Our fall tradition is getting a musical makeover. This year, the fall play has been replaced with the Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal, which premieres on Thursday, October 23rd at 7 p.m. in Stroud Auditorium. Additional showings will be Saturday 25th at 7 p.m., as well as Sunday 26th at 2 p.m.
Theatre directors Benjamin Webb, Ian Guthrie, and Ashleigh Rae-Lynn made the switch from a fall play to a fall musical due to more interest in putting on a musical and a large number of strong singers. By hosting a fall musical, singers have a chance to showcase their talents early on in the year and give the theatre program a strong start.
The chosen musical depicts Diana Goodman (senior Ellis Zimmerman), a mother with bipolar depressive disorder, and her life with her husband, Dan (junior Tanner Grisinger); daughter, Natalie (sophomore Sophie Cook); and son, Gabe (senior Judah Dalton). Zimmerman revealed that, “It’s a lot different from the things we usually do. We usually do super happy and fun musicals, but this one is different and dramatic.” Next to Normal does have trigger warnings due to its themes of mental illness, grief, and suicide, as well as strong language, but the actors in the cast urge students and teachers alike to attend the musical for an experience like no other. “[I think it is] a really good educational opportunity for people about mental health and how it can affect a family,” Zimmerman said.
Dalton described the musical as profound, believing that everyone can find a point of connection. “I think that we all fight our own battles, and this is the first show I’ve been in that feels extremely real,” Dalton said. “We all have our stuff that we’re going through, and it speaks a lot to love in a family and supporting those you know in hard times. It’s just really emotional and really powerful.” He further shared Next to Normal has beautifully written and emotionally-driven music that is sure to captivate the audience.
Theatre members revealed that they were caught off guard by the decision to perform a musical that is also different from the usual light-hearted or comedic genres seen on the stage in the past. Zimmerman voiced her love of musicals, emphasizing how she prefers them to plays because they “encompass singing, dancing, and acting instead of just acting”.
Additionally, the theatre department has made it their goal to bring Next to Normal to the Illinois Theatre Festival, which will be hosted at Illinois State University in January. “Highschoolers from all across the state will join [at ISU] for a weekend of theatre,” Guthrie said. “There will be workshops and student live productions”.
