Ghostlight to record NEXT TO NORMAL

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 1:02pm

"Ghostlight Records will create a cast recording of the new musical Next to Normal featuring the cast of the recent Arena Stage production in Washington DC. The recording session is set for February 11 and 12 in New York City, produced by Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records President Kurt Deutsch and Grammy Award-winner Joel Moss. A spring 2009 release date will be announced soon."

http://www.broadway.com/Next-to-Normal-To-Get-Cast-Recording-on-Ghostlight-Records/broadway_news/5020690

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 1:05pm

NOW do people believe all of us who had spoken with cast and creative about it?????

[morosco]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 1:12pm

Thank you Ghostlight Records! :)

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:08pm

I'm upset Somers and d'Arcy James aren't going to be preserved with this. They were significantly stronger than Hobson and Spencer, respectively.

My only two desires of this/the show are:
1) Reverting to the 2nd Stage version of "Just Another Day"
2) Ending Act I with Feeling Electric again, and tossing out that mess of an Act II opening, "Wish I Were Here"

....and also 2-disc PLEASE.

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:11pm

YAY!!

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:13pm

I'm upset Somers and d'Arcy James aren't going to be preserved with this. They were significantly stronger than Hobson and Spencer, respectively.

My only two desires of this/the show are:
1) Reverting to the 2nd Stage version of "Just Another Day"
2) Ending Act I with Feeling Electric again, and tossing out that mess of an Act II opening, "Wish I Were Here"

....and also 2-disc PLEASE.

I agree about Brian, but Asa was COMPLETELY MISCAST.

Also, your 2 desires are COMPLETELY off base. The new ending of JAD is necessary. and Wish I were Here is a much better song than Feeling Electric. While I wish they would have been able to end Act I with Wish I Were Here and kept Growing Up Unstable, the way it is now is better than having Feeling Electric in there. The only reason they should have included FE in the recording was as a bonus track with Anthony singing it.
Updated On: 2/4/09 at 05:13 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:42pm

I disagree with Brian being stronger with the show AS IT IS NOW. I don't see his portrayal of Dan fitting with the changes. It's actually weird for me to hear him now on...the promotional stuff around from 2econd Stage. Yeah, that's it. :)

And I totally agree with NextToElectric on "Just Another Day" ~ it would not make sense the old way.

And personally? I don't really miss either "Feeling Electric" OR "Growing Up Unstable". Again, they don't fit with the show as it is now.

edit! Don't get me wrong. I adore Brian. BUT. The way Dan is written now, I just can't see him in the role as it is.

Updated On: 2/4/09 at 05:42 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:47pm

Great News! I love N2N! Thank you Ghostlight!

J*

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:48pm

They were both good, but I thought the doctor in DC brought nothing to the part. He was just boring on stage.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 5:50pm

Really RentBoy? Maybe Louis was having an off-night that time. Because he ran circles around Asa in terms of putting emotion and feeling into the role (especially Dr. Madden) every time I saw him. Asa, while I adore him, was ALWAYS emotionally flat for me at Second Stage. He was the epitome of mechanical.

[iamdangoodman]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 6:04pm

Love it!

But where's the news about the NY run? I'm a mess.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 6:18pm

Gotta get rid of another show first...

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 6:24pm

Considering the discount e-mail offer I was sent today, that may be sooner than you think.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 6:26pm

*lights candles and prays fervently*

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 6:58pm

I'm not speaking of the ending of the song as it was at the start of the second stage run, but rather at the end of it. Small line changes such as "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" to "what doesn't kill me doesn't kill me" irk me to no end as the new version is just...worse. The Let There Be Light Intro and then "They're the perfect loving family, so adoring and I love them every day of every week" was a much stronger opening than Aaron starting the show with "What are you doing up?" out of nowhere.

The changes that happened with the opening between 2ST and Arena were terrible (having seen the final 2 2ST performances and the first Arena show).

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:01pm

And in regards to Hobson being stronger than Somers, the Madden/Fine was written significantly stronger at Arena. Louis just didn't do anything for me whereas I felt that Asa was able to make a singular doctor "character" carrying through the point that the medical system is "all the same".

[theatre2]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:18pm

oh boy a new cast cd of a show that has not being on broadway of off broadway they need to put out a cast cd of good vibrations and cry baby.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:19pm

Honey Child, it WAS off Broadway and hopefully will be on soon!

And it's MILES above those two pieces of crap you're incessantly talking about.

Updated On: 2/4/09 at 07:19 PM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:23pm

And in regards to Hobson being stronger than Somers, the Madden/Fine was written significantly stronger at Arena. Louis just didn't do anything for me whereas I felt that Asa was able to make a singular doctor "character" carrying through the point that the medical system is "all the same".

I don't think the point was supposed to be that all medicine is the same. I think the point is that it may all look different but in the end it's not magic. Dr. Madden is SUPPOSED to be a very different kind of doctor than Dr. Fine. And that was obvious EVEN in the 2econd Stage version. Asa was just emotionally flat through the whole thing.

And regarding the beginnings... I think it is SOOOO much more powerful to NOT start it with "Let There Be Light". Starting it right where it starts, in the middle of everything, puts you right there from the start. And while I agree that "what doesn't kill me doesn't kill me" sounds a bit awkward, it fits the Goodman family well as a mantra. Because they're NOT getting stronger during the course of the play (until Diana makes her decisions at the end). They're simply surviving. So those words DO make sense in that respect.

At least in my humble opinion.

Updated On: 2/4/09 at 07:23 PM

[alliez92092]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:31pm

I completely agree with everything jordangirl has said. The show has gotten better by leaps and bounds since its run at 2ST, and this is coming from someone who was in love with that production. Hell, I didn't even get to see the Arena production live and I still love it even more. I'm so happy that the cast recording is coming out so this wonderful show can be shared with more people, and my fingers are crossed for the thing that I am too scared to name for fear of jinxing it...

[jordangirl]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 7:43pm

Just light candles Allie! :) My apartment smells like Christmas Cookies with all the candles I have lit! :)

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 8:25pm

Small line changes such as "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" to "what doesn't kill me doesn't kill me" irk me to no end as the new version is just...worse.

OMG, you are so wrong here. That change is amazing. It is the PERFECT representation of the futility all these people feel towards life.

[heo1128]

Posted: 2/4/09 at 8:33pm

Sondheim_Geek...I agree with you (other than the "doesn't kill me doesn't kill me" line which is fantastic, because obviously Diana just gets weaker...but that's another discussion lol). I TOTALLY disagree with a ton of the Arena changes. Hell, I'm kind of bummed they got rid of "Costco" lol. And I really liked "Growing Up Unstable", and the "Perfect, just play it perfect" song...whatever that was called, is SO much better than the song that took its place. IMO.

But whatever...I am just beyond thrilled we're getting a recording!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 2/5/09 at 12:48am

A Spring release? Really? They said that for LITTLE FISH for Spring 2008 and that got pushed back way into September of last year.

[A Fleur De Toi]

Posted: 2/5/09 at 1:49am

Thanks Ghostlight! oooh ghostlight...spooky!

But really, YAY!