Next to Normal is a 2008 rock musical about clinical depression. What could possibly be better??
If you haven't seen it, you might wonder why you'd want to see a show about a middle-aged mother with depression and the effects that ripple out through her family. But if you have seen it, you'll know it's a wonderful, funny, heartbreaking, painful, raucous, and, at its core, sensitive and loving musical trip through real life, with all its warts, bumps, and bruises. This show always makes me cry, even after my third viewing.
Our first time at Next to Normal was in 2011 when we took our niece Bethany on a road trip to Seattle to see the Broadway touring version. I had no idea what was coming (other than a musical about depression -- how fun!), and was blown away by the power of the raw emotions and the high-energy music. I remained stuck in my seat during intermission, sitting in stunned silence, wiping away the tears from the intense first act. Blew. Me. Away.
After seeing such a professional-level performance of the show, I was a little concerned that a community theater version might not live up to the memory. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the Majestic performers. I saw the Majestic show twice, both because I like it so much and because I wanted to see the other pair of leads perform (the mother and father roles were dual-cast). They all did great, with subtle differences that made me happy I saw both versions. Well done, Majestic!
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