Archikulture Digest

Next to Normal

Next to Normal

Lyrics by Brian Yorkey and Music by Tom Kitt

Directed by Timothy Williams

Mad Cow Theatre, Orlando FL</strong>

So these two guys are sitting around and one says to the other: “A musical about Electro Convulsive Therapy! No one’s ever done that before!” and here we are. Diana Goodman (Melissa Minyard) never got over the death of her 18 month old boy Gabe (Brandon Allen Wood). He’s dead and gone to her husband Dan (Stephan Jones) but to Diana he’s now a whiney and persistent teen age apparition demanding her time and energy. She even makes him sandwich for lunch and reminds him about Key Club and Football practice. While Dan is the most tolerant supportive husband imaginable, their real live daughter Natalie (Emily Walton) is about ready to bug out and her boyfriend Henry (Damian Barry), while supportive, is wondering if any of this might be genetic. Diana tries drugs, therapy, hypnosis, herbs and after a while there are only two options – Big Nurse, or The Big Sleep.

You might argue this is an opera; the whole story is sung or at least recited. Minyard is effortless as a singer, dark songs like “You Don’t Know” and “The Break” are Tony material and while the rest of the cast hustles to keep up with her, they’re never far behind. Jones gets his most powerful number with “I Am the One” and there a sweet ballad between Henry and Natalie in “Perfect for You.” The supporting actor Dave Shipman plays the various medicos that rule Diana’s non-imaginary life, he gets some truly funny stuff air guitaring “Dr. Rock” and reciting all the pill combinations that Diane has to keep straight. Both Emily and Henry start every interaction with “Hey” and exude that awkward adolescence that says “I’m actually cool / I feel like a dork.”

Musically strong and internally dark this rock musical feels like it’s ready to explode into a rock concert on every song, the guitarist (D. J. Pipkin) struggles to keep the sound from blasting into concert hall amplitude, and they keep the drummer (Landon Baker) hidden behind a screen least he deafen us. “Next to Normal” is a challenging show for both audience and cast, but Director Williams keeps our meds just right.

For more information on Mad Cow, please visit http://www.madcowtheatre.com


Recently on Ink 19...

Refused

Refused

Music Reviews

The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts (Epitaph). Review by Steven Cruse.

999

999

Music Reviews

Emergency at the Old Waldorf 1979 (Liberation Hall). Review by Peter Lindblad.

Bob Mould

Bob Mould

Event Reviews

Bob Mould finishes his 2024 Fall Solo Tour, bringing legendary energy to Atlanta.

Featured photo by Charles DJ Deppner.

AFI Fest 2024

AFI Fest 2024

Event Reviews

For the tenth straight year, Lily and Generoso proudly present their coverage of AFI Fest, Los Angeles’s premiere film festival which took place in Hollywood this October.

Featured photo courtesy of AFI Fest.