Mark Danni continues to tackle ambitious projects at TheatreZone. With critical and commercial hits "Forum" and "Grand Hotel" behind him, success augured well for edgy small-cast, sung-through musical "Next to Normal." The pieces just don't fall into place.
TheatreZone's professional production of "Next to Normal" contains good - even great - moments. Those spots are simply overshadowed by critical flaws in casting and directing.
Parts of the show dazzle. "Next to Normal" delivers a rock opera beat (from
Michael Horsley's thumping orchestra) that still retains a musical theatre sound. Brilliant writing makes a tough subject palatable and entertaining. Smart staging and athletic, modern choreography from
Karen Molnar drive energy right out into the crowd.
The show feels raw and rushed, a victim of TheatreZone's compact rehearsal process. Characters don't relate to each other so much as sing toward each other; some scenes feel leaden, with little movement.
TheatreZone favorite
Larry Alexander, a Broadway talent, brings his titanic voice to harried husband Dan. Alexander powers the show vocally. Wait for the show-stopping eleven o'clock number "I Am the One" that crescendos in a wave of sonic pleasure.
Yet, Alexander seems an awkward pairing with
Karen Molnar's Diana. While theirs is the show's critical relationship, there is little on-stage chemistry nor do their voices match well.
Molnar offers a surprising bright spot in the series of brief scenes with spoken dialogue. Tender moments with daughter Natalie (Vera Samuels) and son Gabe (David
Michael Bevis) help paint a picture of a mother trapped in pain she doesn't understand.
These short but sharp moments - and her ability to connect - ultimately provide the glue that holds the show together. I wish she brought more to the table vocally; only "I Miss the Mountains," Diana's aching ode to life without antidepressants, connects.
"Next to Normal" offers an interesting, if decidedly imperfect, take on a bold musical. Much like the subject matter itself, elements of the show war with each other for dominance even as a beautiful battered message emerges.
Chris Silk is the arts writer and theater critic for the Naples Daily News. To read the longer version of this review, go to: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/mar/08/review-theatrezone-mark-danni-next-to-normal/
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