#nextonormal

Next To Normal is the story of mom/wife Diana, who is suffering from a mental illness, and the rest of her Goodman family. There have been some traumatic events that took place within the family, some of which were easier to deal with and others that have lingered. Caitlin McGinty led the Goodman clan with absolute abandon as Diana. Her emotional pull was as strong as her excellent vocals, namely in a compelling, contemplative “I Miss the Mountains,” a hilariously dark “Didn’t I See This Movie?” a powerful “How Could I Ever Forget?,” and an emotionally jarring “So Anyway.” Playing opposite Miss McGinty was Joe Hudelson who delivered an excellent performance as Goodman dad, Dan. Mr. Hudelson played the “ordinary” father like a white-collar worker with a blue-collar mentality. This balancing act worked well in Mr. Hudelson’s favor, making his various acting and singing turns in “It’s Gonna Be Good,” “I Am the One,” and the tender plea “A Light in the Dark” a pleasing, eclectic display of emotions.

When Mr. Hudelson teamed up with Sean Okuniewicz (playing Goodman son, Gabe) for Act Two’s “I am the One (reprise)” the waterworks, if they hadn’t been flowing already, had no chance of holding up. Their connection, the vocals, and the intensity of the scene (staged extremely well by director Jason Jeffrey) resulted in a show-stopping moment from the two men. At that point it was no surprise, though, since Mr. Okuniewicz came out with guns a-blazin’ and vocals a-rockin’ in the opener, “Just Another Day,” only to continue his astute, devastating performance as Gabe in a tremendous “I’m Alive,” a passionate duet turn in “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” and a simply stunning “I Am the One.” Mackenzie Cala held her own as Natalie, the troubled daughter in the Goodman household. Her first solo, “Everything Else,” showcased Miss Cala’s vocal talents as well as her knack for delivering dry humor in the timbre of a teenager but with the intellectual maturity of an adult. Miss Cala’s journey as an overworked teen girl living in the shadow of her brother takes full effect when she began displaying the very traits Miss McGinty’s Diana is diagnosed with. One of the most powerful aspects of this Brian Yorkey/Tom Kitt musical is seeing how symptoms of those who have a mental illness can be seen in their children, the lineage of a disease, if you will; an aspect Miss Cala and Miss McGinty nailed in their chemistry as mother and daughter.