Op-Ed: Toronto's Next To Normal is quite normal Special

Toronto - The current Broadway production of Next To Normal finishes up its North American run in Toronto on July 30th. Although classified as a musical, it doesn’t fit the mould of the typical song and dance format.

The director of Rent returns with a two-hour long romp through the lives of one family affected by mental disorder, again not your typical standard musical content. The overall stage production is quite simple, set within the confines of the family home with family members coming and going, all the while creating dialogue and developing character. In the end however, there doesn’t seem to be any real meaning to it all, partially as a result of the musical format. I realize some see this as bold new directions on Broadway, however one must consider that Broadway is for the mainstream masses, and of course anything that deviates from the cookie-cutter mould will be deemed ground breaking. I agree that the content is definitely worth bringing to the forefront, as mental illness is often overlooked or considered taboo, but I’m not sure the musical format is the best method to get this point across. The term “crazy” is used interchangeably in both a serious and derogatory manner throughout the show. Although in the context of the situation, more caution could have been used and perhaps deeper dialogue around the misuse of the word. The performance did bring across the fact that mental illness not only affects the person inflicted with it, but everyone else around them just as equally, if not more. For the most part I found the entire cast to be quite…normal. Not one of the characters jumped out at the audience as the star of the show, and this was clear at the end as the audience clapped equally appreciatively for all actors. The stage set up was again, quite…normal. Broken into 12 equal parts, the musicians could be seen performing throughout the outer layers, while the characters alternated between the main floor and upper levels of their living quarters. Brought to Toronto by Dancap Productions, who are known for presenting the more alternative Broadway productions, I can see where this fits with their vision. Launched in 2007 by Aubrey Dan, Dancap Productions Inc. is a commercial theatre company dedicated to producing and presenting the Best of Broadway-style theatre created in collaboration with acclaimed artists and award-winning creative teams. I am looking forward to the more quirky productions of The Adams Family and An American Idiot, where I will most likely walk away whistling a tune from the musical, rather than leaving the theatre mumbling.. It should be noted that if you do decide to check out Next To Normal, you will have the opportunity to be one of the first to see a theatre production at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Inaugurated in 2006, this is the first building of its kind in Canada; a theatre built specifically for opera and ballet performances with the finest level of acoustics. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium provides the audience with great sightlines from almost anywhere. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts - 145 Queen Street West -July 19-31, 2011 Tuesday – Saturday @ 7:30pm • Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday @ 2pm 416.644.3665 or 1.866.950.7469 www.nexttonormal.com, www.dancaptickets.com