Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Twin Valley Players Colonnade

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s award winning musical Next to Normal premiered in 2008 before opening on Broadway in 2009. Next to Normal explores the intricacies of lives and relationships impacted by mental illness. It does not shy away from the hard realities of living with or loving someone who suffers from mental illness. Twin Valley Players presents Next to Normal under the direction of Whittni Shaffer and music director Laura Costa for one weekend only through February 1st.

The set, props, and lighting are well-designed to keep the action moving while assisting the audience in keeping track of the location as the action moves from the family’s house to school to the doctor’s office to the hospital and so forth. The sound is well-balanced so that the dialogue and lyrics can be heard easily with the music tracks. The staging is creative, making wonderful use of the stage and using space to help tell the story.

The cast includes Mandi Robinson (Diana), Jen McGurn (Diana Understudy), Randy Stamm (Dan), Laurin Bixler (Natalie), Nina Buffington (Natalie Understudy), Andrew Schwalm (Gabe), Gabriel Castellano (Gabe Understudy), Jake Margetanski (Henry), AJ Boyer (Dr. Fine/Madden), and Katy Engle (Dr. Fine/Madden Understudy). The performance that this reviewer saw featured the understudies, McGurn, Buffington, Castellano, and Engle, taking the stage alongside Stamm and Margetanski. While there were some definite issues with nerves, particularly in the first act, resulting in some pitch and timing problems, the cast and creative team created an engaging and emotional production that showed great care and sensitivity to the subject-matter.

Castellano and McGurn interact beautifully as Gabe and Diana, particularly in “I’m Alive” and “There’s a World”. Engle is delightful as Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden. With subtle changes to her expressions and movements she portrays the two different doctors with their different methods of treatment. Her vocals are fantastic, handling the low notes of “Make Up Your Mind” beautifully, making it one of this reviewer’s favorite songs of the evening. Margetanski’s Henry is sweet and earnest. His voice is perfect for the role, with his lovely, clear falsetto highlighted in “Perfect for You” and “Hey”. Buffington’s Natalie is filled with conflict, using sarcasm as a shield to protect herself. Buffington, McGurn, and Stamm are believable as a family, and her performance with McGurn on “Wish I Were Here” is a powerful start to the second act. McGurn gives an intensely emotional performance that highlights the highs and lows and complexities of dealing with mental health issues. Stamm gives the best performance of the evening. His portrayal of Dan hits all the right notes both vocally and emotionally, giving the audience chills during “He’s Not Here”, “I Am the One”, and “A Light in the Dark”. His heartfelt and soulful performance brings Dan to life.

Next to Normal is a show that sticks with you, speaking to the complexities of the human mind, emotions, and relationships. This production at Twin Valley Players Colonnade only has two performances left, so don’t miss out on seeing Next to Normal. Visit https://www.tvpcolonnade.com/ for more information on this and future productions.