May 1, 2009

Broadway's 'Next to Normal' to Twitter full performance

Is Broadway off its meds?

“Next to Normal” this week opened a Twitter account and next week promises to start tweeting the whole show, scene by scene, through June 7.

“For the first time ever, the full story of a Broadway musical will be told via Twitter. Follow the characters of Next to Normal as they tweet their story – all the lows, all the highs – day by day, song by song,” the “Next to Normal” official website states.

The musical unfolds around a family in crisis as the mother goes a little crazy.

The latest update from @N2NBroadway advises: “Only 4 days until the N2N Twitter performance begins! Each day a new scene will unfold thru June 7th.”

And while it’s the first Broadway show to Twitter a performance, it follows in the footsteps of TrinityWallStreet which twittered the Passion Play in real-time in April @twspassionplay. There’s also some Shakespeare unfolding on Twitter: @Romeo_Montague @Juliet_Capulet.

Several other Broadway shows are on Twitter, including “West Side Story,” “Rock of Ages,” “Hair” and Jane Fonda for “33 Variations” — as well as some that are long closed including “13 The Musical” and “American Buffalo.”

“reasons to be pretty” made headlines this week for its cell-hone gimmick that encourages people to text while in the theater. Though theater blogger Playgoer points out a few flaws with the “reasons” texts, and notes that way back in 2007, “Spring Awakening” encouraged the audience to enter a contest via texting that could win them a chance to get backstage.

Related: Follow NewYorkology on Twitter

Picture credit: Aaron Tveit (top,) Alice Ripley and Louis Hobson in “Next to Normal.” Picture by Joan Marcus/Barlow-Hartman.

Earlier: Review: ‘Next to Normal’ brings Lifetime to Broadway
Broadway review roundup for ‘Next to Normal’ musical
$25 front-row seats for ‘Next to Normal’ on Broadway
Free NYC stuff on Twitter, and follow suggestions
Jane Fonda’s Broadway blog, as backstage as it gets
Broadway’s blogging, podcasting and map-mashing

May 1, 2009 3:01 PM in Broadway, Cheap Stuff, Techology

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