Next To Normal

I have seen quite a number of musicals/theatrical productions lately in the past month but I have been too busy to do reviews for them.

But after watching Pangdemonium's "Next To Normal" musical, I know I really have to write something about it no matter how busy I am.

This is one of the best local musical productions that I have seen. Beautifully and well executed. It touches on various sensitive subjects of mental illness, dysfunctional family and death. These are probably societal issues prevalent yet not commonly discussed. But "Next To Normal" definitely managed to tackle such heavy-handed issues with great realism, bringing about greater awareness of mental illness.

The show has wonderful cast members as well. Adrian Pang aptly portrays the role of Dan and he has a captivating voice too. Sally Ann Triplett plays the role of Diana who suffers from bipolar disorder and she bravely captures her character's gamut of emotions. Julia Abueva who plays Natalie has amazingly strong vocals. She's definitely a young starlet on the rise. Other cast members include Nathan Hartono who plays Gabe, Linden Furnell who plays Henry and Juan Jackson who plays Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden.

The show has great musical numbers as well. Various tunes, such as "I Am the One" and "I'm Alive", probably stay stuck in your head even after the show. I don't know about others but somehow the song "Light" reminds me of "Seasons Of Love" from the musical Rent which is another well written musical piece.

As the musical progresses, you can hear people stifling their tears. It's really a touching work and one which audience members who have some experience with mental illness can easily relate to.

This may be a local production unlike musicals like Wicked, The Addams Family or the Phantom Of the Opera, but it is a  really good production and well-worth watching.

This may not be a wonderfully done review of the musical and certainly would not do the cast and crew of "Next To Normal" justice. (*Apologies*)
Nevertheless, this is definitely not just any other Normal musicals out there. Worth the time, worth the money.
Tomorrow's the last show for "Next To Normal" at Drama Centre Theatre! Do catch it if you can!
http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/next0913