Electric 'Light'! Next to Normal American & Argentinian Casts Come Together for Kitt/Yorkey Concert

Any fears that Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey were one-hit wonders with their Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal were brushed aside for the audiences that were lucky enough to witness the sold-out The Songs of Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey at American Songbook on March 1. There wasn’t a weak moment in the lineup, which included the duo's first collaboration for Columbia University’s Varsity Show (“Romantic Poetry 1201,” sung sweetly by Bring it On stars Jason Gotay and Ryann Redmond), cut songs from Next to Normal, a rarity from a Sweet Valley High movie musical project and some powerful selections from the upcoming If/Then sung flawlessly by the show’s star, Idina Menzel. Most of the original off-Broadway company of Next to Normal led by Tony winner Alice Ripley and Brian d’Arcy James was also on hand to remind us what an amazing show that was. But perhaps our favorite moment of all came when the Buenos Aires company of Next to Normal (translated as Casi Normales) joined their American counterparts for the rousing finale “Light,” sung half in English and half in Spanish as “Luz.” While footage of the actual concert isn’t online, we think you might enjoy this rehearsal video of the companies coming together for the first time. Nothing short of electric!