Next to Normal is next to perfect at Musical Theater Heritage

Next to Normal is like an old friendship, one I’m glad to renew. I first met it in 2012 — on two occasions, in a local and a touring production. The version now onstage at Musical Theater Heritage, directed by Sarah Crawford, is as stirring as those — perhaps more so, given MTH’s intimacy.

It’s a successful friend, one dealing with bipolar disorder. The play won Tony awards in 2009 for best original score and best orchestration, and then the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2010. Next to Normal (book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt) was described by the Pulitzer board as a “powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals.”

Or, as MTH executive director George Harter says in his opening comments: Not your typical musical-theater topic but why not? Indeed. And MTH’s semi-staged production doesn’t diminish Normal’s power to entertain or to affect. Far from heavy-handed, it’s thoughtful, funny, candid and smart.

The notes and rhythms of the compositions nest with the intelligent lyrics and altering moods of the play — the ups and downs of a disorder “often triggered by a traumatic event,” one of the show’s psychiatrists says — as the family members in this story cope with daily living, complicated relationships and efforts to heal.

As an ensemble and as individual performers, the six cast members are singular and strong in voice and depiction, finding depth in their characters through minimal dialogue and a succession of songs that propel the story. (The production also adds visual dimension in its use of platforms to mimic the original’s multiple levels and in Kylor Green’s striking lighting design.)

A rousing “Just Another Day,” at the show’s start, swirls with the chaos of the condition’s manic side as we’re introduced to the Goodman family and its daily routine. Diana (Ashley Pankow), a suburban mom, has suffered with bipolar disorder (maybe even schizophrenia) for most of her marriage to Dan (Ben Gulley). They’ve had two children, Gabe (Corbin Williams) and Natalie (Paris Naster). But Diana is haunted by a past event (Williams’ driving “I’m Alive”), and Natalie has grown up with a mother who neglects her.

The family holds on to wishful thinking that Diana’s condition will improve (“It’s Gonna Be Good”). But in “Who’s Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I,” we get a glimpse of the marital difficulties and, in a clever depiction of a drug-treatment option, what constitutes progress. Two psychiatrists (Robert Hingula, in both roles) offer vastly different approaches.

Without being sweet or morose, the story swings from playful to serious with deepening effect. (The show even covers electroshock therapy — “A Light in the Dark.”) At the center is Pankow, who gives a touching and understated yet powerful portrayal as she navigates her illness’s altering states and the damage left behind.

As her husband, Gulley reflects his character’s hopes, denials and frustrations in a performance that moves from buoyant to impassioned as the plot unfolds.

In the background of that primary relationship, a bond develops between teenagers Natalie and classmate-turned-boyfriend Henry (Daniel Verschelden) in a kind of parallel love story, and both actors offer heartfelt, sensitive portrayals. As son Gabe, Williams balances vulnerability and threat, and rivets our attention. Hingula excels at parody as an overprescribing doctor, and as the “rock star” therapist whom Diana seeks out, he blends caring and gravitas in an adept, realistic depiction.

A talented and tight six-piece band — conducted by Jeremy Watson on piano, with keyboardist Brant Challocomb, guitarist Joe Levens, cellist Rachel Fuentes, drummer Zach Mejean, and violinist Bailey Larkin — gets the award for best supporting performance, driving the momentum and segueing seamlessly from song to song. A few times, during the preview I attended, the band’s volume nearly dominated, but the singers’ powerful voices overcame.

As the show’s second act advanced, I grew a tad teary, enough so that I worried the house lights would come up and catch me red-nosed. But the one-hanky musical doesn’t linger on the down side. It leaves us thoughtful, not sad, with plenty of time to regain our composure and finally say goodbye to these folks — to whom, for a couple of hours, we’ve become close. Like friends.

Next to Normal
Through August 21 at Musical Theater Heritage, at Crown Center
2450 Grand, 816-221-6987
mthkc.com