Next to Normal REACT Part ONE
Added 2025-06-18 17:57:27 +0000 UTCIT BEGINS. my god this is wild already
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Here is some info on our two female leads: Diana is played by Caissie Levy who made her Broadway debut in 2006 as Penny in Hairspray. She originated the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway and performed that role for 2 years plus a 2 month tryout run of the show in Denver. She's also a former Elphaba and played Fantine in the 2014 Les Mis revival. Natalie is played by Eleanor Worthington-Cox who became the youngest Olivier Award (West End Tony) winner when she won Best Actress in a Leading Role along with the other 3 original Matildas for playing the title role in Matilda. She kinda stopped doing theatre around 2015 and did some TV/movies but returned to the West End post-pandemic.
Domi
2025-06-26 11:27:02 +0000 UTCThere is an unedited version of the proshot. I've included the link below! 【【官摄中字】Next to Normal 近乎正常 音乐剧 西区-哔哩哔哩】 https://b23.tv/8WFU1DP
Jeqspel
2025-06-19 05:28:42 +0000 UTCSo excited that you're following your reaction to one of my favorite musicals, Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, with Next to Normal, the musical that had the biggest impact on me and elevated my appreciation of musical theatre to a whole new level a little over a decade ago (how has it been that long?) Next to Normal arguably paved the way for Dear Evan Hansen, and other contemporary musicals as well. Imagine a show called Next to Normal premiering Off-Broadway in 2008 during a recession - a completely original musical based on no pre-existing story with no star power or known brand attached to it. There was nothing like it at the time. Yet through word of mouth it managed to build a following over the years even while it was still being workshopped under the name Feeling Electric. (This is a whole other rabbit hole you can go down at some point if you're interested. A dozen or so songs were cut over the years as the show has been rewritten many times. It's been so interesting to dig into the show's long development since the 90s.) And now, after a historical Pulitzer Prize and many years later, it feels like a miracle to have this proshot with the 2024 London cast. But one issue I have with this version is that the language censorship for PBS throws me off. (Some lines just hit different in the original, like “You can't call me a twat” or “So my son's a little shit” 😅). If you notice the actors’ mouths are not aligned with the words at some points, or an image is blurred, that's probably why. I know that in the US there are FCC rules regarding what can be broadcast on public TV, but this show still has mature content even without the swearing, so I don't understand the benefit of censoring it the way they did. On the plus side, I guess it might make things a bit easier for you when it comes to editing for YouTube 😅 I have seen that there’s an uncensored version to be officially released that’s currently floating around online, so that helps. Plus a live cast album was recently released with this cast, also uncensored. Natalie (the daughter/sister) and Henry (the guy who interrupts her practice) are in high school. Natalie is 16 and Henry is 17. Regarding the scene with Dr. Fine, the writers have said that drafts of the show were reviewed by mental health professionals for accuracy. But the show does point out issues with the mental health industry, without demonizing it. Interesting observation about Dan (Diana’s husband). His “cleaning up” of situations literally and metaphorically to attempt to maintain the appearance of normality is indeed a key theme. And yes, Diana's medication is not addressing the underlying problems.
berha
2025-06-18 23:56:36 +0000 UTC
