BWW Previews: Upstart Musical Community JYPA to Bring NEXT TO NORMAL on August 20th

NEXT TO NORMAL, the award-winning rock musical about a suburban family dealing with mental health illness, will be performed at the USMAR ISMAIL THEATRE HALL, Jakarta on Tuesday, August 20th 2019. This musical is produced by JAKARTA YOUTH FOR PERFORMING ARTS (JYPA) and officially licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI). JYPA is also collaborating with mental health and suicide prevention community INTO THE LIGHT.

Written by the duo of Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (music and lyrics), NEXT TO NORMAL tells the life of suburban mother Diana Goodman who's living with bipolar disorder. Her family of four also includes her overtaxed husband Dan, charming son Gabe, and perfectionist musician daughter Natalie, who are all affected by Diana's struggles.

Since its Broadway debut in 2009, NEXT TO NORMAL has accrued multiple accolades, including winning three Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show's Broadway run closed in January 2011 after 733 performances. There was also an US national tour which ran from November 2011 to July 2011.

By bringing NEXT TO NORMAL as their next production, JYPA hopes to promote the awareness of mental health, often still a taboo topic in Indonesia. NEXT TO NORMAL presents a complex narrative with a sense of sincerity; it depicts not only the difficulties people with mental afflictions face, but also the happy moments despite - or because of - it. By presenting a more complete picture, JYPA wishes to the stigma of talking about mental health issues.

For this production, the main role of Diana Goodman will be played by JYPA co-founder Aisya Nabila. Playing opposite her are Mohammed Nabil Harmoun (playing Dan Goodman), Divanka Djamalus (Natalie Goodman), Audric Ramos (Gabe Goodman), Aqsa Suryana (Dr. Madden), and Joseph Jefferson (Henry). Kyla Christie and Aisya Nabila together hold the seats of co-directors, while Shana Miaziza assumes the role of producer. JYPA newcomer Edelweiss Angelita serves as the music director.

JYPA is a fledgling musical community founded in 2017 with four shows under their belt (MISMATCHED (2017), PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK and BLACK COMEDY (2018), and STILL LIFE (2019)). Among the many community theatres of Jakarta, JYPA sets itself apart by being run and managed wholly by Indonesian youths (typically of school and college age). Their latest production, last June's STILL LIFE, was an original production adapted from the life of renowned artist Vincen Van Gogh.

NEXT TO NORMAL will only play for one performance on August 20th at 19.00. Tickets are available through Movintix. For more information, follow JYPA's Instagram at @jktyouthpa.

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