Brian d'Arcy James, Alice Ripley Set for New Musical Next to Normal

Tony nominees Brian d'Arcy James and Alice Ripley have been tapped for leading roles in Second Stage's forthcoming production of the new musical Next to Normal. Featuring music by Tom Kitt High Fidelity and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey Making Tracks, the show will begin previews on January 16, 2008, and open on February 13, directed by Michael Greif Grey Gardens, Rent.

Described as a darkly funny new musical, Next to Normal examines how one almost average suburban family comes to grips with a long-buried secret in their over-stimulated and pharmaceutically obsessed world. The show explores the lengths to which we'll go to keep ourselves sane and our families in place. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

James most recently starred on Broadway in The Apple Tree, after playing the role of Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He received a Tony nomination for his performance as Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success. Other Broadway credits include The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Titanic, Carousel and Blood Brothers. Off-Broadway credits include The Good Thief, The Pavilion, Flight, The Wild Party, Ancestral Voices, Public Enemy, Floyd Collins, the Encores! production of Pardon My English and regional companies of White Christmas.

Ripley received a Tony nomination for her performance as Violet Hilton in Side Show and appeared on Broadway in King David, The Rocky Horror Show, James Joyce's The Dead, Sunset Boulevard and The Who's Tommy. Off-Broadway and regional credits include Tell Me On a Sunday, Company, Shakespeare in Hollywood, Five Flights, The Vagina Monologues, Cather County, Nelly Bly, Rock Shore, On the Twentieth Century, The Baker's Wife and the Encores! production of Li'l Abner.

Next to Normal will feature set design by Mark Wendland, costume design by Jeff Mahshie, lighting design by Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan. Musical staging will be by Sergio Trujillo Jersey Boys.