"Perfect for US": The NEXT TO NORMAL love thread!- Page 2

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 10:44pm

There's no telling. If it sells well and wins a few tony's it could still be open in November. I wouldn't hold my breath, especially in this economy, for an original musical with a less than tourist friendly subject matter to last long, but, i suppose it could. I'd LOVE for it to still be playing in november.

[iamdangoodman]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 10:45pm

OMG. I can't believe it's here! Thank you for this thread. I had to leave the board because of all the negative people who were trashing something that they hadn't even seen.

So glad to know it's the show I fell in love with at Arena Stage. I can't see it until next week, but I'm going to see it as much as I can afford.

How do you rush? I've never done that. Point me where I can learn, if it isn't a topic for this thread.

I feel like I've been holding my breath for two months.

Bring on the CD!!!!

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 10:52pm

To rush you show up at the box office and buy ask to buy a rush ticket. There aren't many so you have to get there early. they start selling them as soon as the box office opens for the day.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:05pm

Just got back from the performance tonight. I went in knowing very little of the show. I absolutely loved it, nearly everything about it.

[steven22]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:09pm

KAD, can you review please?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:18pm

I just randomly had the thought that if N2N gets a Best Musical nod (which it surely will), what do you think they'll perform at the Tonys?

LIGHT or JUST ANOTHER DAY seem like the most obvious choices...LIGHT without the dialogue of course, which would give too much of the plot away.
Updated On: 3/28/09 at 11:18 PM

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:33pm

There is a way they could do You Don't Know/I Am the One as well.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:35pm

I hope they do the "You Don't Know/I Am..." sequence, but it may not make sense out of context.

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 3/28/09 at 11:54pm

^That's what they performed at the Lucille Lortel Awards so I would say that's a definite possibility.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:00am

I just get the feeling that since the Tony performances can help in boosting ticket sales (if only temporarily) they're going to want to do something that could work better out of context and that would appeal to people from Anytown, USA.

If they didn't cut FEELING ELECTRIC, I would surely say they would perform that.

YOU DON'T KNOW/I AM THE ONE seems a bit dark to me to perform on the Tonys. LIGHT is a big power-finale of a song that features the whole cast and JUST ANOTHER DAY is a great intro to the characters which could make people want to see the show to see what happens to them all. Then again, XANADU shocked everyone by performing DON'T WALK AWAY last year, so you never know.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:01am

Oh, yea. I remember those photos! It's my favorite part of the show. It also doesn't require the second level of the set like "Another Day" or "I'm Alive."

[Kad]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:06am

Absolutely.

There are spoilers, but I suppose if you love the show enough to be reading this thread you'll already know them.


I can't comment on this incarnation of the show versus its previous ones, but I guess this relieves me of any sort of bias I would have toward the material and performances.

The score for this show is incredible. Songs that are memorable, plot-driving, character-driven, and exciting that rarely sound derivative and "been there done that". And such a range of styles- straight rock, indie-style ballad, rockabilly . I think I'm going to have "I'm Alive" stuck in my head for weeks. And I wouldn't mind if it is.

I found the book itself to be inferior to the score. Not bad, by any means. Lyrically, I think there are too many obvious choices and quite a few instances of a feeling of a forced rhyme. The actual spoken dialogue scenes, of which there are very few, were adequate. They're there for the most part to provide a bridge from song to song, and in the songs is where the most interesting stuff lies.

The plot itself was compared to a Lifetime movie by Ben Brantley, and I can definitely see why. It sure does run the gambit of melodramatic maladies. But, despite the fact that I was entirely aware of this while I was watching, I found myself simply not caring if the show's plot was a bit trite, a little cliche, and very much like a "woe of the week" made for TV movie. I was completely engaged in the story and characters.

I found the second act to lag a bit in terms of pacing, but I'm not sure if cuts are a solution. Being the 2nd preview, I'm sure pacing will be improved as the show goes on.

I thought the set was very cool and provided opportunity for a lot of interesting stage pictures. I liked the abstract house motif it had.

The lighting stood out to me as noteworthy, particularly for its use of darkness and shadow. Aaron Tveit disappearing into, and reappearing from, the shadows of the lower level of the set was a particularly striking effect, not to mention the multiple instances of silhouette and profile.

What really drives the show is the cast. I can't imagine this working nearly as well without a stellar cast. This ensemble is one of the tightest and best I've seen on Broadway. There really is no weak link. The standout is, of course, Alice Ripley- who is giving quite a tour-de-force performance. She is funny, warm, tragic... and although her voice is not as it once was, she gives a fierce vocal performance. One of her most affecting moments, at which point the audience audibly reacted, was her return from the hospital following the ECT and not recognizing Natalie. Absolutely heartbreaking. Enough wonderful things cannot be said of her performance. Allison Janney will have to be doing backflips while juggling hamsters in 9 to 5 to be more deserving of the Tony.

Aaron Tveit comes very close to wresting the show from Ripley. He is charming, sexy, and sinister. His vocals are incredible, his movements incredibly lithe, and "I'm Alive" was a sensational number. As I mentioned, I loved seeing him come in and out of apparently nothing but darkness. Most of his stage time is spent simply watching and reacting- and he does so completely believably and naturally. He was always, appropriately and ironically enough, alive.

Jennifer Damiano- wow. I find it hard to believe she's younger than I am. She has a remarkably maturity on stage, and a fantastic voice. I found her foray into drug abuse to be one of the more questionable of the plot developments, but she overcame my misgivings over that.

J. Robert Spencer's true moment to shine was toward the end of act 2, a moment that has already been discussed elsewhere on the board. At this point, the rest of his performance comes into perspective as his rather stoic facade breaks. His acknowledgment of Gabe was another moment at which the audience audibly reacted.


Louis Hobson and Adam Chanler-Berat have, in contrast to the family, slightly less interesting roles and material, but still manage to excel. Hobson's "rockstar" moments as Dr. Madden drew some of the biggest laughs of the evening, and provided a great contrast to his very professional doctor characters. Adam is extremely affable and adorkable as Henry.

The entire cast is extremely strong vocally, at some points mind-boggling so. Almost more impressive is the quality of the acting on that stage. This is easily one of the most well-acted musicals I have seen. Real people were on the stage, with false moments few and far between. I don't think I've seen an audience as emotionally invested in a musical as this.


To encapsulate my numerous opinions into a quick summary:
I feel that an absolutely amazing cast, great design elements, and a wonderful score are able to transcend the Lifetime movie plot elements and weaker lyrics.

This is easily the best musical on Broadway, however. And one of the best new musicals in a while. I hope it finds an audience and prospers. It deserves to, and I think there is definite chance for it to succeed and avoid the fate of so many other of the small musicals that have recently come and go.

Updated On: 3/29/09 at 12:06 AM

[jessica0414]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:11am

Ever since the "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" music video was posted I have not been able to stop thinking about how excited I am to see this show!! :) I've been skimming all the reviews (thanks wickedrocks, & everyone else!) on the board so far and trying not to spoil any plot twists but from what you have all said about how fabulous it is I am totally stoked!!

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:12am

Most of his stage time is spent simply watching and reacting- and he does so completely believably and naturally

exactly, and he is present every moment. even when he is simply there, uninvolved in the scene (like when he sits the third level reading as Alice since ...Mountains).

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:13am

Allison Janney will have to be doing backflips while juggling hamsters in 9 to 5 to be more deserving of the Tony.

Loves it.

How crowded was the theater? How was the audience response?

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:17am

i'm seeing the show tomorrow night. 4th row on the aisle. i can't wait! most people have been saying amazing things about this and i listened to superboy and the invisible girl and now i'm really pumped for it. hopefully i'll be posting on this thread alot more :]

[Kad]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:29am

The theatre was mostly full. A few scattered empty seats in the orchestra, I couldn't really tell about the Mezz.

Audience response was excellent. They ate the show up. Heavy applause following big numbers, and when they could applaud. Jokes landed and were responded to very well, in particular the aforementioned "rockstar" moments and the Sound of Music reference in "My Psychopharmacologist and I" (an extremely clever bit).



A note about rush seats: being front row is double-edged. On one hand, the stage is extremely low and you are right there in the middle of the action. On the other hand, there will be much craning of the neck to see the action on the second and third tiers. You can't see much on those levels unless it happens right at the edge of the platform. It didn't bother me too much, since most action does take place on the bottommost level of the set. It did, however, rob me of valuable "stare at Aaron Tveit in nothing but boxers" time.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:31am

More love from a proud Jordangirl convert !!!!

Cant wait to go back next Thurs night !!!!

[aliciag]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 12:41am

I found myself unable to wait and took my mom and sister to the show tonight and it was so great. I saw so many improvements on the show from when I saw it at Second Stage and I just fell in love all over again. Definitely the best musical I've seen this season and I'm pushing for Alice Ripley's best actress Tony all the way!!!

I'm ecstatic that this show finally got to Broadway and I hope people are willing to give it a chance and the life it deserves.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 1:18am

Saw the show while it was still in previews at Second Stage, and it was brilliant. Already it was one of the most original, and inspiring works I'd ever seen. I will be making a trip to see it this summer.

And I must admit...I'm secretly proud to have seen the show when Costco was still included (guilty pleasure). It was so wonderfully bad haha.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 1:26am

If Tveit gets nominated for a Tony, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them perform I'm Alive in some context. Maybe as part of a medley, because they'll also definitely feature Ripley, who is sure to be nominated (and should win). The song doesn't give away major plot points, it's catchy, and Tveit knocks it out of the park.

I went back to the show tonight, and both nights, with the exception of the curtain call, I'm Alive got the loudest audience response. Although tonight, Superboy and the Invisible Girl was extremely well received.
Updated On: 3/29/09 at 01:26 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 1:52am

Well, they won't do I'M ALIVE on its own but I doubt they'll do a medley as well...the music would just seem so awkward in a medley as it is so crucial to the moment in the plot that it is placed. It would seem odd to go from one song to another random song when the music is telling the story 85% of the time.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:55am

If nominated (which is all but definite,) they'd certainly perform "Just Another Day" on the telecast.

It features the entire cast and provides enough exposition about the plot to get viewers interested without revealing the central mysteries of the show.

Updated On: 3/29/09 at 02:55 AM

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:55am

Guys, I am honored to join this tread. Freaking awesome show!

[KingKong]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 3:01am

I've seen in a few places people mention that the second act dragged and I honestly don't understand that. ESPECIALLY compared to past incarnations. When i first saw the show (back at nymf) it was nearly 3 hours long with something like 50 musical numbers. I really don't understand what people think can be cut.



As to the Tony performance. the only way they would do I'm alive is if aaron was the only nominee of the bunch. With that being a near impossibility I'm Alive is out. Tony performances are usually songs that feature acting nominees, so they'll do a song that features all the nominees likely.