April 16, 2009

Review: 'Next to Normal' brings Lifetime to Broadway

NewYorkology contributor Alexandra Farkas last year directed the New York premiere of John Fleming’s “The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley” at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center is back as NewYorkology’s theater critic after a hiatus to give birth to a beautiful baby girl.

If the idea of a musical about manic depression sounds like an iffy proposition, that’s because it is. But not necessarily for the reasons you thought it was. “Next to Normal,” which opened at the Booth Theater last night, is a wonderfully performed mess. After successful runs off-Broadway here at Second Stage and at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., the show comes to Broadway with an excellent cast, but that’s about all.

The book can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a musical or a Lifetime movie. Though the songs seem to place it in the “musical” category, there’s still a lot of Lifetime left. Diana (Alice Ripley) is a stay-at-home mom who has been the victim of her own mind since a tragedy (no spoilers here!) in her early 20’s. Unfortunately for her and them, her family has suffered alongside her – her husband, Dan (J. Robert Spencer,) waiting for the day when the cloud lifts for good, and her daughter, Natalie (Jennifer Damiano,) just wishing she could be anywhere else. Unfortunately for us, the story doesn’t ever get beyond the predictable realism and trite emotion of “television for women.”

Jennifer Damiano’s turn as Natalie is the stand-out of the show, bringing pathos, humanity and just the right amount of teenager-ness to her role, not to mention a killer voice. Pitch perfect both emotionally and physically as an awkward overachiever who is terrified of turning into her unstable mother, she was last seen on Broadway in “Spring Awakening.” Quite a career for a 17-year-old.

Other notable performances include Adam Chanler-Berat as her loyal and patient boyfriend Henry, and Louis Dobson as two of Diana’s doctors. Ripley, who has the herculean task of making sense of Diana and her journey, struggles with the more rock ’n’ roll moments of the show, almost as though she herself is more comfortable in the melodic moments that signal Diana’s dangerous calms.

Ripley is done no favors by the wardrobe she’s given, which when not in the nightgown/bathrobe/johnny mode, consists of shirts and sweaters with twisted elements that are perhaps meant to symbolize her psychic struggle in cloth, but mainly bring unnecessary and unflattering attention to the clothes.

The set is a simple Erector set kind of structure that represents the different floors of the house and the world outside. Elegant in its simplicity, the more technically flashy parts of the set are interesting to watch, but don’t necessarily provide more insight or grandeur to what is ultimately an intimate story.

It is certainly brave to bring a raw, psychological portrait to the Broadway stage with songs and a little movement, but ultimately it’s unsatisfying to see in musical form, and at Broadway prices, a story that is better suited for sick-day TV.

“Next to Normal” has an open-ended run at the Booth Theatre, located at 222 W. 45th St., map. Regular tickets are priced from $36.50 to $115. Premium seats are $176.50 and $201.50. There are $25 front-row and box seats available for every performance.

Picture credit: Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer in “Next to Normal.” Picture by Joan Marcus/Barlow-Hartman.

Earlier: Broadway review roundup for ‘Next to Normal’ musical
$25 front-row seats for ‘Next to Normal’ on Broadway

April 16, 2009 1:35 PM in Broadway

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