Production History

PLOT: 

Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey (music by Tom Kitt) is a powerful rock musical that centers on the Goodman family, whose seemingly typical suburban life is anything but ordinary. Diana, the mother, struggles with severe bipolar disorder, experiencing hallucinations and cycling through treatments that range from medication to electroconvulsive therapy. Her husband Dan tries desperately to hold the family together, while their teenage daughter Natalie feels invisible in the shadow of her mother’s illness. As Diana’s condition worsens, the family is forced to confront the realities of mental health, grief, and the limits of love.

As the story unfolds, long-buried truths come to light—most notably the devastating loss that continues to haunt the family and shape their present. Each character grapples with their own version of pain, searching for stability, connection, and something resembling “normal.” Through an emotionally charged score and intimate storytelling, the musical explores how people cope with trauma and whether healing means fixing what’s broken or learning to live alongside it.