Rachel Bay Jones to Lead NEXT TO NORMAL at the Kennedy Center- Page 3

[pdjennings]

Posted: 1/29/20 at 11:44pm

This is part of that “semi-staged/concerty” series — but other than having the band visible on stage and a sparse scaffolding set, it's basically fully staged. No notebooks, etc.
The second half was astounding. You’re in for a tear-drenched treat!

[binau]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 5:40am

It feels like Rachel was born to play this role.

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 7:04pm

Looking at the production photos this looks like a semi-restaging of the original production with a near replica stage production, with updated LED instead of incandescent lights, and no house/Diana’s face backdrops to further the symbolism.
Can anyone whose seen it comment?

Updated On: 1/30/20 at 07:04 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 7:08pm

Seeing it on Saturday. Too excited

[binau]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 7:56pm

It is eerily or perhaps nostalgically familiar. Even some of the production photos remind me of the original! If we ever have a revival I would personally hope for a new staging and/or director. If only for something different.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 8:02pm

qolbinau said: "It is eerily or perhaps nostalgically familiar. Even some of the production photos remind me of the original! If we ever have a revival I would personally hope for a new staging and/or director. If only for something different."

I was thinking the same exact thing. 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 8:53pm

Are they selling any merch for this? Wasn’t sure if they would do it for these one weekend runs.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 9:13pm

gleek4114 said: "Are they selling any merch for this? Wasn’t sure if they would do it for these one weekend runs."

I have not seen a booth but will report after the show.

intermission now. Holy ****. Run, don’t walk to see this.  

[lgoody117]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 9:14pm

gleek4114 said: "Are they selling any merch for this? Wasn’t sure if they would do it for these one weekend runs."

At the show this evening and didn’t see any merch in the lobby (unfortunately). 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 9:18pm

I’ll ask here since people are checking more, but any verdict on limited view seats in the orchestra?

[gayshark888]

Posted: 1/30/20 at 9:21pm

bdn223 said: "Looking at the production photos this looks like a semi-restaging of the original production with a near replica stage production, with updated LED instead of incandescent lights, and no house/Diana’s face backdrops to further the symbolism.
Can anyone whose seen it comment?"

At intermission now. The staging is very similar if not identical to the original Broadway staging. The only big difference being the location of the band onstage. That being said this production is absolutely stunning. This show was perfectly cast in my opinion. Rachel Bay Jones is out of this world. I feels like she was born to play this role and I feel very fortunate to witness it!

Also, someone asked about merch. I asked and sadly there is none.

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 12:41am

I saw the show tonight. I sat H14 which was partial view. I missed the entirety of Everything Else but was able to see Henry when entered. I couldn’t see Henry and Natalie with their little jam session during Psychopharmacologist and I but I saw every other thing in perfect detail. I thought the seat was fantastic. I think house left partial probably would have a slightly better deal because of the piano but I’m not sure.

It is an identical restaging. I saw the original several times at Arena, Broadway, and once on tour and am still digesting my thoughts and opinions on it. I certainly did not come away from the show with a glowing review that most others seem to. I think that comes from being so familiar with the original which I saw borderline obsessively in my teens and performing Diana with a youth company when I was 18 in 2013.

There were several lyric flubs (well covered), late lyric entrances, a few wrong or missing harmonies, and a very strange movement of the stairs Natalie and Henry are on before perfect for you.

Rachel Bay Jones- overall very strong performance. I think she did fabulously and mostly sounded good to incredible. During some moments in the higher belt range, especially I Miss The Mountains, her voice got so raspy I wasn’t sure she would be able to sing. It sounded like her voice was just giving out on her. But then she went on to sound really good. Back and forth. Perhaps she is sick or I’m just unfamiliar with her voice. She was definitely a standout and did the role justice and put her own spin on it.

BVD- Sounded incredible. Truly. Everything out of his mouth was beautiful and the riffs he added to the score were really good. I felt his acting left a little to be desired. His “crying” moments felt forced with a sobbing like voice for one sentence and then back to normal with no tears the whole time. The rest of my party there (one last row orch one last row mezz) didn’t have this issue so it seemed to read great from further back.

Ben Levi Ross- incredible. Perfect Henry.

Maia- so, so bad. Seemed like she was trying to be Arianna Grande. Sexy breathy voice and then clear belting that was good but there was just NO acting. Rushed through funny lines, really there was nothing going on in the acting department. It brought my opinion on the production down.

Khamary- At Times very very good vocally. Beautiful riffs. Singing was a little flat at times, mostly I’m Alive tonight. I like him. I missed how scary Aaron was when Gabe reappears and the dark foreboding he brought to There’s a World. Gabe was just too nice. I did like him though. He is talented.

Michael Park- good. Missed the high tenor in the rock star sequence and he just seemed a little old for the rockstar joke. He made some funny choices with octaves in Light. Serviceable, not outstanding.

Over all, I think had this production had its own unique staging and feel instead of being a carbon copy I would have judged it less harshly. The original (and closely following replacements of. Few of them) cast were so outstanding and this just didn’t live up to that. I’m happy, however, more people will get a chance to essentially see the original production and it was fun revisiting as an adult 10 years from my first viewing.

[orph3us]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 12:46am

I don't know why everyone is going on about the impeachment trial, this clearly seems to be the more important event in DC. Oh how I wish I could see this production. I was rewatching a bootleg of Marin as Diana and it reminded me how special and beautiful this show is. I hope they bring it back to New York in some capacity so that I can justify a trip to see it.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 7:23am

I am actually a little obsessed with RBJ’s raspy voice. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her the whole time.

I did notice some lyric mishaps, but I don’t expect ANYTHING coming in to these Broadway Stages shows. I have only seen two other Broadway Center Stage productions and this is the only one that has blown me away like it did last night.

[Rosette3]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 8:13am

Wow the photos look pretty amazing. I'm seeing on Monday and it cannot come sooner! When I read semi stage I really was expect something pretty simple and more concert leaning/reading from script etc. I wasn't expecting a built out set or even costumes so this is already exceeding my expectations haha.

[steven22]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 8:41am

I'll be there Saturday night and I can't wait!

[Harpz2006]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 8:58am

I agree that Khamary has a great voice, but he made me really appreciate and think back to the nuance and complexity Aaron Tveit brought to the role. Agree his Gabe was too nice and had no darkness to him... for that reason, Khamary was honestly the weak link for me. That complexity wasn’t there at all. I’m still not over Aaron not getting nominated that year! I didn’t mind Maia’s “pop” voice at all- I thought her singing was beautiful and that she had some very moving moments in her acting as well. I thought suicidalmickeymouse was spot on about everyone else. Rachel was really wonderful, and Brandon sounded so gorgeous and I loved his stoic portrayal of Dan. And yes, Ben Ross was perfection!

Updated On: 1/31/20 at 08:58 AM

[pdjennings]

Posted: 1/31/20 at 2:06pm

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/next-to-normal-is-back-its-still-a-glorious-heartbreaking-experience/2020/01/31/88172396-43e0-11ea-aa6a-083d01b3ed18_story.html

[steven22]

Posted: 2/1/20 at 9:22pm

At intermission now. As someone who loved the original broadway production and considers it one of my all time time favorite theatrical experiences, this production at the Kennedy Center is beautiful. Rachel Bay Jones was born to play Diana.

I hope this production continues in some capacity, somewhere.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 2/1/20 at 9:29pm

steven22 said: "At intermission now. As someone who loved the original broadway production and considers it one of my all time time favorite theatrical experiences, this production at the Kennedy Center is beautiful. Rachel Bay Jones was born to play Diana.

I hope this production continues in some capacity, somewhere. "

Here as well. Her “Didn’t I See This Movie?” was INSANE.

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/1/20 at 9:32pm

ljay889 said: "qolbinau said: "It is eerily or perhaps nostalgically familiar. Even some of the production photos remind me of the original! If we ever have a revival I would personally hope for a new staging and/or director. If only for something different."

I was thinking the same exact thing."

The David Cromer Chicago Writers Theater production was exquisite and an improvement on the Michael Greif Broadway production.

 

 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 2/1/20 at 11:04pm

I was at the matinee today and cried my eyes out. As someone who missed the original production, getting to see it with a fresh cast but more or less the same staging was nothing less of a godsend. I was transfixed the entire time. I’ll write more tomorrow but Rachel Bay Jones is indeed perfection in this role. The whole experience was so surreal and it he 9.5 hour drive from Louisville, Kentucky was well worth the 2.5 hours of bliss I got to experience today. Go see it! I paid way more than I wanted to and I don’t regret a single thing!

[Dan6]

Posted: 2/1/20 at 11:43pm

I was there tonight and flew in from LA to see this...and I’m very glad I did, although maybe somewhat less unreservedly rapturous than some of the other posters here. This is one of my favorite shows, and I saw it twice in NY and again on tour and in several good regional productions (including an outstanding one at East West Players in LA in 2018).

In a nutshell, I thought this production had six great singers but only three great actors. Rachel Bay Jones was freaking brilliant; as others have said, she was born to play this part, and I even preferred her to Alice Ripley at times. Michael Park’s scenes with her played as if they had been working together for years (no surprise), and Ben Levi Ross was a perfect Henry. But Brandon Victor Dixon, as wonderful a singer as he is (and he moved me to tears with “A Light in the Dark”), just wasn’t much of an actor when he wasn’t singing. I never truly believed Dan’s fear, pain, or desperation...and that’s a problem in this show. Maia Reficco also has a lovely voice, but I thought her acting was a series of poses and expressions, and a lot of Natalie’s great laugh lines fell flat because of her rushing and lack of any comic timing. And Khamary Rose as Gabe was just...there. I so missed the strength and menace of Aaron Tveit, Kyle Dean Massey, and other Gabes I’ve seen. And as a result, the final scene between Gabe and Dan...which usually leaves me on the floor...left me frustrated and cold.

I will say that friends I was there with who had never seen the show were blown away, so maybe I’m spoiled and too harsh. And I definitely cried...mostly thanks to RBJ’s astonishing performance. So yes, I’m very glad I took the trip and I would love to see this develop into a full revival, but with a couple of critical casting changes.

[thebookofwhizzer]

Posted: 2/2/20 at 10:24am

I saw yesterday’s matinee, and wow. It was incredible. As someone who has never seen a production of the show before, I was so moved. I’ve worn out the soundtrack but just hearing everything live was breathtaking. I’m an emotional person, but I’ve never cried at a musical before this one. I hope that this production is done again because it’s absolutely wonderful.

[thebookofwhizzer]

Posted: 2/2/20 at 10:26am

Also, I went to stage door after the matinee and the entire cast came out afterwards. They’re all incredible kind!