Caissie Levy Will Lead the London Premiere of NEXT TO NORMAL at Donmar Warehouse

Caissie Levy will lead the London premiere of Next to Normal at the Donmar Warehouse beginning this summer. The production runs 12 August - 7 October 2023.

She stars alongside Trevor Dion Nicholas as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine. Further casting has yet to be announced.

Critically acclaimed Broadway musical Next to Normal is an intimate exploration of family and loss. At its heart is Diana Goodman, played by Broadway star Caissie Levy, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst directs the long-awaited UK première of this powerful musical about a far from average family.

Next to Normal is the winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards including Best Original Score.

Caissie Levy plays Diana Goodman. Her theatre credits include Leopoldstadt (Longacre Theatre), The Bedwetter (Linda Gross Theatre), Caroline, or Change (Studio 54), Frozen (St James Theatre), First Daughter Suite (The Public Theatre), Les Misérables (Imperial Theatre), Murder Ballad (Union Square Theatre), Ghost The Musical (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Manchester Opera House), Hair (Gielgud Theatre, Al Hirshfeld Theatre), Wicked (Pantages Theatre, Gershwin Theatre), Hairspray (Neil Simon Theatre and US tour) and Rent (US tour). Her television credits include The Battery's Down, Creative Galaxy, Gotham, Wishenpoof! And for film; Options and Ms. Bula Banerjee.

Trevor Dion Nicholas plays Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine. His theatre credits include include George Washington in the West End production of Hamilton, Preacher in Bonnie & Clyde (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Disney's Aladdin (West End, Broadway & US Tour/What's On Stage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), Big River (US Tour), The Wiz, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ragtime, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, The Exonerated and This is the Life (ETA Hoffman Theatre, DE). Trevor is the voice of the Ghost of Christmas Present in the Netflix animated film Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. Television credits includes Panellist/Judge on All Star Musicals (ITV), Lester in Moley (Boomerang), The Show Must Go On (Sky Arts), Strictly Come Dancing (BBC), Christmas at the Snow Globe, The Americans, Sunday Night at the Palladium, Royal Variety Performance and Disney's Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall (Emmy Award).

Tom Kitt received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Orchestrations, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score for Next to Normal (Second Stage Theater/Broadway). He is also the composer of If/Then (Tony and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), High Fidelity (Broadway), Bring it On, The Musical (co-composer with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Broadway), Superhero (Second Stage), Disney's Freaky Friday (Stage Production and Original Disney Channel Movie Musical), Dave (Arena Stage), The Winter's Tale, All's Well That Ends Well, Cymbeline (Public Theater's NYSF), From Up Here, The Madrid (Manhattan Theatre Club), Orphans (Broadway), The Retributionists (Playwrights Horizons), and As You Like It (Toho Co., Japan). As a music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator, credits include SpongeBob Squarepants, The Musical (Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk Award nominations), Head Over Heels, Jagged Little Pill; Grease Live!, Rise (NBC), and American Idiot. His work with Green Day also includes additional arrangements for their Grammy Award-winning album 21st Century Breakdown and their album trilogy, ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! Tom received an Emmy Award as co-writer (with Lin-Manuel Miranda) for the 2013 Tony Award opening number, Bigger. Other television songwriting credits include a musical episode of Royal Pains, and songs for Penny Dreadful, Sesame Street, and Julie's Greenroom. As a musical director, conductor, arranger and orchestrator, credits include the Pitch Perfect films, 2Cellos featuring Lang Lang (Live and Let Die), The Kennedy Center Honors, 13, Debbie Does Dallas, Everyday Rapture, Hair, Laugh Whore, Pippin (Deaf West), and These Paper Bullets. Upcoming projects include musical adaptations of the films Almost Famous (premiering on Broadway in October 2022), Magic Mike, and The Visitor.

Brian Yorkey received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as the 2009 Tony Award for Best Score for Next to Normal (Second Stage Theater/Broadway). He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical for Next to Normal, and his work on the show earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Score. He partnered again with the Next to Normal team on If/Then (Tony Award nominee for Best Score) starring Idina Menzel. He co-wrote the libretto for The Last Ship (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, with John Logan), with a score by Sting. His musical adaptation of Freaky Friday for Disney Theatricals enjoyed a national tour before being adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie. Current theatrical projects in development include the original musical Jesus in My Bedroom, with composer Tim Symons, as well as a stage musical adaptation of Magic Mike. Additional theatre credits include Making Tracks, which has played off-Broadway and regionally, the musical adaptation of Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet, and the play, Book of Jobs with Alex Glover. Brian was the Executive Producer and Showrunner of 13 Reasons Why for Netflix, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.

Michael Longhurst directs. For his biog, please see page 4.

Alessandra Davison is a Donmar Resident Assistant Director. Her recent work includes Carbon and Tipping (Royal Court Theatre), Tamzara (Unge Viken Theatre Company), SCRATCH (Harold Pinter Theatre), Ephemera (Royal Court), Three Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), Hatch (Baron's Court Theatre), By Way of Kensal Green (Theatre 503), Drylands (Tramshed), Hot Off Da Press and Three Wishes (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre START company - also co-writer). As an assistant and associate director, her work includes Two Palestinians Go Dogging (Royal Court Theatre), A Number (The Old Vic), Idyll (Pentabus Theatre), Torch Song (Turbine Theatre), Me for the World (The Young Vic) and Care (The Pappy Show).

Adam Karim is a Donmar Resident Assistant Director. He trained at the Manchester School of Theatre and directing credits include Pressure Drop (Immediate Theatre The Yard, Schools Tour), Second Person Narrative (RBSW Clapham Omnibus). As an Assistant Director work includes The P-Word (Bush Theatre), Sorry You're Not A Winner (Paines Plough) and acting credits include Macbeth, Cold Chips & Pick n Mix (Royal Exchange), The Madness of George III (Nottingham Playhouse), Troilus & Cressida (Shakespeare's Globe) East is East (Jamie Lloyd Co.) Ready or Not (Kali, Arcola), Macbeth (Queens Theatre Hornchurch) Child of the Divide (Tamasha), Untouchable (RADA Festival), Disgraced (English Theatre Frankfurt) Pinocchio (Greenwich Theatre), Thumbelina (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Brownballed (Bolton Octagon), After Love (BFI), Three Girls, Years & Years, Carol and Vinnie (BBC), Daughter (CineK / Gizmo)