VIDEO: On This Day, April 15- NEXT TO NORMAL Opens On Broadway

On this day in 2009, the emotional new musical Next to Normal celebrated its opening night on Broadway.

Starring Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit, Jennifer Damiano, Adam Chanler-Berat, and Louis Hobson, Next to Normal features music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Directed by Michael Greif.

Next to Normal is a contemporary musical that explores how one suburban household copes with crisis. With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score of more than 30 original songs, Next to Normal shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact.

Next to Normal was nominated for 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley), Best Actor in a Musical (J. Robert Spencer), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Damiano), Best Original Score (Tom Kitt (music)/Brian Yorkey (lyrics), Best Book of a Musical (Brian Yorkey), Best Director of a Musical (Michael Greif), Best Orchestrations (Tom Kitt/Michael Starobin), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Mark Wendland), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Kevin Adams), and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Brian Ronan).

The show took home three wins including Best Original Score, Best Orchestration, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley. The musical also went on to win the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.