| 'Normal' brings fresh musical style to area By DAN SHERRIER | |
With "Normal," Stage 1 Theatre Co. succeeds in its mission to produce plays you won't see elsewhere around Richmond. Most plays fall along a spectrum. On one end, you have entertaining diversions, just a fun time, and there's never anything wrong with that. But toward the other end is where you'd find "Normal"-an engaging experience that you feel emotionally and even physically to some extent.That said, the play is not without its entertainment value, as it also demonstrates a rather quirky sense of humor. But it is certainly an experience. "Normal" isn't your standard, old-fashioned Broadway musical. It employs a very modern style of theatre, the more innovative sort you're likely to find at an Off-Broadway venue or a college campus. Aside from some profanity, there's nothing vulgar about the production. The themes are too mature for most children, however. Plus, the show runs nearly two hours with no intermission, but in this script, that's vital to keep the audience in the world of the show and to heighten the intensity of the overall experience. So it's not one for the whole family, but it is a must-see for theatre enthusiasts who want to watch something different.  The opening of "Normal" last weekend marked the musical's first performances since its 2005 New York City debut. Created by Yvonne Adrian, Cheryl Stern, Tom Kochan, and Jack Cummings III, the show depicts a seemingly normal family as it rapidly begins to fall apart.The four main characters lack control over their lives and become increasingly helpless over the course of the show. The daughter, Polly (Ali Thibodeau), suffers an eating disorder. The mother, Gayla (Julie Fulcher), distracts herself with a job and finds herself unable to control her daughter. The oblivious father, Robert (Ford Flannagan), loses all authority within the household. The son, Zachary (Dave Amadee), gets frustrated with everyone else, to little effect. It's a strong cast, capable of handling the singing, the serious matters and even some comedy. Most of the comic relief comes from an ensemble of three women (Angela Shipley, Debra Wagoner, and Terri Moore), who juggle a range of characters. The three women are skilled at establishing their colorful characters, using distinct vocal tones and body language to make their identities clear within an instant of stepping onto the stage, despite wearing nondescript white outfits in all cases. These roles provide essential support to maintain the show's momentum and to balance out the seriousness. Each actor portraying a family member has a challenging task to pull off. More of the focus is on Fulcher's and Thibodeau's characters, the mother and the daughter, though the father and son also manage to shine through as fully developed, complex characters. Thibodeau perhaps has the most difficult portrayal-succumbing to and dealing with anorexia. That can't be easy to show while attaching genuine feelings, especially for such a young actress, but she does it extraordinarily well. The show incorporates a variety of musical styles into its songs, as many contemporary musicals tend to do, finding that a lack of consistency can be a good thing in creative endeavors. This isn't like an Andrew Lloyd Webber show in which a musical tone is established early on and follows through to the end. Instead, the music fits the feeling of each distinct scene. The script does have a few quirks that are mildly grating, such as the repetition of certain phrases throughout the show. But those are made up for with some genuine cleverness, such as how the three women occasionally become, in essence, living dictionaries defining words, sometimes humorously so. The set reflects the artistic nature of the production; it appears as a contemporary art gallery, with various sketches of families hanging on the walls. It functions as a nice backdrop while retaining the ability to transform into several different locations, aided by the multiple levels built into the ground.  "Normal" serves as an excellent example of how great collaboration results in the most memorable theatre. From Chase Kniffen's direction and choreography to Sandy Dacus's musical leadership, Mercedes Schaum's set design to Kenny Mullens' lighting design, Debra Wagoner's costume coordination to Wendy Vandergrift's sound design, the cast to the band-all these various components click in order to put the script's best foot forward.There are no weak links here. It's not a perfect show, but no play is. Stage 1 is to be applauded not only for giving the Richmond area a taste of something new, but also for doing so with exceptional professionalism. Above all, here's the crucial aspect everyone involved seems to get: While it's a stylized production, the feelings behind the characters' actions and words need to appear authentic consistently, and they do. "Normal" at Stage 1 runs through April 25. For ticket information and show times, call the box office at (804) 427-7548, or visit www.stage1va.org. | |
