Alice Ripley, who received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning next to normal, reprises her acclaimed performance in the musical's 36-week North American tour. The production plays San Francisco's Curran Theatre January 25-February 20.
next to normal also features
Asa Somers Dan,
Curt Hansen Gabe,
Emma Hunton Natalie,
Jeremy Kushnier Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine and Preston Sadleir. FYI, Ms. Ripley has appeared locally in many productions, including The Who's Tommy at
La Jolla Playhouse.
With a thrilling contemporary score,
next to normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other.
Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three 2009 Tony Awards,
next to normal features music by
Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by
Brian Yorkey, musical staging by
Sergio Trujillo, and direction by
Michael Greif. The creative team also includes
Mark Wendland set design,
Jeff Mahshie costume design,
Kevin Adams lighting design, and
Brian Ronan sound design. Musical direction is by
Bryan Perri, orchestrations are by
Michael Starobin and
Tom Kitt, and vocal arrangements by
AnnMarie Milazzo.
next to normal was chosen as "one of the year's ten best" by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Time Out New York, New York Daily News, The Bergen Record, and NY1 - more than any other musical from that season.
next to normal has had a surprising and highly unlikely route to Broadway. The musical originally opened at Off-Broadway's
Second Stage Theatre on February 13, 2008. The producer,
David Stone, who had been guiding the musical since 2005, took the unexpected step of bringing the show to Washington D.C.'s
Arena Stage where it was significantly reworked, and then back to New York and to Broadway, where it opened to rave reviews on April 15, 2009. This unusual trajectory from a New York Off-Broadway premiere to an out-of-town regional theatre engagement and then back to New York is unprecedented.
Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls
next to normal "a brave, breathtaking musical. A work of muscular grace and power. It is something much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone raves, "Rock is alive and rolling like thunder in
next to normal. It is the best musical of the season by a mile. Next time you think the Broadway musical is dead, head off to
next to normal. It'll pin you to your seat." And
Peter Marks of The Washington Post calls it "a moving, blisteringly honest, and inordinately powerful new musical. It is stocked with beautiful songs that get to the heart of the story - and simply get to the heart.
next to normal strikes a blow for the American musical's future each night."
next to normal is produced by
David Stone,
James L. Nederlander,
Barbara Whitman,
Patrick Catullo, and
Second Stage Theatre.
For more information about
next to normal, visit
www.nexttonormal.com.
Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz
Asa Somers
Emma Hunton
Alice Ripley and Jeremy Kushnier
The National Tour Company
Preston Sadleir and Emma Hunton
Curt Hansen, Asa Somers and Alice Ripley
Alice Ripley and Curt Hansen
Emma Hunton and Alice Ripley
Curt Hansen
The National Tour Company
Asa Somers and Curt Hansen
Curt Hansen, Alice Ripley and Asa Somers
Curt Hansen and Alice Ripley
