On January 8th through 10th, the cast and crew of Next to Normal performed two back-to-back sold-out shows for the 50th anniversary of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Hundreds of hopeful viewers lined the first-floor halls of U-High hours before the doors opened. One group waited outside the school since 11 am to be first in line for rush tickets to the opening show. By showtime, two lines of viewers stretched from the lounge bathrooms to the stairs and back to the pit doors.
The festival weekend featured an opening ceremony with performers from past all-state shows, workshops focusing on various theatre performance skills, and dozens of hand-selected productions from across the state. Of more than 20 selected shows, U-High’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Next to Normal, was chosen as a headliner and given the opportunity to perform back-to-back in Stroud Auditorium at 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm on Friday, January 9th.
For senior Hannah Thatcher, who portrayed Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden, the festival selection brought mixed emotions. Having performed in Six at last year’s festival through a different company, she said, “It was probably more exciting for other people because they haven’t done it before. It was definitely exciting to get to do it again because it was so much fun last year.” She described returning to the festival stage as “a feeling I never thought I would feel again when you get on stage and hear all those people cheer for you.”
The packed auditorium transformed the production. “In the light booth, especially when you turn the mics off, you could hear the roar of the applause,” freshman Audrey Neblock, assistant light board operator, said.
Sophomore Sophie Cook, who played Natalie and acted as the co-light head, added, “It’s a totally different experience when you’re performing to such a large quantity of people, and I think although we were nervous, we were also super excited. You could hear the sobs towards the end of the show, and you could hear the gasps and laughs.”
The audience’s reactions were at times overwhelming. “I couldn’t tell if the audience was laughing or crying, and I’m very sure it was a mix of both, but they were so loud,” Neblock recalled.
Backstage sound crew member and junior, Sophia Donahue, explained how the crowd elevated their performance. “It gave more purpose to the show. We really gave it our all. We put so much more into it because there were so many people who wanted to see us.”
Although the cast and crew were extremely nervous, they had an incredible night. Freshman Nick Hedman, who ran the lights, shared, “The first show was definitely the best. There was not a single mistake. Then in the second one, there were some small mistakes that were only noticeable to people in the show.”
During the performances, certain moments received particularly strong feedback. “It’s really nice to get a reaction out of something that had never been reacted to before,” Thatcher said, citing Diana popping up from behind the bed during the opening of Act II.
The production’s design featured careful symbolism that enhanced the storytelling like the color-coded lighting. “I really liked how every character had their own color, and especially in It’s Gonna Be Good. You can see how green takes over because that’s Dan’s color and then it stops when Gabe comes in,” Neblock said.
Hedman’s favorite moment in the show occurs in Act II after Diana undergoes ECT treatment. “I like that Gabe had been erased, but the LEDs flash at different amounts based on how much he’s returned to Diana’s memory.”
Beyond the big-picture moments, cast members revealed hidden details audiences might have missed. Cook shared two secrets: the pills and the phone. Anytime Natalie took pills on stage, Cook was eating candy. “I found Dr. Pepper-flavored Tic Tacs at Wally’s.” The phone on the other hand was not fake. “Anytime I was on my phone during the show, I was actually on my phone. I’m supposed to have a fake phone, but I don’t. I just bring out my real phone and play BlockBlast or if I’m feeling up to it, I open Snapchat and put funny filters on Will.”
In the final number, Thatcher improvised her own detail. Her character gave Dan sticky notes. “The sticky notes that I give him at the end of the show are supposed to be me recommending a doctor for him and giving him a phone number or email. So, every day I would think of a different doctor that was funny, or a meme.”
The show’s popularity surprised the cast and crew. Hedman recalled, “I didn’t realize how well-known our show was. Like everyone was trying to get tickets to it, and everyone wanted to congratulate us.”
Donahue experienced this firsthand, “We were walking down the hallway, and there were two girls doing a vlog or podcast, and she asked what’s your favorite show, and the girl responded with Next to Normal. I’d heard that we were going to get compliments… but hearing it myself was just really great.”
Cook’s most memorable moment came during the second show’s closing number, “Light”. “Coming on stage and hearing the sobs in the audience. They were sobbing,” she said.
For Thatcher, a quieter moment stood out. During intermission, she helped audience members find the bathroom. They came up to her after the show to ask if she remembered them, creating an unexpected personal connection.
Between performances, cast members attended festival workshops, including a musical theatre comedy dance workshop featuring the Addams Family dance routine. Meadors cited Newsies as the festival’s best overall production.
Reflecting on the experience, Donahue offered advice to future participants. “I think anyone who’s thinking about joining theatre should do it because it’s a great experience, and it really opens your eyes to a lot of different things you can do.”
The cast and crew left the festival weekend amazed by both their performance and the overwhelming audience response. This is a testament to the power of live theatre and the dedication of U-High’s theatre program.
