Blackfriars Theatre Continues its 70th Anniversary Season with NEXT TO NORMAL

Blackfriars Theatre's 4th show of its 70th Anniversary Season shares the story of a family: Dad's an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling manic depression for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family's story with love, sympathy and heart.

Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as "one of the year's ten best shows" by critics around the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.

"I was drawn to directing this piece for several reasons - it is brilliantly crafted, with intelligent humor, compelling characters, a truly moving story, and gorgeous music. I am also drawn to the subject matter - it is a challenging and important story to tell and for audiences to experience. It is a complex piece to direct, both emotionally and physically, and I thrive on that complexity as an artist," says director Kerry Young.

The Next To Normal cast includes: Carl Del Buono (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine), Zachary Jones (Gabe), Haley Knips (Natalie), Janine Mercandetti (Diana), J. Simmons (Dan), and Evan Miller Watelet (Henry). The production is directed by Kerry Young with musical direction by Andy Pratt.

Next To Normal is sponsored by Nox Cocktail Lounge, with additional support from 2019-2020 Media Sponsors CITY Newspaper and Warm 101.3.

Throughout the 2019-2020 season Blackfriars Theatre will also be producing a pair of

retrospective concerts, a play reading series highlighting favorites from past seasons, along with showcasing everything that has made Blackfriars special and essential over the previous 69 years as a staple of the downtown Rochester arts scene. The 70th Anniversary Season will be an important moment in the theatre's history as they celebrate the hard work of so many Rochester artists and kick off the next chapter of professionally-minded, artistically-ambitious local theatre-making!

For more information regarding Blackfriars Theatre, please visit www.blackfriars.org.