The Coronado Playhouse on Strand Way is like ‘The Little
Engine That Could’. After coming off their successful run of “King Charles III” they are knee deep in
mounting a fantastic, no incredible “ Next To Normal” with book and lyrics by
Brian Yorkey, and music by Tom Kitt through
June 17th. Run don’t walk to see how smallish doesn’t impede striving
for excellence.
Director Chad Oakley, making his Playhouse directorial debut,
with versitile and competent cast and crew have done wonders with the staging of what happens to be my
all time Tony Award winning show.
“Next To Normal” opened on Broadway in 2009 and was nominated
for eleven 2009 Tony Awards and won three, Best Score, Best Orchestration and
Best Actress in a Musical for Ms. Ripley. Just for the frosting on the cake it
also won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Someone must be paying attention.
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| Rebekah Rawhouser |
One thing you don’t want to do though is to expect a warm
fuzzy musical, or one that you will be whistling Dixie to in the car, or
harmonizing with a friend to the tune of “OH What A Beautiful Mornin’”. Be
prepared to take a deep breath, keep breathing and bring tissues! (Oh, they are provided at the individual
tables.)
Family illness is at the core of this heartwarming, touching
yet gut wrenching and brilliant musical, bordering on operatic (it’s considered
a rock opera) proportions. With and relatively unknown (to me), soprano Rebekah Rawhouser and
Anthony Don Donovan (another unknown) in the leads this proud production pulses
energy throughout.
The story centers on Diana Goodman (Rawhouser). At the heart
of the Goodman family, the glue that holds it together for better or worse is
her husband Dan (Donovan). While confronting his own depression and confusion,
his monumental task is maintaining some ‘normalcy’ in his family.
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| Chloe Marcotte and Peter Armado |
For eighteen years the Goodman family has been struggling to
cope with Diana’s bipolar disease, anxiety and the trickle down effects of a
series of mental disabilities.
Much to the detriment of their daughter Natalie (another
unknown to me Chloe Marcotte) and son Gabe, (SeeJay Lewis last seen in OnStage
“Spring Awakening”) the family dynamics, like the half completed walls in their
home (Jacob Sampson), are open for all to see the unfinished-ness of the family.
The clues are everywhere.
Donovan’s Dan, who has the patience of a saint, holds on
desperately to what he thought he had and what he wants (“It’s Gonna Be Good”,
“Better Than Before”). His performance is vivid, painful and heartbreaking as
the struggles, barely to keep it all together unerringly one breakdown at a
time.
His words and emotions come effortlessly but not without
question as he makes his way through the maze of his wife’s illness. His, he relates after cleaning up from
Diana’s attempt into the abyss, is just a slower suicide. (“A Light in the
Dark”).
 |
| Connor Boyd and Rebekah Rawhouser |
Connor Boyd plays Diana’s psychiatrists (“Whose Crazy?”) as
they keep her drugged most of the time so she can barely function. His performance
in one scene shows a psychedelic dance that is pretty funny but all too true of
what she must feel like after she takes all those pills. Boyd is low keyed and
effective as the Drs. treating Diana.
Whatever you might have heard about the musical, you have to
see and hear for yourself Rawhouser’s performance. Her voice is haunting and
her portrayal of Diana is heartbreaking, somewhat like an open wound that won’t
heal.
 |
| SeeJay Lewis (background) Rebekah Rawhouser and Anthony Donovan |
She is a lost soul deep in her schizophrenia with moments of
lucidness that conjure both pathos and humor much to the credit of Yorkey’s
lyrics. Hers is a performance that is simply electrifying, real and painful. (Past
shows include “Jesus Christ Superstar” as Mary Magdalene.)
Her interpretation of “I Miss The Mountains, I Miss The Pain”,
where she recognizes that ‘everything is perfect, nothing is real”…and she
misses her life, just about sums up her tortured and drug laden mind. It gives
us insight to her agony. On the outside, she goes through the motions but just
beneath the surface there is a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any
moment, and sometimes does.
No one dies of an incurable illness in “Next To Normal”. The
sickness that’s paralyzing this suburban family is a silent killer because it
destroys little by little with red, green and white, chewable and swallow whole
pill at a time. (“Whose Crazy/My Psycho pharmacologist”).
 |
| Rebekah Rawhouser and SeeJay Lewis |
Chloe Marcotte’s Natalie gives a near perfect portrayal of
the rebellious and musically talented teenager who finally comes back to the
fold, from the devil you don’t know to the devil you do know as she struggles
with herself to try some of her mother’s drugs.
(“Maybe Next to Normal”)
Her sweet voice is beautiful. As the one family member struggling
for some recognition she goes through the motions of leading a ‘normal life’
outside the home. As a woman child she is almost invisible to her parents,
whose energy with their mother’s illness is draining the life’s blood out of them
leaving no room for Natalie. She's also jealous of the attention Gabe gets at her
own expense of being overlooked. (“Super Boy and the Invisible Girl”)
Her stoner boyfriend Henry comfortably played by Peter
Armando (Last seen in OnStage’s “Spring Awakening” as Melchoir) compliment the
two as they muddle through a budding on again off again relationship. (“Super
For You”)
The pièce de rèsistance is SeeJay Lewis’ Gabe, brother and teenaged
son who holds the key to his families’ secrets and messed up lives (“I’m
Alive”).
Burning the candle at both ends, Gabe is the panacea to all
Diana sees as good on the one hand and the caveat to all that is destroying the
family and blocking Diana from reality on the other. Lewis is alluring and irresistible
showing a deep and mature understanding of his role as son and brother.
His physical attributes, good looks and nimbleness give him
the tools to tool around set designer Sampson’s multi tiered house in the burbs
that has a few staircases and platforms holding it together.
Fortunately for us director Chad Oakley was astute enough to
gather a dream team for this absolutely magnetic musical that is no easy fete.
 |
| Cast of "Next To Normal" |
Musical director Martin Martiarena and his full sounding
six-member band come together hand in glove with the outstanding voices on
stage. Once in a while some modulation and less volume from the band would have
been helpful in hearing some of the lyrics.
Sarah Robinson designed the
appropriate costumes and Josh Olmestead designed the lighting with Anthony
Zelig projections, bringing light, darkness and visual images into this somber
look at the underside of mental illness yet always wishing for a ray of hope at
the end of the tunnel.
Staging a musical about mental illness might not be for
everyone, but I would recommend it highly. Pulling the covers over our heads is
not an option for helping someone in need.
And for a recommendation: Two thumbs up!
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through June 17th
Organization: Coronado Playhouse
Phone: 619-435-4856
Production Type: Musical Drama
Where: 1835 Strand Way, Coronado, CA
Ticket Prices: $20.00-$27.00
Web: coronadoplayhouse.com
Venue: Coronado Playhouse
Photo: Ken Jacques
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