Next to Normal, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt, strongly directed by Michael Greif, is a compelling, very contemporary, psychological musical drama performed by a top-level Broadway cast of first-rate singer/actors led by the dazzling Alice Ripley as a schizophrenic haunted by the ghost of her son who died at the age of two and has grown and matured in her imagination.
The music that most of the dialogue is sung to has lovely lyrical melodic flavor, and the show is totally engaging in Act one as J. Robert Spencer, as the long-suffering husband, Jennifer Damiano as the confused daughter, and the rest of the fine cast play out the intricate interaction of psychological aberrations. However, half an hour into Act Two, I found myself emotionally removed from the problems, watching rather than empathizing -- too much anguish and angst had slightly numbed me, and I found the conclusion to be unclear and somewhat unrealistic.
The intricate three-level set by Mark Wendland is marvelous in its complexity and simplicity, costumes by Jeff Mahshie work perfectly and lighting by Kevin Adams blends with and enhances everything. It's a really good, really strong show, and I'm glad I saw it, heard it, experienced it. Would I see it a second time? No.
