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47th out of 116 books
—
46 voters
next to normal
by
Brian Yorkey,
Tom Kitt
"A brave and breathtaking musical."--The New York Times
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
July 20th 2010
by Theatre Communications Group
(first published May 12th 2009)
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"next to normal" by Brian Yorkey (Music by Tom Kitt) is one of the most emotionally vivid pieces of theater I've read. The winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "next to normal" is a work of honest, raw feelings and emotions carried forward by a dri...ving rock score and well-drawn, three-dimensional characters. The play centers around a suburban family (father, mothers, son, daughter) dealing with the mother's depression and bipolar disorder. The mother is vivacious and damaged, the fath...more
This is a musical that reads well on paper, even without the great music, and packs some real emotional impact. It gets deeply into its subject matter of a woman's mania and schizophrenia and the effect that mental illness has on her relationships, at least as deeply as it can in the length of a musical.
A couple of minor complaints keep me from giving it the fifth star: First, the ending is a bit vague. The last song makes it unclear to me whether she is going to hold to the decisions she made a...more
A couple of minor complaints keep me from giving it the fifth star: First, the ending is a bit vague. The last song makes it unclear to me whether she is going to hold to the decisions she made a...more
This play follows the lives of Diana, Dan, Natalie, and Gabe as Diana, the mother of the family, spirals deeper into her depression because she can’t let go of her son, Gabe, who died when he was just an infant. Gabe returns throughout the play to plague Diana’s mind. Meanwhile, Natalie is the forgotten second child and starts to stray because she can’t achieve her perfectionist state. Dan is trying to hold the family together, but he eventually loses his mind as well.
I love plays, and this one...more
I love plays, and this one...more
This is the musical that changed and saved my life. This is the musical that helped me with my transition out of high school into being an adult.
I have never known a story where I've related to EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. With Diana most of all (which is scary, being an (at the time) 18 year old man, and even down to the Doctors, Fine who is just looking to get Diana through his care, and Madden, who really wants to help her get to the root of her problems.
There are many songs I wish that hadn't bee...more
I have never known a story where I've related to EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. With Diana most of all (which is scary, being an (at the time) 18 year old man, and even down to the Doctors, Fine who is just looking to get Diana through his care, and Madden, who really wants to help her get to the root of her problems.
There are many songs I wish that hadn't bee...more
Produced by Artists Repertory Theater in Portland Or 4/24-6/3/2012
So what is it that defines “crazy” anyway?
Called a groundbreaking, powerhouse rock musical, Next to Normal, is a heart-swelling, searingly painful dissection of a mother’s mental illness and her suburban family trying to hold it all together. This multiple award-winning smash hit is a brave, powerfully emotional musical that takes on new territory with mix of raw energy and grace. “Like all good musicals, it breaks your heart wit...more
So what is it that defines “crazy” anyway?
Called a groundbreaking, powerhouse rock musical, Next to Normal, is a heart-swelling, searingly painful dissection of a mother’s mental illness and her suburban family trying to hold it all together. This multiple award-winning smash hit is a brave, powerfully emotional musical that takes on new territory with mix of raw energy and grace. “Like all good musicals, it breaks your heart wit...more
Sometimes there are scripts that don't do very well just reading because... well seeing it is better. I find that "Next to Normal" is one of those wonderful exceptions. It's heart-wrenching, funny, thrilling, and just all around beautiful. And I didn't need to see it. The script of "Spring Awakening" had me constantly searching YouTube so that I could see the scene and read along with it. "Next to Normal" did not require that. It made my emotions swing up and down without having to see one actor...more
I have never actually seen this musical, but I have listened to the soundtrack over and over. It is just too perfect. I decided to purchase the script because I wanted to know the plot line so that I could justify Next to Normal's being my favorite musical. And let me tell you, I absolutely love this script. It didn't win a Pulitzer Prize for nothing. It is haunting, yet so human. The characters are beautifully crafted. I would definitely recommend this for theatre lovers and non-theatre lovers...more
Next to Normal is a powerful piece of drama that is so grounded in sincere emotion and real relationships. That everyone can feel so human in a rock musical is a great achievement of itself. I read the book with my iPod ready to play the track that I came to in my reading, playing out the piece in my mind. Then I read the book aloud and listened in the same way with my girlfriend. I would love to see this performed live, and will get to this fall as it is being done in Salt Lake (2011). Very exc...more
My class and I had to read this for class, listening to the album recordings of the music pieces. It is sincerely dramatic, breathtaking and thrilling. It hangs with the reader, (my entire Year 11 class, for crying out loud, could not stop talking about it for at least a week afterwards) long after the text has been finished. I have downloaded all the songs onto my iPod, and if ever I think my life is getting bad, I turn on 'Next to Normal'. Pure literary genius.
One of the best productions I have ever seen, music, set and story are amazing. I had no idea what the play was about when we went. Then I heard people talking about it being depressing in the lobby. Oh no, I thought! but i loved it. it caught you up and as it twisted and turned you were right there with them. I highly recommend this play!
Let me begin by saying that I have not seen Next to Normal on broadway. However it was through searching for music on YouTube that dealt with depression I came across this story. Next to Normal is such a touching piece of literature filled with raw emotion that I could not put down this book. The story revolves around a mother dealing with bi-polar depression and the effects of her condition on her family. I also will say that I enjoyed reading this book because of the the rises and falls depict...more
I've seen the Broadway musical in January 2010 and it was the most magnificant perfomance I ever saw on stage. The book is clever, funny, witty and heartbreaking.
It's brilliance. I would recommend it (reading, but especially seeing) to everyone.
It's brilliance. I would recommend it (reading, but especially seeing) to everyone.
I love getting to really dig into the text of the show and find new ways to see this story. The characters are heartbreaking and breathtakingly real, and the story touches every emotional chord it possibly can. Ben Brantley was right, "This is a feel-everything musical".
This script is truly amazing. It shows life how it is for some people. Be warned that it swears like none other but that's how some families are! The music is incredible as well! The finale makes me just want to cry! I loved it!
This will always be my favourite play/musical of all time. The characters are wonderful, the plot is moving, I could immerse myself in the Goodman's world again and again.
It's not hard to understand what goes on when you hear the music, but having the book there adds to it, for you can literally imagine it.
I have actually seen the musical but I wanted to read this again. I loved it, it was great, of course not as good as the stage production, but still quite remarkable!
The complete book of an AMAZING musical. Contains the story, the songs and a look at how the musical came to be.
I saw the play and it was very interesting to read the script because I had missed some of the dialogue.
Words cannot describe how much I love this play. Natalie is my dream role.
Read this at the airport as well. Good choices by my mom this christmas!
I was simply the best show I have ever read. And I know my theater.
One of the best books for a musical in recent theatrical history.
This is like a script of a musical that I like. My favorite song in it is "superboy and the invisible girl" - you should Google it. :)
Absolutely loved it! Can't wait to listen to the soundtrack now.
Apr 13, 2010
Jill
marked it as to-read
Pulitzer 2010. I like me my drama.
Simply amazing.
Aug 29, 2012
Mariah Frost
added it
love love love this book !!!
3.5 really....
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“Most people who think they're happy are really just stupid.”
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“Superboy and the Invisible Girl
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Son of Steel and Daughter of Air
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07. Dezember, 00:12 Uhr