I’ve witnessed exhilarating moments onstage but perhaps none were more exciting than seeing a character receive electroshock therapy in the musical Next to Normal. For the first time in more than two decades of theatergoing, I saw a show which dared to challenge an audience and not be afraid of their response. If art is society’s conscience, than Next to Normal was a reminder about why great theater can be more than just the hum-able show tune.
By now the mere mention of electroshock therapy should confirm that Next to Normal is not your convention musical. 
The show is about a father, his teenage daughter and how they both struggle to deal with their bipolar wife/mother. While such a topic would be considered taboo for the tourist-friendly sidewalks of Broadway, Next to Normal is not a downer. The beauty of the show is that it tells an age old story. A family suffers a tragedy. Together they grieve, struggle, learn, accept and move forward.
Next to Normal’s poignancy is that it is performed in a nation where 1/5 Americans is on an anti-depressant/anxiety medication. In an over stimulated country dominated by 24/7 connectivity and vente-grande-double shot-super-mocha-skim-Starbuck’s lattes, the show compels us to think about the cultural and personal affects these drugs are having on our lives. Think about how many people you know who see a mental health professional, are on anti-anxiety meds, or both. How have they changed, and how has your relationship with them changed?
A mother(Diana played by Alice Ripley) and daughter (played by Jennifer Damiano) come to terms with the illness that has dominated their lives.
A few weeks ago I overheard a conversation where two people compared the total number of psychologists they have both seen. It was surreal, and knowing both people, made me wonder whether they really needed to see someone. While I don’t diminish the fact that some people actually need help, it made me pause. Have we as Americans surrendered our natural ability to cope and feel to chemically altered pharmaceuticals and the mental health profession?
I’ll concede the topic of mental health treatment in many societal circles still remains a taboo. The show’s author must be congratulated for raising questions that needed asking. Above it all, Next to Normal doesn’t editorialize its’ message. Rather, it tells a realistic story and reaffirms the human soul’s ability to overcome life’s challenges. Its message is never lost and the evening leaves the audience thinking as they applaud the curtain call. An even greater complement is that all this is done by combining a well-written book, richly illustrative lyrics and a fantastic rock score.
I know, seeing a show in which the main character suffers from bipolar disorder and depression does not sound like a fun night at the theater. But that’s where you’re wrong. Think about the last time you saw a show and couldn’t guess the ending at intermission. Or think about that the last time a song’s lyrics created such an image in your head that without even thinking about it, you cried. As with all mental illness, there is no happy ending, however as the closing song “Light” says, “And you find some way to survive. And you find out you don’t have to be happy at all, to be happy you’re alive.”
Great art, great musicals challenge us. Don’t think so? Remember it was Rodgers and Hammerstein South Pacific who reminded us that hatred and racism are taught, and not naturally born qualities. Also, remember this was first being sung right as President Truman was desegregating the military. It is this wonderful spirit in which Next to Normal has finally catapulted the American musical into the 21st century and why this show is positively electric!
For more information on Next to Normal please visit: http://www.nexttonormal.com/
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