The Music Theatre of Madison’s 2024 summer show is hilarious. It’s heartbreaking. It’s relatable. And at times, it’s difficult to watch — in a good way.
Next to Normal, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical that debuted in 2008, is energizing the Play Circle Theater stage at the UW Memorial Union. Directed by Kevin James Sievert, this emotional show provides a powerful and captivating peek into the life of a family dealing with mental illness.
The story centers on Diana Goodman, a mother struggling with bipolar disorder, played by MTM executive director Meghan Randolph. Her illness wreaks havoc on the family, including her loyal but clueless husband, Dan (Paul Milisch), and over-achieving teenage daughter, Natalie (Nora Perugini), who resents her mother’s apparent preference for her older brother, Gabe (Owen Sehgal).
At first, Diana comes across as simply an overworked mother and wife struggling to hold her busy household together. But when she begins throwing slices of bread on the floor to make bologna sandwiches, the mood on the stage shifts — Dan realizes that Diana is relapsing and needs to visit her doctor immediately. From there, Diana’s mental health spirals.
Despite the heavy subject matter, Next to Normal is a high-energy, fast-paced show. In most scenes, multiple storylines play out simultaneously, with the cast members singing complex harmonies that capture the chaos of the family’s struggles. The result is a richly layered account that gives each nuanced character space to develop. Though Diana’s mental health journey takes center stage, the struggles of her family members become just as central to the show.
The production’s strength is its use of humor to soften the raw realities of life with mental illness, as demonstrated by the song, “Who’s Crazy / My Psychopharmacologist and I.” Diana visits her doctor week after week, trying out new combinations of medications. At one point, the actors rattle off a list of common drugs used to treat mental illness, singing, “These are a few of my favorite pills,” to the tune of The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things.”
Along with laugh-out-loud moments, the show presents heart-wrenching scenes. Audiences should be aware of several content warnings for, of course, mental illness, but also an off-stage suicide attempt and the death of a child. Folks who have struggled with mental illness or have supported a loved one through a mental health crisis may have trouble watching the show.
The rock-infused score, under the musical direction of Zach Busch, is vocally intense, with the actors singing nearly every line of the two-hour-and-fifteen-minute show. The standout vocalist was Perugini as Natalie, who sang beautifully while communicating complex emotions as she dealt with her mother’s neglect. Natalie finds refuge in a laid-back, stoner love interest, Henry (Nolan Limones), and the two share some captivating duets that help this production shine.
Next to Normal runs through Aug. 24 at the Play Circle Theater.
