"Next to Normal"

Rock Musical "Next to Normal" Explores Mental Illness

A mom, a dad, two bright teens -- a normal American family, right? Anything but, actually. A rock musical about the devastating toll that mental illness takes on a contemporary suburban family, "Next to Normal" has become one of Broadway's biggest and most compelling hits in recent years. This riveting show nabbed three Tony Awards in 2009 and the Pulitzer Prize for its heartbreaking, humorous and unflinchingly authentic look at a seemingly normal modern family struggling with the effects of bipolar disorder. Each character's journey is further punctuated by powerful music scored by Tom Kitt ("American Idiot"). Featuring 30 original songs, including "Just Another Day," "You Don't Know" and "Superboy and the Invisible Girl," "Next to Normal" is, in the words of "The New York Times", "much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical." See it this summer at The GEM Theater in Garden Grove.