Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Musical Theatre Southwest

Next to Normal is a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical written by American playwright and lyricist Brian Yorkey. It became the eighth musical in history to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2010 (there are now 10 – Hamilton and A Strange Loop are the latest).

The show sheds light on a suburban family dealing with the effects of family trauma and mental illness. The story follows Diana (Wendy Barker), a mother struggling with bipolar disorder and her husband (Giacomo Zafarano), daughter (Madison Rose) and son (Jonathan Cordova), as they navigate the challenges and impact of her condition. The story follows her journey as she undergoes a series of doctor appointments, where her meds are adjusted, causing her to experience multiple side effects. Strong performances from all four actors, each have some stellar standout moments and capture the energy of a family in turmoil. All the leading actors have strong voices voices and did a fantastic job of interpreting a difficult score and story.

Next to Normal is a bold choice for any community theater - the subject matter is intense and, as stated earlier, the score is extremely challenging. MTS keeps evolving and growing as a company; this production proves that they are not afraid to take risks. Overall, the performances are strong, but the staging is clunky and frustrating. The performers are on a center runway with the audience on two sides, which means one side of the room is seeing the back of the performers frequently. This kept taking me out of the story, much in the way it would to have a very tall person blocking one’s view during a show. A U-shaped audience space would have been more effective – this is the setup for many other shows in the MTS black box space.

The orchestra was very well balanced with the performers’ voices, something that has been a struggle for this company in the past. Kudos to Musical Director Colin Burdge and Sound Engineer  Vincent Montoya for getting the balance right. The Next to Normal score is a challenge for both the performer and listener; for the most part the performers nailed it, but there were definitely some moments of under-supported singing (full disclosure, the score is relentless – and have I mentioned it’s very challenging?), I am sure the performers are exhausted by the end every night).

Musical Theatre Southwest should keep up this self-imposed challenge to push the envelope, trying new things and bringing exciting musical theater to New Mexico. Pulitzer-Prize-winning Rent is up next on their calendar – can’t wait to see what they do with it!

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