Boiler Room Theatre Presents NEXT TO NORMAL, Opening Tonight, 5/25

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's original and longest-running professional theatre company, presents Next to Normal.  This, the third offering of the BRT's 12^th Season, opens tonight, May 25^th and runs through June 16^th at the theatre's iconic namesake venue in the historic Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, in Franklin, Tenn.

This challenging and ground-breaking 2009 musical depicts a family in crisis as Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother, contends with her worsening bipolar disorder while her family struggles to take care of her and each other.  Told with aching honesty against a thrilling contemporary musical theatre score, Next to Normal was nominated for eleven 2009 Tony Awards and won three: Best Original Score, Best Orchestration and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.  It was also the recipient of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, becoming just the eighth musical in history to receive the honor.   

"For me, Next To Normal is precisely the type of show that the Boiler Room Theatre was created for," says Jamey Green, the BRT's Co-Founder and Artistic Director who is serving as both Director and Musical Director for the production.  "It has a small cast, powerful story and an incredible score – in my opinion, one of the best written for a Broadway show.  It is intimate, funny and painfully truthful.  It's a show that stays with one for a while.  While it pulls no punches regarding the loss and pain associated with mental illness, it has a surprisingly hopeful quality.  In the end, it is very life affirming and empowering."

The cast of Next to Normal stars Boiler Room favorite Megan Murphy Chambers, who returns to the BRT stage after a long break during which she co-founded the popular MAS Nashville.  A gifted comedienne known for roles such as Sister Mary Amnesia inNunsense, Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Sister Sarah in Guys and Dolls, Chambers will showcase her considerable dramatic chops as Diana Goodman. 

Mike Baum, another BRT veteran last seen at the BRT as Brad in The Rocky Horror Show, plays Dan Goodman, Diana's supportive but frustrated husband.  Their children, Gabe and Natalie, are played by BRT newcomers Paige Brouillette and Kevin Mead, withJordan Ravellette and Ben Van Diepen completing the cast. 

Performances will be held every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evening during the run at 8 p.m.  There will also be select discount Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and Thrifty Thursday shows at 8 p.m. (For specific Sunday and Thursday show dates, please visit BoilerRoomTheatre.com) Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors (age 60 and up) and students (age 13 through college with valid ID), and $21 for children ages 3 through 12. Matinee prices are $2 less respectively. All Tuesday shows are two-for-one ($27 for two tickets; no other discounts apply). Thrifty Thursdays allow guests to beat the weekend crowds and grab tickets at the bargain price of $17. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Boiler Room Theatre at 615-794-7744 or ordered online atwww.boilerroomtheatre.com.

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