The musical Next to Normal opens April 24 and runs through May 10. The original Broadway production won three Tony Awards in 2009 and a Pulitzer Prize in 2010. With book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, the story explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness.
Dad’s an architect and Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal. Their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens and they appear to be a typical American family.
However, their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy, and heart.
“The importance of this show is to show what power grief and mental illness can hold over a family if left unspoken,” said director Ellie Nunemaker. “I think it is a beautifully aware story that breathes life and hurt into a very seemingly normal family.
“I think it is also very important to showcase a mental illness that is highly stigmatized as the ‘crazy person’ illness. The show shows Diana’s many layers beyond what her mania is.”
Nunemaker said the message of the show is ultimately to say you can only accept so much outside help before you have to help yourself. Surviving and truly living is creating a path for yourself, not relying on others to lift you.
She noted there is no perfect way to heal, it is often messy, it is hard, and sometimes you slip. But at the end of the day, your story is yours alone.
Nunemaker knows this first-hand as she has experienced her own fight with grief and mental challenges. In fact, it was this show – which has become one of her favorites – that helped her on her own journey.
“When I was nine, my little sister passed away and it completely changed my family’s life. It was hard for a long time, and years later I was diagnosed bipolar,” she said. “I watched my life changing before my eyes like I was outside myself watching a little girl scream for help, wondering if I would ever be ‘normal’ again, but I found comfort in this show.
“This show was hard for me to direct, almost watching myself on stage in each of the characters, but I also found it very healing.”
Nunemaker called the show “extremely beautiful” and said it is relevant to anyone who struggles with mental illness, not just bipolar.
“In the show, I took the time to speak to my cast members about bipolar and what living with it was like,” she said. “I got very lucky to have a cast that truly cares about depicting mental illness in a way that is not mockery but real and raw.”
Nunemaker said many people go undiagnosed with mental illnesses up to their adulthood, adding that some statistics show that up to 50% of adults live with an undiagnosed mental illness. She said this story highlights the fact that so many “perfect and normal” families and people can go through the worst things in their own mind, and perhaps encourage more people to seek help and be willing to listen to those who are actively seeking it.
The music in the show includes an energetic pop/rock score. While that might seem to contradict the dark world of mental illness, Nunemaker said it, in fact, serves to accentuate the different emotions someone feels in that arena.
“I think a lot of the extreme contrast in the show can mimic Diana’s (the mom, played by Madison Dugan) emotions. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that can take you from very depressive lows to very manic highs,” she said. “I think that the mixture between ballads and rock heavy songs can absolutely mimic these feelings that Diana is having.
“The music for different characters also can resemble where they’re at in their character journey. Natalie (the daughter, played by Mia Currie) vocally has a lot of moments similar to Diana, who she is scared of becoming. Gabe (the son, played by Mason Steele) and Dan (the husband, played by Javon Tcheco) have these haunting moments of duet that soar above the female vocals, to show the power they hold over the women in the family.
“Overall, the score is gorgeous and perfectly highlights every character.”
Those planning to attend should note that there are very heavy themes in this show with heavy language. This includes profanity, drug abuse, suicide, and death. “The show is beautiful and not what you would expect at all. I would truly love for everyone to come see this show and open their hearts to this family’s story,” Nunemaker said.
“I would also love to acknowledge the work that my creative team of Manny Garcia (assistant director), Ian Wooten (music director), Bek Wooten (stage manager), Frankie Whitaker (co-set designer/consultant), Currie (costume designer), and Nickoli Wooten (props designer) have done for this show. I truly would not be where I am without them, when it was the hardest they were there for me in every way a person could ask for.”
At Theatre Off The Square
114 N. Denton St., Weatherford
April 24-May 10
Showtimes and ticket info: https://www.theatreoffthesquare.org/
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