The long anticipated Sydney premiere of this rock opera/musical is revealed to be one of the best shows in town at the moment .The small cast packs a terrific emotional punch. The show deals with very difficult subject matter (mental illness, dysfunctional families). Issues such as suicide, grieving the loss of a loved one , drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the underbelly of suburban life are also examined .
NEXT TO NORMAL- book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, opened on Broadway in 2009, running until 2011 and garnering Tony nominations and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama .Since then the show has toured in versions around the US and has also had international productions.
The show features the use of strong language. Under the clear direction of Elle Zattera the small, excellent cast gave strong performances. Tyler Hoggard (set designer and also performer) devised a good, multi level set that allowed for smooth, almost cinematic scene changes when necessary. The small orchestral band, under the dynamic leadership of Josh Ransom, was terrific.
Charmaine Gibbs as Diana was outstanding, playing her part with distinction and grace .Hers is a gives a haunting performance as the troubled wife and mother with mental illness , suffering manic depression and delusions ,who tries various medications unsuccessfully and undergoes ECT. Nothing seems just right.
In Act 2 we see a lost woman in search of her memories and her identity. Her ‘You Don’t Know’, trying to explain, is brilliant, angry and challenging.Her ‘Song of Forgetting ‘ trying to remember things is terribly poignant. She has several beautiful duets with Dan (the ‘Song of Forgetting ‘, and ‘Catch Me I’m Falling’ ) and in Act 2, her ‘The Break’ is very moving. With regards to the music box and her painful memories are we meant to think of Blanche Dubois from’ A Streetcar Named Desire?!
Patricio Ulloa sings his heart out as her husband, Dan. His is a vibrant, passionate performance as the bewildered, loving husband trying best to cope. He tries to do what is best for Diana and the rest of his family, but is it?! At one point he is overjoyed and all seems well but then things go horribly wrong and Dan is caught, trapped in the middle of situations beyond his control.
As Natalie, their deeply troubled daughter, Emma Taviani was impressive and sang beautifully. Natalie is a freaky obsessive genius , scared of ‘going mad’ like her mum yet she is also reckless, stealing drugs… She has a fabulous song about the juxtaposition of music and maths and we see her gradually accept her love for Henry.
Ben James as Gabe (Gabriel) is superb, Is he real or one of Diana’s hallucinations?! Has she been mourning him all these years?! He keeps watch over his family and interacts with them. He insists ‘I Am Alive’ in a dynamic, inspired rendition.
Young concerned Henry, in love with Natalie, is well played by Julian Luke. He is determined to look after Natalie.
Tyler Hoggard dazzles as the tall, mysterious aloof Dr Madden who tries to help Diana .
As the title implies, NEXT TO NORMAL is not your standard musical. It breaks lots of the rules. There is no clichéd ‘happy ending’. Very touching…Running time 2 hours 30 (approx) including one interval
Rockdale Musical Society’s NEXT TO NORMAL is playing the Rockdale Town Hall till Sunday April 13.