Next To Normal is an intimate exploration of family and loss. At its heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past. Donmar Artistic Director Michael Longhurst directs this powerful rock musical about a far‑from‑average family.
They are the same cast that premiered the musical at The Donmar Warehouse in 2023, in a production by director Michael Longhurst, and it is clear that their bond has only strengthened since then, which is crucial for a show that interrogates such heavy themes. Indeed, from the opening number, there are already signs of Diana’s mania, and by the second, she is assembling stacks of sandwiches across the stage floor at breakneck speed, throwing around slices of cheese and ham.
In short, no matter your own backgrounds or experiences with mental health or grief, this story of an emotionally fraught family on the precipice of danger and longing for something normal (or even just Next to Normal) is sure to deliver an emotional gut punch.
2008 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2009 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2010 | US Tour |
1st National Tour US Tour |
2010 | US Tour |
2nd National Tour US Tour |
2013 |
Weston Playhouse Production |
|
2020 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage Production Washington, DC (Regional) |
2024 | West End |
West End |
Videos