Photo Flash: NEXT TO NORMAL Tour Opens in San Diego

San Diego actress 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. It will play January 18 - 23, 2011 at the Balboa Theatre, as a Broadway/San Diego ~ A Nederlander Presentation.

next to normal also features Asa Somers Dan, Curt Hansen Gabe, Emma Hunton Natalie, Jeremy Kushnier Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine and Preston Sadleir Henry. 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."

Ms. Ripley has appeared locally in many San DieGo Productions, including The Who's Tommy at La Jolla Playhouse. Ms. Ripley's numerous Broadway credits include Side Show Drama Desk, Tony Award nominations, The Rocky Horror Show, James Joyce's The Dead, Sunset Boulevard, The Who's Tommy. She also appeared on Broadway and on national tour in LES MISERABLES. Off-Broadway/regional theatre: next to normal, Five Flights, James Joyce's The Dead, The Vagina Monologues, Tell Me on a Sunday Helen Hayes nomination, Shakespeare in Hollywood Helen Hayes nomination, Company Helen Hayes nomination. With her band RIPLEY, Alice has written and produced the albums Everything's Fine, Ripley EP and Outtasite.

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

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