'Next to Normal' at Brookfield Theatre for the Arts - My Review

Next to Normal is a Pulitzer-Prize winning rock musical, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. It tells the emotion-filled story of a mother, Diane Goodman, who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. The musical score is soaring, the action is riveting, and the whole thing is exhausting. Exhausting for the actors and musicians, as well as the audience, but so worth the energy required of us all.

The production of Next to Normal at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (TBTA) that opens on July 4 is even more powerful because of the work of all six members of the cast. With the help of Producer Meg Jones and Assistant Producer Janice Gabriel, Director Michael Burnett has wrenched stellar performances from these talented actors. Mr. Burnett is a Language Arts teacher at Danbury High School by day and serves as president and artistic director of TBTA. This is his tenth production at the theater and probably his best.

Before the show, the director welcomed the senior citizens that flocked to this final dress rehearsal. He reminded us of the vitally important role that the audience plays in bringing a show to life. For the uninitiated, he also described this "smart and intense" musical as a series of "snippets of Diana's life" where time can move quickly. The savvy seniors around me were not deterred; those in my row changed their seats during intermission, apologizing that the sound was too loud for them sitting under the overhead speakers, but they stayed until the end to give the cast a standing ovation. One lady stayed behind to check to make sure that the lead actress was ok after her draining performance.

Such was the power of the riveting performances of the six members of this cast. Keith Guinta was excellent as the two doctors that treat Diana. It was hard to believe that he is new to theater, for he had  a commanding stage presence and a great tenor voice. Matt Madden, a senior Musical Theater major at Ithaca College with many credits, played the role of the young boyfriend Henry. His duets with Natalie (the magnificent Sydney Coelho) were sublime. Ms. Coelho (Little Red in Into the Woods) is a rising sophomore  in Music Education at Hofstra and was heartbreaking as the "invisible girl" in the family.

The supremely talented Luke Garrison, who I recently saw in Les Mis at TriArts Sharon Playhouse, made his TBTA debut opposite his mother, Juliette Garrison Koch. This young man is a rising junior at The Catholic University of America and used his outstanding tenor voice to perfection in the role of Gabe Goodman.

Chuck Stango, in another TBTA debut, took on the role of Diana's husband Dan Goodman. This gifted actor has a long list of comedic roles to his credit and is grateful to the director for "taking a chance on me in this role." The Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney by day writes that "this process has pushed me beyond where I thought I could go." Mr. Stango should be so proud of an outstanding performance that gave me chills.

Last, but certainly not least, was the heart wrenching performance of Ms. Koch in the "once in a lifetime opportunity" leading role of Diana Goodman. In yet another TBTA debut, this talented actress proved that she can do anything. She was flawless in this demanding role and the fact that she interacted with her real-life son added another level of brilliance to her performance.

Nsangi Kariamu, a rising senior at NYU, served as the Musical Director and played keyboard in the amazing onstage (but partially hidden) band. Bennett Cognato (Roger is Rent) played acoustic and electric guitar, Holly Sorrells played cello, Dan Pacuk played upright and electric bass guitar and Andrew Gercak played percussion on crutches, which was not really a problem until he had to stand to play xylophone behind his drum kit. I always appreciate the fact that bios of the talented musicians are included in TBTA programs.

The set, designed by Mr. Burnett, Justin Morgan and Laura Baxter, was sparse but functional and lighting by Mr. Morgan made it look its best. Excellent costumes designed by Ms. Jones added to the drama.

This was the third time that I have attended a production of this show but parts of it still felt like they were new. Such is the power of this well-written drama and challenging score. Kudos to everyone involved in this brilliant production that brings "a light in the dark." This is a Next to Normal that is not to be missed.
 
Next to Normal at TBTA