At long last!
Jul. 12th, 2011 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normalThe Next to Normal review!
I've already blathered on rather at length about the plot and the songs (and then compared it to The Hunger Games. Yes, really), so I'll mostly just talk about this performance.
Alice Ripley has redefined the word "fierce." Like, I have heard actors' performances described as a "tour de force" before, but I never really understood it until now. Her acting is phenomenal. Alice IS Diana, to the point that I almost worry about her own mental health after throwing herself so completely into this role for so long. It's clearly taken a toll on her voice, which I had been warned was totally shot, so I wasn't surprised that she had trouble hitting the notes in spots. But it's Alice Ripley, so she still pwns everyone. I mean, I had chills, actual chills, during "You Don't Know." And I think the rawness of her voice actually works for the role. Diana's incredibly emotional and on the verge of tears and/or rage for a good portion of the show, so it's okay for the vocals to be rough around the edges.
Asa Somers was good as Dan. He kinda seems too young for the role and perhaps a wee bit inexperienced, but overall I'd say he pulled it off. One of the hardest parts about Dan is making him always seem sympathetic, even when he's all "But what about MY pain?" Not that he doesn't have legitimate issues, but Diana's the one having a mental breakdown and trying to commit suicide and all, you know? And I really did feel for him most of the time, although it seemed weird that he had zero reaction to Diana when she tells him she's leaving. Granted, he doesn't have any lines in that song, but I was expecting a facial expression or something... lol.
Emma Hunton (Natalie) had a fantastic voice - and at times sounded eerily like OBC star Jennifer Damiano, though she had a very different interpretation of the role. Jenn's Natalie comes across as much more angry and bitter, whereas Emma's is more awkward and sad. I don't know how old the actress is, but it really came across that Natalie is young and dealing with crap that is way beyond her years. Like Somers, though, she came off a little inexperienced. Natalie tends to do a lot of reacting to her parents and Henry, and it seemed like Emma hasn't quite figured out how to emote when she's not belting out a song.
Did not really like Curt Hansen as Gabe. I'm sure that part of this is my enduring crush on Aaron Tveit, but his voice was just wrong. He certainly looks the part (Abercrombie model-esque) and his acting is actually pretty good, but then he opened his mouth and I was like "WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?" Not that he has a bad voice, necessarily, but it's just not at all right for that part. It's too nasally or something, I'm not even sure. The character is supposed to have this subtly seductive quality, and Aaron's rich, smooth tone seems to work so well, whereas this felt too harsh and grating. But I fully admit I might be biased. :)
I don't have any particular attachment to the OBC actors who played Henry and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden, so I liked these performances, lol. :) I particularly ADORE Natalie/Henry now, having seen it live. The soundtrack doesn't capture a lot of the witty banter between them, and y'all know how much I love witty banter:
"I'm Henry."
"Natalie."
"Yeah. I mean, I know."
"It's a little creepy that you know."
"We've gone to school together for, like, six years."
"Really?"
"I sit behind you in, like, four classes."
"Also creepy."
"I'm definitely not classical. It's so rigid and structured. There's no room for improvisation. You have to play the notes on the page."
"Yeah, and what did Mozart know anyway? He should've just smoked a bowl and jammed on 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'"
"She's staying with my grandparents."
"...Do they actually exist?"
Anyway, uh, what else? I really liked the minimalist set (same as the Broadway set), although I did find myself imagining how it would work as a movie (I am eternally hopeful about such things). Natalie's super-fake piano playing bothered me. Not that I'd expect the actress to actually accompany herself during the show (or be a skilled pianist as well as a singer and actor), but it bugged me that it didn't seem even remotely realistic. Then again, I may be the only one paying attention to piano techniques, lol.
So... I'd say go see it, except you can only really do that if you live in Charlotte or Toronto. This is one show that I will definitely regret not getting to see on Broadway (damn you, Billy Elliott! So close!) but I am crossing my fingers that it'll be in regional theaters and I will go see it every single time it's within a twenty-mile radius of my house, kinda like Into the Woods. Also, I am seriously contemplating purchasing the Next to Normal pill box. LOL!
I've already blathered on rather at length about the plot and the songs (and then compared it to The Hunger Games. Yes, really), so I'll mostly just talk about this performance.
Alice Ripley has redefined the word "fierce." Like, I have heard actors' performances described as a "tour de force" before, but I never really understood it until now. Her acting is phenomenal. Alice IS Diana, to the point that I almost worry about her own mental health after throwing herself so completely into this role for so long. It's clearly taken a toll on her voice, which I had been warned was totally shot, so I wasn't surprised that she had trouble hitting the notes in spots. But it's Alice Ripley, so she still pwns everyone. I mean, I had chills, actual chills, during "You Don't Know." And I think the rawness of her voice actually works for the role. Diana's incredibly emotional and on the verge of tears and/or rage for a good portion of the show, so it's okay for the vocals to be rough around the edges.
Asa Somers was good as Dan. He kinda seems too young for the role and perhaps a wee bit inexperienced, but overall I'd say he pulled it off. One of the hardest parts about Dan is making him always seem sympathetic, even when he's all "But what about MY pain?" Not that he doesn't have legitimate issues, but Diana's the one having a mental breakdown and trying to commit suicide and all, you know? And I really did feel for him most of the time, although it seemed weird that he had zero reaction to Diana when she tells him she's leaving. Granted, he doesn't have any lines in that song, but I was expecting a facial expression or something... lol.
Emma Hunton (Natalie) had a fantastic voice - and at times sounded eerily like OBC star Jennifer Damiano, though she had a very different interpretation of the role. Jenn's Natalie comes across as much more angry and bitter, whereas Emma's is more awkward and sad. I don't know how old the actress is, but it really came across that Natalie is young and dealing with crap that is way beyond her years. Like Somers, though, she came off a little inexperienced. Natalie tends to do a lot of reacting to her parents and Henry, and it seemed like Emma hasn't quite figured out how to emote when she's not belting out a song.
Did not really like Curt Hansen as Gabe. I'm sure that part of this is my enduring crush on Aaron Tveit, but his voice was just wrong. He certainly looks the part (Abercrombie model-esque) and his acting is actually pretty good, but then he opened his mouth and I was like "WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?" Not that he has a bad voice, necessarily, but it's just not at all right for that part. It's too nasally or something, I'm not even sure. The character is supposed to have this subtly seductive quality, and Aaron's rich, smooth tone seems to work so well, whereas this felt too harsh and grating. But I fully admit I might be biased. :)
I don't have any particular attachment to the OBC actors who played Henry and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden, so I liked these performances, lol. :) I particularly ADORE Natalie/Henry now, having seen it live. The soundtrack doesn't capture a lot of the witty banter between them, and y'all know how much I love witty banter:
"I'm Henry."
"Natalie."
"Yeah. I mean, I know."
"It's a little creepy that you know."
"We've gone to school together for, like, six years."
"Really?"
"I sit behind you in, like, four classes."
"Also creepy."
"I'm definitely not classical. It's so rigid and structured. There's no room for improvisation. You have to play the notes on the page."
"Yeah, and what did Mozart know anyway? He should've just smoked a bowl and jammed on 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'"
"She's staying with my grandparents."
"...Do they actually exist?"
Anyway, uh, what else? I really liked the minimalist set (same as the Broadway set), although I did find myself imagining how it would work as a movie (I am eternally hopeful about such things). Natalie's super-fake piano playing bothered me. Not that I'd expect the actress to actually accompany herself during the show (or be a skilled pianist as well as a singer and actor), but it bugged me that it didn't seem even remotely realistic. Then again, I may be the only one paying attention to piano techniques, lol.
So... I'd say go see it, except you can only really do that if you live in Charlotte or Toronto. This is one show that I will definitely regret not getting to see on Broadway (damn you, Billy Elliott! So close!) but I am crossing my fingers that it'll be in regional theaters and I will go see it every single time it's within a twenty-mile radius of my house, kinda like Into the Woods. Also, I am seriously contemplating purchasing the Next to Normal pill box. LOL!
