Original Taiwan Cast Of NEXT TO NORMAL Will Return For 2025 Taipei Remount

Following its sold-out, acclaimed 2023 national premiere run at the National Taichung Theater, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s Pulitzer-winning hit 2009 Broadway musical “Next To Normal” is coming back to Taiwan (performed in English), this time at the Taipei Performing Arts Center for a brief limited engagement in December of 2025. 

The complete original Taiwan company from 2023 will reprise their respective roles: Taiwan native Ya Han Chang (“Sayonara,” “The Subtle Body,” “Eastbound”) and Ellis Gage (“James & the Giant Peach,” “Far From Canterbury,” “White Rose”), both known for their work on stage in the USA, as Diana and Gabe, respectively, local radio & television personality Francis Chia as Doctor Madden and Doctor Fine, Chi (Taiwan’s “I Love You, You’re Perfect… Now Change,” “Shemenayha!”) returning to the role of Natalie, having originated the role in the China premiere in Beijing (in Mandarin), ERay Chiang (Taiwan’s “April Rain,” “The Fantasticks,” “I Love You, You’re Perfect…”) as Dan, and Sassoon Yang (Taiwan’s “The Fantasticks”) as Henry.

Originally directed by Michael Greif, “Next To Normal” is resident directed for Taiwan by Carolyn Sun with updated staging and design elements. This production features resident music direction/supervision by Yu-Mei Chang as well as assistant resident direction by Hsing-Chun Hsu (who also serves as the resident choreographer) and Leo Chih-Hsiang Yen (who provided all Mandarin Chinese subtitles for non-English-speaking audiences). It is produced in association with Activa Productions, Wuming Chen, and Hsiaoli Wu. 

The official press opening will be December 19th and the production is currently slated to run for 4 performances only through December 21st.