Oyster Mill Playhouse in Camp Hill will hold auditions for the musical, Next To Normal at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 19 and Monday, July 20.
Those planning to audition should come prepared with a well-rehearsed song that shows vocal range and ability to vary dynamics. Strong singing talent is key to the casting of this production; the work is almost entirely sung with very little dialogue; some of the pieces are solos but many are duets and trios and even full cast songs with harmonies and counterpoint. Some of the songs require good strong belting; others are more ballad – like. Natalie and Henry are both also supposed to be able to play keyboard, but we can work around that if the singing is what we are looking for. A pianist will be available to accompany those auditioning. Those wishing to use a CD or tape for accompaniment should either bring a boom box or let us know in advance.
The subject matter of this work is bi-polar depression and its devastating effect on a modern family. Although the work ends on a hopeful note, the issues presented throughout are serious and dark; the work is thus more akin to Rent than to Mary Poppins. The F-word appears in some of the song lyrics and will not be deleted. No one under the age of 18 will be cast without parental permission.
This Pultizer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness and the attempts to alleviate it have on her family. In Next to Normal, such issues as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the underbelly of suburban life are addressed. Mental illness is portrayed in a realistic, accurate way that illustrates one woman’s struggle with the disease, and the effect that it has on both her and her family’s lives.
Next To Normal book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt and is produced with special arrangement by Music Theatre International.
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