Balagan Theatre and Contemporary Classics' NEXT TO NORMAL Begins 2/8 in Seattle

Balagan Theatre and Contemporary Classics co-present the Seattle premiere of Broadway rock musical Next to Normal, starring one of Seattle's veteran leading ladies, Beth DeVries, as the bipolar depressive matriarch Diana Goodman; and directed by one of Seattle's hottest young directors, Contemporary Classics Artistic Director Brandon Ivie, whose credits include the Broadway productions of A Christmas Story: The Musical, Catch Me If You Can, and Next to Normal.

Performances are Friday, February 8, through Saturday, March 2, at the Erickson Theatre Off Broadway on Capitol Hill (1524 Harvard Avenue, Seattle). Tickets start at $20 and are on sale at (206) 329-1050 or www.balagantheatre.org.

Called a groundbreaking, powerhouse rock musical, Next to Normal tells the powerful, emotional story of a mother struggling with bipolar disorder, and her family struggling to hold it together. "Like all good musicals, it breaks your heart without crushing your hope," said reviewer Charles McNulty (Los Angeles Times). Among its many accolades, Next to Normal won three Tony Awards and received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, becoming the eighth musical in history to receive the prestigious honor.

"The Seattle premiere of Next to Normal is a homecoming in two significant ways," says Ivie. "The show was birthed at Village Theatre by Issaquah native and former associate artistic director Brian Yorkey. Also, Next to Normal was the first Broadway show I worked on. I'm looking forward to reimagining the show for the especially intimate setting of the Erickson, and I'm excited to let some of Seattle's great musical theater actors loose on this fantastic, complicated material."

Next to Normal follows two incredibly successful Balagan shows, the entirely sold-out Avenue Q and critically acclaimed Hedwig and the Angry Inch; it is the first Contemporary Classics production since 2010's new musical The Yellow Wood, winner of three Gregory Awards.
Next to Normal is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and supported in part by media sponsor KUOW 94.9FM; in-kind sponsors Babeland and Seattle Gay Scene; and grants from 4Culture and ArtsWA (Washington State Arts Commission).
Please note: This production contains some adult content, including explicit language and sexual references; it is not recommended for audience members younger than 14 years old.

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