to Normal

J. Robert Spencer will play his final performance as husband and father Dan Goodman in Next to Normal on May 16. A replacement for Spencer, who received a 2009 Best Actor Tony nomination for his work in the hit musical, will be announced shortly.

Spencer becomes the second original Broadway cast member (after Aaron Tveit) to depart the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. The show stars Tony winner Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano, Kyle Dean Massey, Adam Chanler-Berat and Louis Hobson. Next to Normal continues its run at the Booth Theatre, directed by Michael Greif.

In addition to Next to Normal, Spencer’s Broadway credits include Jersey Boys, in which he created the role of Nick Massi, and Side Show. He has produced films that include Farm Girl in New York and Heterosexuals.

Next to Normal will kick off a North American tour on November 23 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, with confirmed engagements in San Diego, Seattle, Hartford, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, St. Paul, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Washington DC, and a dozen other cities to be announced in the near future.