Next to Normal (Fast Nornal)

NEXT TO NORMAL

Musical in two acts
Music by Tom Kitt
Book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey
German by Titus Hoffmann

"Next to Normal" tells the story of an "almost normal" family that eats breakfast, argues and celebrates together. But first impressions are deceptive. Diana, the mother, suffers from bipolar disorder and is repeatedly caught up in her past, which puts family life to the test. The family stands behind her and supports her in her attempts at therapy, but at the same time the façade crumbles. Between medication, therapy and painful memories, a poignant story about love, loss and the desire for normality unfolds.

The play paints an intimate portrait of a family and how they deal with loss, illness and grief. "Next to Normal" brings the extreme emotional fluctuations of bipolar disorder to the stage. The musical range of the play is correspondingly broad: from sensitive ballads to rousing songs with big musical finales, "Next to Normal" brings the whole range of human emotions to life.

The musical was an extraordinary success in the USA and was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, received several critics' prizes and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, which is very rarely awarded to a musical production.