Next to Normal at Arena Stage

There's so much talk out on the blogosphere these days about the "Richmond Cultural Census" and the general public's apathy toward the theatre, that one might just end up feeling down and saddened about the state of theatre in our area. I know it certainly doesn't put a smile on my face to read these dissapointing results so I thought I'd take this opportunity and this blog to discuss something that really is inspiring and exciting.






Two evenings ago, I took a trek up to Crystal City, just outside of Washington, D.C., where Arena Stage is currently producing a re-vamped and re-worked production of the off-Broadway musical, Next to Normal. Next to Normal was originally at Second Stage Theatre in NYC. Second Stage is a non-profit theatre company in New York devoted to producing premieres and new interpretations of the best contemporary American theatre. In recent years they have launched Broadway transfers of shows such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Mary Zimmerman's Metomorphoses.

Friday was actually my second time seeing Next to Normal at Arena. Before this, I'm embarrassed to say, I had never been to see anything at Arena Stage. I guarantee now, that I will try to see everything produced by this cornerstone of the American Theatre. Next to Normal is truly a remarkable piece of theatre. It is a true example of what the combination of a new and interesting story, a near-perfect rock score, smart, insightful lyrics and a cast of Broadway veterans that embody the material with ablomb can do. In a theatre world where most "new" musicals are carbon-copies of "hit" movies, star-driven revivals of classics, or jukebox shows, its quite resfreshing to see a purely original show about issues that everyone can relate to.

If the future of the American musical theatre is something you care about, Next to Normal is a show for you and if artists like Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey and Michael Greif continue to put their heart and soul into work like this, the future of the theatre looks bright indeed.

--Chase Kniffen