Asa Somers

REVIEW: Next to Normal Shows Us Best and Worst of Human Condition

Next to Normal ranks high in the list of modern, rock-centered, boundary-breaking musicals, in the company of RENT, Spring Awakening and American Idiot. The Pulitzer Prize-winning script and score tackle the complexity of living with mental illness and the ramifications of this struggle on her family. The current national tour is remarkable in that audiences around the country are enjoying Alice Ripley (Side Show, etc), who won the Tony Award for originating the leading role on Broadway,which is a rare decision for a Broadway veteran such as Ripley. Continue reading →