Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Limelight Theatre

Next to Normal is a show that asks a lot of its performers and even more from its audience. With its exploration of mental illness, family, grief, and the complicated ways people try to hold one another together, the musical requires a production that can move seamlessly between intimate moments and the overwhelming emotions of its characters. This production rises to that challenge with an especially impressive visual design, performances and musicianship.

The production uses a top of the line screen and the expertise of a 3D motion designer (Daniel Partenie) that transforms the stage throughout the evening, allowing locations and the overall feeling of the space to shift quickly and effectively. Rather than feeling like a technical gimmick, the projections become an integral part of the storytelling, helping establish the show’s shifting realities and emotional states. This continually supports what is happening onstage.

Speaking of on stage, this production had a six piece live band onstage. Even though the musicians were in plain sight for the entire performance, they delivered the score with such precision and consistency that there were moments when I almost forgot I was listening to a live band. The sound was very polished and never felt like it was competing with the action. Instead, it pulled me further into the story. I found myself lost in what was happening onstage with the actors and only remembering that there were musicians on the stage during brief blackouts and their music stands were illuminated.

The cast brings considerable strength to the production, with the performers playing Gabe and Natalie, Austin Bailly & Ella Escamilla, emerging as particular highlights. Both bring an emotional immediacy to their performances and make their characters’ complicated relationships and struggles feel genuine. Their performances provide some of the production’s most compelling moments. Two of their standout moments of the evening were “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” and “Aftershocks”. These were among the moments that the show felt most raw and affecting.

The staging also shines during “I Dreamed a Dance” and “There’s a World”. Both moments were particularly affecting, and the staging allowed the emotional weight of the songs to come through. There is a strong sense of storytelling in these sequences, the movement, spacing, lighting and performers all work together to create moments that lingered.

Austin Bailly, who plays Gabe, also serves as choreographer. That makes the physical storytelling in these moments special. The choreography is not just for movements sake, it contributes to the emotional language pf the production and makes memorable stage pictures.

Adding another layer to the performances of Dan and Diana Goodman is the fact that the actors portraying them are husband and wife offstage. That real life relationship contributes to the undeniable chemistry in their scenes together. At the same time, it must be incredibly difficult to create some of the show’s most painful and emotional moments with someone you love so dearly. There is something particularly affecting when watching two people with such a personal connection portray a relationship being pushed to its breaking point.

Jessica Alexander gives a solid performance as Diana, in a role that is arguably one of musical theatre’s most demanding. She allowed the vulnerability and emotion of the character to show throughout her performance. Jimmy Alexander’s portrayal of Dan is also strong, though one production choice involving his appearance stood out to me, not at all based on his performance itself. In the promotional materials and headshots I saw, Jimmy is proudly bald. Yet in the production, he is the only performer wearing a wig. As a bald man myself, I found myself wishing the production had embraced that representation rather than covering it up with a wig that ultimately didn’t feel particularly convincing.

That observation may seem small, but representation can be meaningful precisely because of the details we don’t always think about. Dan doesn’t need to look a certain way to tell this story, and seeing a bald man simply exist onstage without it being disguised would have been refreshing. The choice to use a wig felt unnecessary and, unfortunately, distracting.

Ultimately, this Next to Normal is a production with a lot to admire. It’s striking visuals and lighting design elevate the storytelling, while the cast brings genuine emotional weight to the material. The production succeeds in creating a visually compelling and emotionally resonant experience that honors the challenging material at its heart.

Performacnes continue through Aug. 30, 2026. You can find more information and tickets HERE

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