“It’s a musical of profound emotional intelligence and accuracy. Informed and thought-provoking, it encourages reflection and promotes a healthy dialogue on the matter...Too many productions are haphazardly labelled as “a must-see” these days, but this is the real deal.”
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“Despite dealing with the delicate subject matter, Brian Yorkey’s book does a great job injecting just the right amount of dark humour and honesty throughout to keep proceedings from becoming overwhelming...’Next to Normal’ does a far more nuanced job and delivers a far more mature message.”
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"The music, book and lyrics from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorker are utterly inspired...We can say without question we cried more tears during this show than we’ve ever cried at a show!...’Next to Normal’ is an absolute must see and we believe it is one of the most finely crafted shows ever written...A musical masterpiece.”
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“If you like extremely sincere, extremely angsty modern American musicals then… you almost certainly already have a ticket, and I very much doubt you’ll regret it...But there’s no denying the fact that as a boutique musical theatre experience, this is pretty special. As art, it’s problematic; as entertainment, it’s first-rate.”
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“This small cast brings so much full-throated passion to a score that delivers belting ballad after belting ballad. It’s hard not to get swept up in it all. But all this musical-theatre earnestness doesn’t ultimately feel like the best way to explore the painful, complex themes here, however powerful a drug it might be.”
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“Wonderfully sung and staged, this show detailing the effects of grief and mental illness on an ordinary American family”
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“One of the most impressive things about ’Next to Normal’ is the way that it considers mental health with deep seriousness, suggesting how little medical science knows, how much treatment is trial and effort, and how the person being “helped” might actually feel that the price of what seems like a cure is simply too high...All in all, it’s an impressive piece of theatre.”
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“ ‘Next to Normal’ isn’t a bad show by any means. It just doesn’t live up to the claims admirers have made for it.”
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