Next to Normal Coming to Broadway!!

[wicked_beast4]

According to Barlow • Hartman!!!

http://www.barlowhartman.com/


Thought it deserved a separate thread.

[Pianolin717]

so, is it taking the Longacre?

[changinandhow]

There's been no theatre announcement... which personally I'm waiting for before beginning to celebrate here.

[frogs_fan85]

The Cort, Longacre, Hilton, St. James, and Neil Simon are the only theaters that don't have a spring tenant, so it has be one of those. The Cort and Longacre are the only logistical possibilities, with the Longacre having been rumored over on ATC.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

It's opening at the Longacre.
Previews start in late March and it's opening in mid April.

[nexttoelectric]

Like with the recording, I'll save my giddiness for an official announcement, but the thing on the PR site, coupled with the recording being made and time it would likely be released does really point.

[Broadway Bob*]

God NO! I HATE the Longacre. It is too big. This NEEDS to be in the Schoenfeld. What us going in there? The Longacre is just a dusty old house that is out of the way and has no ambiance whatsoever. It is a doomed house. Almost nothing plays there for any length of time. It's kind of like a black hole. People just seem to forget the shows that open there. PLEASE God let something else open up for this amazing show!

[Yankeefan007]

Is it worth seeing again?

Rather, is it any different than it was at 2nd Stage?

[Smaxie]

THE LONGACRE AFTER




THE LONGACRE BEFORE


The Longacre was restored, gloriously, right before the Tony Award-winning, profit-turning Boeing Boeing played there for nine months.

The Longacre and the Schoenfeld are almost the exact same size - 1078 seats at the Schoenfeld, 1091 at the Longacre, though the Longacre does have a second balcony. The Schoenfeld is booked with Impressionism.

The Longacre is now a very fine house and will be a good home for Next to Normal.

[ljay889]

Wow! that looks pretty.

[FeelingElectric]

Agreed, Smaxie. The Longacre is a beautiful house. I saw Boeing Boeing there 3 times, and had a great experience each time.

I feel that it's a little big for N2N (I would have felt more comfortable with it in the Golden or the Helen Hayes), but I think it will work out.

[changinandhow]

Yankee, was the only time you saw the show at Second Stage? Because then I would say yes it is definitely worth seeing again, they made lots of changes for the Arena Stage run that helped the show immensely, in my opinion.

[frogs_fan85]

Broadway Bob, I think you might be thinking of a different theater. The Longacre isn't on the "wrong side" of Broadway like the Cort, Belasco and Lyceum. As Smaxie said Boeing-Boeing just played the newly refurbished Longacre and turned a profit, so it's possible that N2N can thrive there. The set is three levels so maybe having the balcony isn't such a bad thing.

yankeefan, from what I've read there were many alterations for the Arena version, so the Broadway version is probably worth seeing if you only saw the 2nd Stage production.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

I've heard the changes from 2ST to now are incredible and the show is really pretty brilliant. I can't wait to see it again...and I agree, the Longacre is a good fit for this show. I wasn't a fan of the theater as a fit for BOEING but I think it'll work well for the three-tiered set and all.


I love, love, love the incline of the Orchestra at the Longacre.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

...and this could prove to be quite the Tony awards shakeup.

[dg22894]

Impressionism is going into the shenfeld(sp)

[H.Higgins]

I'm so glad you said that, Smaxie!

The Longacre is gorgeous post the renovation. I was reading the post to which you responded, thinking, "Are you kidding me?!" Thanks for bringing it back to reality, as usual. =)

[FeelingElectric]

Next to Normal at Arena Stage was signifigantly different from It's Second Stage incarnation (and a million miles away from it's NYMF days). If you missed it at Arena Stage, you definitely need to see it again.

[ljay889]

I haven't seen this show, but I am really happy we will have another new musical this Tony season.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Will Tveit stay with WICKED and go on to CATCH ME IF YOU CAN or will he do a run with NEXT TO NORMAL?
Also, this means that we can add Alice Ripley to the list of actresses vying for the Tony in the Leading Actress in a Musical category. I've heard she is a strong competitor.

[nexttoelectric]

I doubt this was all of a sudden, Aaron probably had a clause put into his contract that if/when N2N moved he'd do it, I don't see him passing up.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

I'm sure she's only grown in the role and I would be shocked if she didn't win. Ripley may very well be the answer to the whole "9-TO-5"-women-splitting-the-vote dilemma. She was absolutely brilliant in the role when I saw it a year ago at 2ST.

[FeelingElectric]

Well put WiCkEDrOcKS, and you're right. She's not just a strong competitor for the Tony, she's the favorite.

[Yankeefan007]

Allison Janney was the favorite to win, at least based on all the reports I've heard.

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

I hope this is true! I'm dying to see the show.