Something Next to Normal
By Henry Ballesteros with Amber James
What does it mean to be "normal"? When I first saw Next to Normal some years ago, I wondered why a musical that deals with m any heavy topics would talk about normality in its title. There is obviously nothing normal about this musical. I mean, it says it right in the title. The show is about a woman with bipolar disorder, which right away is something our society doesn’t bring up in conversation. It also talks about substance abuse, grief, marital issues and American medical practices. Near the end of the show when Diana, the main character who has "bipolardepressive disorder with delusional episodes," talks with her daughter, Natalie who is struggling with substance abuse. Diana tells her that she only ever wanted to give her a normal life. In which, Natalie gives a profound response that really struck home with me: “I don’t need a life that’s normal, that’s way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay."
This week, this Pulitzer Prize winning musical will open in the SUU Auditorium theatre. Working on this show is some of the most amazing talent our school has to offer. From technicians and crew that make things run behind the scenes to the amazing cast who puts their hearts and souls on the stage for everyone to see to the director who has spent many months making this one of the greatest shows SUU has produced to date.
Josh Durfey, a classical acting BFA senior and the director of this show, has assembled the
perfect cast to put on this magnificent work. I was privileged to sit in on one of their recent
rehearsals and observe something truly remarkable. I felt that same sense I had felt years ago,
that this was no ordinary musical. This cast is Broadway quality, just a few years younger.
But then I started to worry, in my experience, people who aren’t familiar with modern musical theatre still hold styles like Rodgers and Hammerstein as their template for musicals. They think of beautiful classic music and shows filled with largerthanlife romantic characters. Which in the case of Next to Normal is not true by any means.
Next to Normal is a rock musical and contains much of what you would find at a concert, or in folk rock songs from the past few years. It’s upbeat, thematic and very catchy. It is a musical for the new generation. But I also started to notice the themes of the show...things like mental illness, suicide and extramarital pregnancies that a lot of people don’t like to talk about publicly. The characters in this show are real p eople. They talk like real people and make very real mistakes. Let's face it, haven't we all made our own mistakes?
In short, this is no longer the world of Shakespeare and Rogers and Hammerstein. While the classics should always be treasured.
According to multiple sources, the state of Utah ranks highest in the nation for the percentage of adults who experience a form of mental illness. Utah also ranks very high in nationwide suicide
By Henry Ballesteros with Amber James
What does it mean to be "normal"? When I first saw Next to Normal some years ago, I wondered why a musical that deals with m any heavy topics would talk about normality in its title. There is obviously nothing normal about this musical. I mean, it says it right in the title. The show is about a woman with bipolar disorder, which right away is something our society doesn’t bring up in conversation. It also talks about substance abuse, grief, marital issues and American medical practices. Near the end of the show when Diana, the main character who has "bipolardepressive disorder with delusional episodes," talks with her daughter, Natalie who is struggling with substance abuse. Diana tells her that she only ever wanted to give her a normal life. In which, Natalie gives a profound response that really struck home with me: “I don’t need a life that’s normal, that’s way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay."
This week, this Pulitzer Prize winning musical will open in the SUU Auditorium theatre. Working on this show is some of the most amazing talent our school has to offer. From technicians and crew that make things run behind the scenes to the amazing cast who puts their hearts and souls on the stage for everyone to see to the director who has spent many months making this one of the greatest shows SUU has produced to date.
 |
| (Left) Courtney McMullin, (Right) Josh Durfey. |
But then I started to worry, in my experience, people who aren’t familiar with modern musical theatre still hold styles like Rodgers and Hammerstein as their template for musicals. They think of beautiful classic music and shows filled with largerthanlife romantic characters. Which in the case of Next to Normal is not true by any means.
Next to Normal is a rock musical and contains much of what you would find at a concert, or in folk rock songs from the past few years. It’s upbeat, thematic and very catchy. It is a musical for the new generation. But I also started to notice the themes of the show...things like mental illness, suicide and extramarital pregnancies that a lot of people don’t like to talk about publicly. The characters in this show are real p eople. They talk like real people and make very real mistakes. Let's face it, haven't we all made our own mistakes?
In short, this is no longer the world of Shakespeare and Rogers and Hammerstein. While the classics should always be treasured.
According to multiple sources, the state of Utah ranks highest in the nation for the percentage of adults who experience a form of mental illness. Utah also ranks very high in nationwide suicide
statistics and in the past decade Utah has experienced a more than 400% increase in deaths
associated with misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. To say that this show doesn't hit close
to home would be very wrong.
It's true, not everyone has depression or a drug addiction, but I would argue that most people know someone who deals with one or more of these issues. People whom they know and love, and want to get help they need.
This show has characters who struggle with all kinds of issues and don’t necessarily show it on the outside. They are people who deserve to be loved, who deserve understanding and comfort in these difficult circumstances. In watching this show, these characters became real.
Because this musical deals with many harsh realities, strong language is used and there is content that I’m sure that a lot of people will find abrasive to what they are used to in their own lives. But as I watched the show progress and the story about a family hurting on the inside became clear, I realized how applicable this really is to e veryone, whether they know it or not. Many, many people go through the exact same things and many, many people are hurting on the inside.
There's a moment in the show where the dad yells at his daughter for swearing. Which reminded me of myself swearing in front of my mother and her quick reaction to tell me to stop. There is strong language in the show, language that I know a lot of people aren’t accustomed to hearing in their everyday life, and that many people prefer to stay away from, which is understandable. But I would also like to argue that this show, unlike a lot out there, is not overly excessive in any "vulgarity". Next to Normal uses strong language to drive the point forward and to verbalize the frustration and fear the characters are feeling. It hits you and makes you feel things because that is the purpose it serves. The characters in this show are people who use this particular language in their lives, and in order to represent real life, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt wrote in cursing to preserve that element.
This show made me realize that theatre is about what it is to be human. Humans who are
happy, and sad, who seem “normal” and humans who are hurting. Mental Illness is something
that almost everyone deals with on a regular basis, and it needs to be addressed. What Next to
Normal does for whoever comes to see it creates a dialogue. It starts a conversation for anyone
who will sit in those seats and think about how this show relates to their own lives. Thinking
things like “I have that" or “I’m depressed, and I’m hiding behind drug use" or "My brother
struggles with these same things and I could show him much more compassion."
Theatre in my opinion is an incredible teaching tool. It is supposed to promote the truths of the human experience, focus on others and create awareness. These are the things this amazing show does. There is something to learn from Next to Normal. But you can only learn if you come.
It's true, not everyone has depression or a drug addiction, but I would argue that most people know someone who deals with one or more of these issues. People whom they know and love, and want to get help they need.
This show has characters who struggle with all kinds of issues and don’t necessarily show it on the outside. They are people who deserve to be loved, who deserve understanding and comfort in these difficult circumstances. In watching this show, these characters became real.
Because this musical deals with many harsh realities, strong language is used and there is content that I’m sure that a lot of people will find abrasive to what they are used to in their own lives. But as I watched the show progress and the story about a family hurting on the inside became clear, I realized how applicable this really is to e veryone, whether they know it or not. Many, many people go through the exact same things and many, many people are hurting on the inside.
There's a moment in the show where the dad yells at his daughter for swearing. Which reminded me of myself swearing in front of my mother and her quick reaction to tell me to stop. There is strong language in the show, language that I know a lot of people aren’t accustomed to hearing in their everyday life, and that many people prefer to stay away from, which is understandable. But I would also like to argue that this show, unlike a lot out there, is not overly excessive in any "vulgarity". Next to Normal uses strong language to drive the point forward and to verbalize the frustration and fear the characters are feeling. It hits you and makes you feel things because that is the purpose it serves. The characters in this show are people who use this particular language in their lives, and in order to represent real life, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt wrote in cursing to preserve that element.
 |
| (Left) Josh Durfey, (Right) Christine Casper. |
Theatre in my opinion is an incredible teaching tool. It is supposed to promote the truths of the human experience, focus on others and create awareness. These are the things this amazing show does. There is something to learn from Next to Normal. But you can only learn if you come.
I know that in my own life, with school, work, and a busy schedule, life is anything but normal.
But when I think about it, something next to normal is okay. If you have the chance to see this
show, GO! It’s filled with laughter, heart, tears and tragedy. Everything that we as human beings
deal with from the moment we wake up in the morning to moment we go to bed at night. “It is
not a feel good musical, it is a feel everything musical.” Ben Brantley New York Times.
