Review Roundup: NEXT TO NORMAL in San Francisco

The startling new musical Next to Normal, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, launched a national tour at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre on November 23.  The production plays San Francisco's Curran Theatre January 25-February 20.

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical , Alice Ripley reprises her acclaimed performance in the musical's engagement in Denver. also features (Dan), (Gabe), (Natalie), (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine) and (Henry). Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three 2009 Tony Awards - Best Score, Best Actress in a Musical, and Best Orchestrations - features music by , book and lyrics by , and direction by . With a thrilling contemporary score, is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other.next to normalMichael GreifBrian YorkeyTom Kittnext to normalPreston SadleirJeremy KushnierEmma HuntonCurt HansenAsa Somersnext to normalnext to normalAlice Ripley

For more information on , visit  www.NextToNormal.com

Jean Schiffman, The Examiner: It's a tribute not only to Brian Yorkey, who wrote the book and lyrics, and to the actors, but also to director Michael Greif that there is not one character whose plight does not touch the heart.
 

Robert Hurwitt, SFGate: Ripley embodies Diana's scary abyss to more unnerving effect in the yearning "I Miss the Mountains." The ensemble captures its frenetic highs and lows in the overlapping "Who's Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I" and a searing electroshock number.

Karen D'Souza, Mercury News: Certainly rubbing elbows with insanity for so many years has sucked all the light out of Dan. Somers nails the beaten-down heroism of a guy who has spent the past 16 years fighting for a moment's peace that never came. When things get really bad for Diana, he's the one left to mop the blood off the floor.

Connie C. Kim, CBS San Francisco: The whole cast gives such an honest performance that you can really feel their emotions through each song. Asa Somers, who plays Dan the father, has beautiful character development that goes from a man trying to be strong enough to hold his family together to a broken, grieving father. Curt Hansen, who plays the son Gabe, lures you in with seductive charm.

Ashley Webb, Stark Insider: The only criticism here is with the sound mixing - an issue that dogged the show. Given that the band was so central, balancing vocals and music could have been cleaner. The sound is so overwhelming that these flaws get magnified.

 

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