Why I think the teenagers are flocking to Next To Normal...And why I think they're wrong

[winston89]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 2:51pm

I lost my hard drive on my laptop a couple of weeks back and have been relying on my Ipod plugged into my computer and the internet for music when I want to play it off my computer due to lack of Itunes and not having a credit card to be able to switch stuff from the Ipod to the itunes program on my computer.

In my travels online I have came across an account on Youtube that has all the tracks of the Next To Normal cast recording on there. The video of course being just a picture of the cover art. With all that said I took a moment to read some of the comments from some of the videos/songs that I was listening to. Most of them were talking about how the show speaks to them. My question to that is how? How does a show about a woman with mental illness speak to them when there are a majority of teens out there who are fans of the show who haven't been through anything close to what is being portrayed on that stage. I personally am in the minority due to the fact that I have had experience with mood stabilizers etc and I have a psychopharmacologist and I knew what one was and what one did prior to seeing the show.

But, I digress. I think that the reason why there are teens who flock to this show a la Spring Awakening or Rent is because they think that the show speaks to them because of the whole notion of no one gets or understands Diana the same way no one understands me etc. But, in the end, I think that they are confusing teenage angst which is what they are going through with an actual medical condition. Which is why I think that they missed the mark in terms of being fans of the show and why they like it.

[theaterguy11]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 2:57pm

Why should it matter? Certain shows "speak to me" even If I don't totally relate to the characters situations.

At least the young people are excited about a new musical!

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:01pm

I haven't read the comments but how do you know that the show doesn't speak to them? One really can't tell just by reading a post online unless they go into detail. You/we don't know what some of these kids have gone thorugh or are going through in their lives.

It was interesting, when I saw "Caroline or Change". It spoke to me to the point I was almost a blubbering mess from "Lot's Wife" on. As I have posted here before, my mother "was Caroline". But there were friends of mine and some black people who didn't get it. Because they didn't live it. Maybe some of these teens have or are living the life depicted in "Next to Normal". Just my random thoughts.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:01pm

Personally for me, a show speaks to me if there is something there that I can relate to. In the case of Next To Normal, it is because I do have some minor mood issues and I can easily see my brothers as Natalie or my parents as Dan and so on and so forth. When I first saw In The Heights it was the spring before I would be going of to college in the fall. So the character Nina and her plot were ones that hit home with me.

What I am trying to say is that it is great that they are enjoying a new musical but I think that they are totally off the mark.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:03pm

Wow. I actually am way too tired to type my whole perspective but, let me just say, I have not seen this show yet.

" How does a show about a woman with mental illness speak to them when there are a majority of teens out there who are fans of the show who haven't been through anything close to what is being portrayed on that stage."

And....how do you know that? Have you interviewed all the teens that go see the show? Maybe the majority of them have those particular problems so they chose to see this show....and now they are "fans" because they feel like they have something in common with the show.

"I personally am in the minority due to the fact that I have had experience with mood stabilizers"

Sorry...that isn't completely true.

"But, in the end, I think that they are confusing teenage angst which is what they are going through with an actual medical condition.""

Who says they are going through teen angst? And if they are (and not mental illness), does that mean they can't or shouldn't be fans of the show?
Who says that they can't like this show just...because?
Who says that they don't have family members going through the same issues?


Edit: "Personally for me, a show speaks to me if there is something there that I can relate to. "

Well, that's you personally. Other people like the show for other reasons.

"What I am trying to say is that it is great that they are enjoying a new musical but I think that they are totally off the mark. "

Personally, I think you are "off the mark"

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 03:03 PM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:03pm

You're really going to make a value judgement about how a show speaks to someone?

Sweeney Todd spoke to me and it's not because I'm a barber with a murderous streak.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:04pm

I think the show's teen fanbase is a bit exaggerated here on the boards. Every time I've seen the show, I've never noticed an abundance of teenagers (like I do at Wicked, or did at Legally Blonde and SA, for example). But, that's really beside point.

If the idea of being alone or no one "getting" you speaks to people (but not the medication aspect), what's wrong with that? Are you suggesting that the only people who can appreciate next to normal are those with a mental illness who have been medicated? That would sort of limit the show's potential audience and appeal, no?

Personally, I think what appeals to a lot of the show's younger fans is the idea that on the surface, this is a "perfect loving family," but as you begin to peel away the layers, you see there's a lot more there. Lots of families do this and it has a definite effect on the children.

Finally, who cares what draws them to the show? I'm thrilled they're flocking to a new, original, American musical with a cast of 6, no real "stars," that was written by a hitherto relatively unknown composer. It gives me some hope.
Updated On: 8/4/09 at 03:04 PM

[broadway122]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:07pm

Are you saying it is wrong that teens are flocking to the show, or the reason they are flocking to the show is wrong. I think its the 2nd one you are saying.

Anyways, The thing that draw me to the show, as a teenager, is the talent the cast presents show after show. I finally had the opportunity on Thursday to see the show...INCREDIBLE!

[BwayTday]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:07pm

I think part of it is Natalie's character. A lot of teens might be able to relate to her feeling "invisible" in the eyes of the family. Also wanting to be perfect and not being able to.

And another way teenagers could relate to the show is having a family that is being torn apart and trying to keep it together.

Finally, there is the small minority of teens that have been on medication and been depressed. Or maybe even a small population that have a mother with challenges(i.e.-drugs, addiction, depression, bi-polar, etc.) and are hard to live with.

most of the people you speak of are probably just theatre people too, who like a show because it is good.
Some might be just attracted to the score. I feel that could also be a combonation of these things.
Updated On: 8/4/09 at 03:07 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:08pm

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 03:08 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:08pm

Countless shows, movies, books and songs have spoken to me even though there may be nothing that directly relates to my life. I have several paintings by a Russian artist, and they're all Russian landscapes, and they certainly speak to me. Trying to say that any form of art can only speak to a certain subset of the world is far too limiting for me.

[Coraline]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:08pm

Also, I think teens probably more relate to Natalie's character than Diana's. The show can "speak" to them without them relating to the main character.

I hate how some BWW people let a show's fan base affect their view of the show.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:11pm

I agree that shows can appeal to people in different ways, and not just because the storylines might hit close to your life or whatever. I don't know much about the show, but from what I have heard of the music, I'd be interested in seeing it.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:14pm

Who gives a fvck why someone likes a show, be they teens or not? Why should you care? Live and let live, man.

[Myglass989]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:14pm

"Finally, who cares what draws them to the show? I'm thrilled they're flocking to a new, original, American musical with a cast of 6, no real "stars," that was written by a hitherto relatively unknown composer. It gives me some hope."

Took the words right out of my mouth!

One of the brilliant things about good theater is that it has universal elements with which all people can identify, whether they be specific issues, like mental illness in this case, or broader ones, such as wanting to move out of the house and escape your family like Natalie does, or suppressing your emotions in order to satisfy those around you like Dan does. (Just some examples, not saying that these are the only issues in the show).

Also, you don't necessarily have to identify with certain aspects of a show to appreciate how brilliantly they are portrayed (both writing-wise and acting-wise). Next to Normal has an award-winning score (the genre of which probably also draws the teenage demographic) and actress, which teens can admire and fall in love with, even if they haven't experienced mental illness.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:19pm

I am not nor will I let the fanbase change how I view about the show or how I feel about the show. Hell, you're talking to someone who has seen Rent countless of times when the crazies were out in full force, yet didn't let that ruin his enjoyment of the show or his time out of the house at The Nederlander one bit. Speaking about the topic of Rent, there were a lot of teenage fans that I witnessed during my times of keeping to myself while at The Nederlander that were totally blind to the fact that Larson was making a statement about AIDS within the show. They saw it as Living in The Village is cool and we should totally do that when we grow up so we can be like Mark and Roger and Mimi etc etc. They sugarcoated the the harsh living conditions of the characters within the story to make it sound like something cool for them when they got older. As well as missing the mark that the show had a message about AIDS etc.

What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of things artistically that can speak to someone and what does speak to someone artistically and what doesn't can go an endless discussion a la the one might have while posing the question of what is art. But, it bothers me when there are simple fundamental facts of a story of a given show that the teenyboppers alter so that they can enjoy it more often. For Rent, it was the fact that there was a message about AIDS and living your live that they didn't notice even if you wrote on a big sign "Jonathan Larson had a message about AIDS in Rent" and held it right to their faces. Hell, most of them couldn't name the guy even if you asked them. For Next To Normal I feel that it is the fact that they are altering the fact that Diana has a mental illness and making light of that fact so that it is something relatable to them.

It's good that a show or a song or a painting or anything else artistic can reach out and touch you in a way that is personal to you. I just find it annoying how there are people out there who when something doesn't touch them or reach out and speak to them, they alter it so that it does.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:30pm

Uncageg, I've always found your reaction to CAROLINE, OR CHANGE incredibly touching. I hope I'm not demeaning it when I say that while I've never gone through anything similar--in fact, my parents had a maid when I was growing up--I am deeply touched and haunted by CAROLINE, OR CHANGE. It speaks to me regardless of whether I have been through anything that the characters in this complex show go through.
It's absurd to think that the only way a show can speak to you is if you have been through what the show depicts. Deeper within the show (or a good show anyways) are these little things called emotions, and I can relate to those. When Diana sings "I Miss the Mountains," I can relate to her feelings of numbness, the pain she has for being unable to feel, etc. Have I ever felt numb from medication? Not really. Have I ever not felt anything? No. Yet, I can relate to her. Alice Ripley in particular does a great job at allowing the audience to connect to the feelings of her role. In fact, every good artist (actor, songwriter, playwright, musician, etc) does a brilliant job at allowing you to feel the world through their eyes whether you have ever experienced that particular emotion, moment, etc or not.
I don't understand the point of this thread in saying that just because you haven't been through a similar experience, you can't relate to a work of art.
I find the themes behind STAR WARS to be quite relatable, yet, I do not think I am in touch with the Force, I've never flown a spaceship, nor have I fought against aliens.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:31pm

I personally am in the minority due to the fact that I have had experience with mood stabilizers etc and I have a psychopharmacologist and I knew what one was and what one did prior to seeing the show.

I think you may be slightly delusional. I'd say the majority of teens these days are probably taking some pill for something. You're not as minority as you think.

[snl89]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:32pm

...I don't know that teenagers necessarily read "melodramatic angst" in the show. I mean, maybe they do sometimes, but you know what? If that's what they get from the show and they connect to it in that way, who's to say they're wrong? :)


But MAINLY I think the show is just extremely easy to relate to on some level, no matter what age you are. That's what I find so amazing about it. You don't have to have had experience with mental illness, or even have family/friends who have had it, in order to appreciate the story. Because ultimately it's not really about mental illness- not to me anyway. To me, it's much more about family, and the struggles families go through when they try so hard to be this perfect little unit and just can't live up to the expectations they set for themselves. And I think even most teenagers have some experience with that, because NO family is perfect. Nearly every kid, at SOME point in their childhood, longs for something more or something different from their parents in terms of the relationship they have with them. And many kids have something in their life that they feel like, if that something wasn't there/hadn't happened/etc., things would be so much better.

These are pretty universal emotions that the show deals with, and pretty universal issues. No household is perfect, and kids aren't these completely naive, innocent creatures blind to the troubles they see going on around them. And that's what I actually love about this show- that it DOES deal so candidly with this stuff. It's literally like watching yourself up there, and as HARD as that may be at times, it can also be very healing.

So yeah, I think teenagers connect with it for all those reasons too. Just because they may not be old enough to have had direct experience with mental illness doesn't mean that the emotions the show deals with aren't ones they have felt themselves :)

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:51pm

The notion that you have to have had experience with mental illness to relate to this show doesn't really make sense to me. The show is not just about mental illness, it's a show about a dysfunctional family trying to cope, just like yours and mine. Who CAN'T relate to it?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 3:58pm

I think with any "edgy" new show, there are bound to be people who claim to connect with it for the sake of hopping on the bandwagon and having something to hold on to. It's the sort of nomadic effect you see as people migrated from, say, Rent to Spring Awakening to In The Heights, and now to Next to Normal and Hair.

But, that being said, I think it's presumptuous to decide who is allowed to connect with a show and who's not. Yes, people connect to things in different ways or on different levels, but it's not an exclusive club. You don't know people have been through. So while yes, there probably is a lot of "follow the pack" mentality amongst the fanbase, saying that teenagers, as a group, can't connect with this is ridiculous. I first saw Next to Normal (at the NYMF) shortly after my nineteenth birthday. I related to it as a teenager for reasons that I'm not going to go into, on a much more immediate level than I would have liked to be able to. And honestly, even if you haven't had an experience parallel to the one on stage and you don't particularly relate to any of its characters experientially, Next to Normal is a show that's powerful enough just to move you anyway. You don't have to have been through their specific experiences to simply be impacted by what you're seeing, and to connect with a story that's a very poignant emotional journey. That's why we go to the theater, to experience emotion, whatever they may be, be it to hide from our own, feel like someone else understands us, or just to experience that great purge of catharsis. Isn't it? I think your assessment is highly presumptuous.

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 03:58 PM

[Kelly2]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 4:10pm

I hope there aren't teenagers out there who dilute the message of the musical (centered specifically around Diana's severe mental illness) to nothing more than generalized angst and dysfunction. The specifics of the show are the reason it spoke so deeply to me, and I won't get into why on a public message board, but I think that the reason this show is as powerful as it is, is because of the specifics of it. To ignore them, I think, is to ignore a very important part of this story.

"It's the sort of nomadic effect you see as people migrated from, say, Rent to Spring Awakening to In The Heights, and now to Next to Normal and Hair."

This is true. Not being involved in the psychotic and toxic "stagedoor scene" anymore (unlike some people, I do believe most people should outgrow that whole thing after becoming an adult), I can't really speak to specifics, but there is definitely a "crew" of people who flock to the newest, edgiest show, and cling to it in hopes of...I don't know, feeling like they have some part in it. They would be saddened to know that being on the rush line and collecting fan photos doesn't make you a part of the creative process, just a casual annoyance that comes along with the territory.

Updated On: 8/4/09 at 04:10 PM

[Q]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 4:14pm

"I think your assessment is highly presumptuous"

I don't - I think his assessment is narcissistic hogwash. All it comes across as is, "This is MY show, because I am the one who's had similar life experience. YOU are not allowed to co-opt MY superior understanding, empathy and experience!"

Bull****.

I think he needs to take some more mood-altering drugs - mixed with Exlax.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 4:14pm

Do the people on YouTube say they are teenagers? Do they say they have no experience with mental illness or is this something you're just projecting on them?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/4/09 at 4:18pm

The show is not just about mental illness, it's a show about a dysfunctional family trying to cope, just like yours and mine. Who CAN'T relate to it?

I couldn't really. Not to the extent that a lot of other people can.