By Chelsea Mortensen
Westminster College Theatre Society and the Florence J. Gillmor School of Music’s production of Next to Normalhas a very short run, so run to see it before it closes. Next to Normal is the story of a family quietly straining at the seams as the mother Diana (Samantha Miller) dances with the psychosis from losing their son Gabe and the side-effects of multiple treatments. It is interesting and often humorous and many times heart-breaking see how this family balances a complex family dynamic and poignantly relevant subject matter with humor and heart.
Miller as the fragile Dianahas an enormous task with this Tony-award winning role. She is constantly onstage suffering from one form of disappointment, disorder, or difficulty adjusting. Some of my favorite moments with her were the humor she brought to her struggle with memory loss, her interactions with the movement ensemble, and her final, vulnerable scenes with her husband and daughter that can prove extremely cathartic for the audience.
Justin Ibarra’s beautiful, resonant tone and a relaxed, compelling stage presence in the moments of the blocking when he is simply standing still that I would suspect he’s had some classical training. Playing any role a few decades older than you is always a challenge as an actor, but Ibarra as Diana’s husband Danhas some especially beautiful moments of connection at the end of the play after fighting to keep everything above water when he learns to accept the beauty of sometimes being broken.
Lavinia Adams as Natalie does a very good job of bringing the audience along with her in the story, especially at the beginning of the play, as she sings her lonely thoughts and feelings out into the large space of Courage Theatre. Her voice is strong and never misses a note while her character struggles with her devoted boyfriend Henry to cope with everything from perfectionism to pills to prom. I would say that in general, I longed for just a bit more detail and vulnerability in the family’s relationships as a whole. But Adams does a wonderful job of showing the toll that a dysfunctional family takes on the very people they are trying to protect.
Maggie Minshew is a refreshing new take on the ever-ardent Henry. I’m not sure what key changes were made to the score were made for her (if any) but her gorgeous alto seems to have its sweet spot that both filled the auditorium and fit perfectly with her character. I could tell right away what a generous scene partner Minshew was. By going out of her way to make her scene partners look good, especially Adams’s Natalie, their messy romance becomes compelling and realistic. Neither one of them smooth over the rough edges of their personalities or bickerings, which makes the way they come through for each other all the more tender.
Megan Sparrer is another refreshing gender-reversal as the Doctors who come in and out of Diana’s life with varying kinds of therapy, frequent bad news, and complex explanations of the minefield of psychiatric medicine. Sparrer’s crystalline soprano voice, petite stature, and empathetic bearing provide a lovely contrast to the usually patriarchal and clinical world of medicine. The differentiation between the various practitioners she plays is minimal – which mirrors how routine the cycle of doctors can feel when dealing with a chronic illness.
Taylor Baum as Gabe lulls the audience into the belief that he is an ordinary teenage son in the family until his identity is revealed. His role constantly evolves throughout the journey of his family members. He especially relishes the power and energy of the song “I’m Alive”.
One of my favorite parts of Tristan B. Johnson’sdirecting was the way he staged Gabe in the opening scenes. Gabe fits into the family dynamic as a normal teenager, though something felt just the slightest bit off, which led to the perfect reveal that Gabe’s situation triggered Diana’s spiral into instability. He also does an excellent job of differentiating between all of the different locations in the play while keeping the home the main focus. I wanted more tension and specific use of the space and relationships , but they do take great care to keep the choices very realistic. The music direction by Meredith Simmons and Alex Olive is evident the cast’s performance of a very difficult rock musical score.
The movement ensemble featuring Katelynn Killian, Cora Fossen, Scarlet Davis, Cameron Welch, and Louise Dapper choreographed by Bailey Sill is easily the most abstract and unique artistic choice of the production. This is not something an audience is likely to see in any other production of Next to Normal. I was confused at first when I saw the cast introduced with the dancers standing next to them at the beginning of the show. However, the ensemble is joyfully committed to the huge variety of shapes and styles chosen to embody the music and the inner turmoil of the characters (especially Diana’s). And although the transition between dancer and scene-changers is not always clearly defined and the stage pictures are a little muddled, the ensemble clearly works well together as a group and strives to give every dance its own purpose.
Set Designer Alexis Brown creates a functional set of platforms on and below the stairs to accommodate the show’s main home set and its many other locations, aided by Dylan McKernan’s lighting design. Its muted purples, oranges, and blues that reference the colors of popular medication cleverly compliment Abbie Hagen’s costume design, particularly the purple of the ensemble’s uniform. The slow transition of the characters’ clothing to more neutral, earthy tones and relaxed silhouettes gives the audience keys to the changes being made onstage. One of the most striking parts of Abenadie Hofeling’s props design is the cleaning bucket of blood that shocks the audience with the gruesome reality of suicide attempts. Sound designer Sam Allen’s use of voice over catches the audience by surprise at key moments to articulately capture the moments of disembodiment and confusion.
Westminster College Theatre Society and the Florence J. Gillmor School of Music’s Next to Normal is a valuable musical that has relevance for all who see it. Keep your kids and maybe even tweens at home, but bring the rest of your loved ones to experience a family in crisis and how the broken can often heal.
Westminster College Theatre Society and the Florence J. Gillmor School of Music present Next to Normal. Book & Lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Music by Tom Kitt.
Westminster College’s Jay W. Lees Courage Theatre, 1252 E 1700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
June 6-8, 2019 7:30 PM
Tickets: $10
Contact: 801-832-2200
Westminster Theatre Society Facebook Page
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