Asa Somers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton & More Join Alice Ripley on Next to Normal Tour

Casting is complete for the forthcoming national tour of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, which will star Tony Award winner Alice Ripley as Diana Goodman. Joining Ripley on the road will be Asa Somers as Dan, Curt Hansen as Gabe, Emma Hunton as Natalie, Jeremy Kushnier as Dr. Madden and Dr. Fine and Preston K. Sadleir as Henry. The 36-week tour of Next to Normal launches on November 23 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, where it will open on November 28 and run through January 2, 2011.

With a thrilling contemporary score, Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other in the face of the mother's manic-depressive illness. The show features music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, musical staging by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Michael Greif.

Somers played Drs. Madden and Fine in the Off-Broadway premiere of Next to Normal has appeared on Broadway in Grey Gardens, Taboo, Dance of the Vampires and The Rocky Horror Show. Off-Broadwy credits include The Burnt Part Boys, Once Around the Sun and Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Hansen has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray and in the L.A. revival of Parade. He understudied the role of Gabe on Broadway. Hunton appeared on Broadway in Spring Awakening and served as a Natalie swing in the Broadway company. Kushnier has appeared on Broadway in Footloose and Rent and toured in Aida and Jersey Boys. He recently headlined a production of Chess at the Signature Theatre of Virginia. Sadleir recently appeared off-Broadway in Edward Albee’s My, Myself & I.

Following the premiere, the tour has confirmed engagements in Denver, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Des Moines, Providence, Hartford, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Chicago, St. Paul, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Washington, DC, and Toronto. Next to Normal continues its Broadway engagement at the Booth Theatre.