Next to Normal at 3Peace Studios & Point Loma Playhouse

NEXT TO NORMAL Brings an Electrifying, Intimate Musical Experience to San Diego

3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse present the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical through October 11, 2026, featuring live music and an exceptional ensemble of San Diego artists.

SAN DIEGO, CA - What does it mean to be a normal family? And what happens when the people who love each other most cannot find the words to reach one another?

3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse present NEXT TO NORMAL, the Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical by composer Tom Kitt and book writer and lyricist Brian Yorkey, running through October 11, 2026, at the companies' intimate Bankers Hill / Hillcrest theatre.

With a soaring contemporary rock score and a story that moves between humor, heartbreak, and hope, Next to Normalfollows the Goodman family as they navigate love, grief, mental illness, and the complicated ways families attempt to hold themselves together.

Directed and Chireographed by Jailyn Osborne, this production places the audience close to the emotional center of the story, where even the smallest exchange can carry extraordinary weight.

"Next to Normal asks us to look beyond what we think we know about the people around us," says Osborne. "It's about a family that loves deeply but doesn't always know how to communicate that love. There is pain in this story, certainly, but there is also tremendous humor, tenderness, and humanity. I want audiences to recognize something of themselves in these characters, even when their circumstances are very different."

The production features Sarah Le Clair as Diana Goodman, Cody Bianchi as Dan Goodman, Nick Damian as Gabe Goodman, Lark Laudenslager as Natalie Goodman, Jocorey Mitchell as Henry, and David Thornton as the Doctor.

The company also includes alternates Amanda Blair, Kyler Waitley, Amanda Nurding, Kaia Bugler, and Tommy Tran. Music direction is by Leigh Scarritt, with stage management by Aarin Wilson and assistant stage management by Junebug Sonnenberg.

Featuring live musicians, the production brings Kitt and Yorkey's emotionally charged score to life in an unusually intimate theatrical setting.

For Osborne, that intimacy is central to the experience.

"There's something extraordinary about watching an actor navigate a moment of enormous vulnerability when you're only a few feet away," Osborne says. "You can see the smallest hesitation, the effort to hold back a feeling, the moment someone decides to say what they've been afraid to say. That's where this musical becomes incredibly powerful."

The production continues a year of ambitious programming for 3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse, which transformed a former automotive warehouse into a performance venue in just 13 days. Since opening the space, the organizations have presented musicals, plays, original works, and youth productions while expanding opportunities for local performers, musicians, and theatre professionals.

"Next to Normal is a particularly meaningful part of that journey," Osborne adds. "It's a demanding piece of theatre that requires remarkable trust, generosity, and commitment from its performers. I'm proud of the artistry this company brings to the stage."

More than a musical about mental illness, Next to Normal explores the universal longing to be understood and the difficult, imperfect ways people learn to live with change.

The production continues through October 11, 2026.

Performance Information

Production: Next to Normal Music: Tom Kitt Book and Lyrics: Brian Yorkey Presented by: 3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse Directed by: Jailyn Osborne Music Direction: Leigh Scarritt Through: October 11, 2026 Location: 3148 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/next-to-normal-3

About 3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse

3Peace Studios and Point Loma Playhouse are San Diego nonprofit performing arts organizations dedicated to creating opportunities for artists, developing new talent, and presenting engaging theatrical experiences. Their programming encompasses professional and emerging performers, established musicals, contemporary plays, original productions, and arts education, with an emphasis on accessibility, artistic growth, and community connection.

Jailyn Osborne Artistic Director 3Peace Studios & Point Loma Playhouse