Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL

There will be light....

Thus ends the current production of the musical Next to Normal at the Copley Theatre. The production runs through September 3. This is the story of any suburban family dealing with bi-polar disorder, the consequences, the treatments and the after effects. The focus is on Diana Goodman, a wife and mother (Donna Louden in her Chicagoland debut and what a debut). Diana’s husband Dan (portrayed by Barry DeBois), daughter Natalie (Angel Alzeidan in her Paramount debut) and reappearing deceased son Gabe (Jake Ziman ) are the core center. Her doctors, Madden and Fine (both played by Devin DeSantis), begin with a prescribed drug treatment and then move on to electroshock treatments, showing the path bipolar patients often take and the consequences. Natalie’s love interest Henry (Jake DiMaggio Lopez in his Copley debut) rounds out the cast. Henry tries to keep Natalie feeling safe and normal as she deals with her Mother’s disease.

Throughout Act One, Diana’s deceased son Gabe tries to persuade her to join him. Gabe is only visible to Diana.  She eventually tries to take her own life but the attempt fails. When Act One finishes, there was barely any sound from the audience. I could tell by the faces of some of the audience membersthat they were reliving similar moments in their own lives.  Act Two is the process of recovery from Diana’s shock treatments and the effect is has on her and her family. Diana’s doctor tells her husband that patients usually have some memory loss after receiving treatment. It now appears Diana has forgotten about her son Gabe. The doctor mentions this to her, thinking her husband has told her. He has not. Diana and Dan both wonder if staying together will help or hurt in her recovery process. She makes the painful decision to leave and live with her parents while going to therapy. When Dan tells her doctor, the doctor recommends a psychiatrist for Dan to start seeing to help him recover as well. The end of show has the cast singing about “Light”. As shared by the director: “When our long night is done, there will be light… When we open our lives, sons, daughters, husbands, wives—and fight that fight…. There will be light.”

Under the direction of Jim Corti (also artistic director at the Paramount), this incredible and talented cast tells this gut-wrenching story touching on the realization, the denial, the heartbreak, the agony, the hope and above all, the love that is part of this disease. The music is by Tom Kitt with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. The show received 11 Tony nominations in 2009. In 2010 it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. These songs were the heart and soul of this production.  The actors’ vocals were superb on each and every song.  The Paramount Band under the direction of Celia Villacres is stellar. Bravo. Cat Wilson’s lighting design gave the minimalistic set the right background.

This is a musical but not what you expect a musical to be. It is a very intense story of bi-polar disorder. It will hit you hard. However, there are moments that will make you laugh. This tells the truth. The truth can be difficult and extremely painful. Copley’s production shows the truth. It shows the pain. It shows the love. This is masterful storytelling.