‘Next to Normal’ Is Alive at the Queens Road Barn
Arts & Culture Center Stage
Charlotte, NC – July 4, December 7, September 11, and October 7 are all dates we remember for their historic meaning to the nation and the world. A similar earthshaking significance can descend on a single day in the life of a relationship, a marriage, or a family that can reverberate for generations—whether or not you were at the event or even alive at the time.
That’s essentially what we’re watching in Brian Yorkey’s ‘Next to Normal,’ which features music by Tom Kitt, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2010 plus Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Orchestrations the previous year.
Instead of doing things the traditional way, setting up the location and the situation in a big opening number that stages or recaps the prime catastrophe, Yorkey fast-forwards us more than 17 years, by which time the original hurt in the Goodman family has marinated and metastasized—a fissionable maelstrom that will soon explode with a fresh set of seismic events.
The Story Unfolds
Diana is at the vortex of the mushrooming crises, so it’s both interesting and wickedly deceptive that Yorkey brings us into her drugged and delusional mind for much of the opening action. We still see the basic outlines of the family turmoil clearly enough. Her husband, Dan, keeps trying to go with the flow of Diana’s mood swings, as she’s suffering from worsening bipolar disorder.
She navigates a series of therapists looking for either a therapeutic epiphany or the perfectly calibrated cocktail of meds. Meanwhile, Diana’s teen daughter, Natalie, feels neglected and unappreciated, living in the shadow of her mom’s obsessive devotion to her older brother, Gabe.
Warily, Natalie navigates her self-worth issues as schoolmate Henry tries to get closer and establish a relationship. When Natalie overcomes her shame and allows Henry, after much hesitation, to meet her family, we seem to have arrived at a breakthrough.
The Goodmans: Johnny Hohenstein as Dan and Melissa Cook as Diana (foreground), Cornelia Barnwell as Natalie, and Zach Linick as Henry. (Photo by Kyle J. Britt)
It’s a brave move and all goes swimmingly at the Goodman dinner table between Natalie and Henry until Diana walks in with a birthday cake, all smiles, candles lit. Suddenly things are going downhill off a high cliff, like we’ve been overdosing on the meds so far.
A Powerful Performance
The cast at Theatre Charlotte’s Queens Road barn is showcasing a slightly slicker version of ‘Next to Normal’ through May 26.
Billy Ensley takes the reins, delivering a grimly stoical suffering that contrasts with Johnny Hohenstein’s unfiltered and uncontrolled anguish. Melissa Cook, portraying Diana, brings a genuine and riveting performance.
As the story unfolds, emotions escalate, and the audience witnesses the toll mental illness takes on its victims and their loved ones. The band, led by music director Ellen Robison, delivers a stellar performance, adding electricity and zest to the already captivating narrative.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Theatre Charlotte’s rendition of ‘Next to Normal’ offers a compelling and intense portrayal of a family grappling with mental illness and its impact on their lives. The production features strong performances by the cast and a powerful musical score that adds to the emotional depth of the story.
As the show runs through May 26, audiences have the opportunity to experience the raw emotions and poignant moments of ‘Next to Normal’ at the Queens Road barn.
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