REVIEW by ANTHONY CHASE
MusicalFare's production of Next to Normal showcases why the company is so highly admired as a theater devoted to musicals. This staging of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's challenging work is handsomely realized under Randall Kramer's direction, with Michael Oliver-Walline's choreography, Theresa Quinn's music direction, and Dyan Burlingame's set, a dreamscape of fragmented rooms and spaces.
Next to Normal is a rock musical that delves into the slippery complexities of mental illness, its treatment, and its impact on one family. The story centers on Diana Goodman, a mother grappling with bipolar disorder and the lingering trauma of losing an infant son 16 years ago. As she arduously cycles through various medications, her husband Dan struggles to hold the family together, their overachieving daughter Natalie feels neglected, and memories of past haunt Diana's psyche in a way that defies the normal passage of time. The musical explores themes of grief, love through adversity, and the search for normality in an entirely unstable situation.
Victoria Pérez tackles Diana, a mezzo-soprano part that demands rock and roll vocalizations. Pérez sings with great expressiveness and is compelling on stage. Her interpretation of Diana's emotional upheaval and mental struggles proves both nuanced and powerful, illustrating the character's inner conflicts and moments of clarity with equal skill. It's a voice-killing assignment, previously assayed by titanium-throated Broadway divas like Alice Ripley, Marin Mazzie, and Caissie Levy. While Pérez gave a thrilling and multi-layered performance, even on opening night she audibly strained when the range climbed high or the singing gymnastics intensified. She held up that night, but one worries about the demands of a heavy Wednesday to Sunday schedule during flu season.
Darryl Semira has puppy dog down to a science - or perhaps elevated it to an art. He's cornered the market on devoted husbands, as faithful as a bird dog and kind as Santa Claus, who nonetheless get dumped. From Victor Prynne, who gets jilted on his honeymoon in Noel Coward’s Private Lives to King Arthur abandoned by Guinevere, to (we're told) Andrey in Chekhov's Three Sisters, Semira's characters always seem to end up holding the short end of the stick. Now in Next to Normal, he's Dan, the husband who promised to stick by Diana when they were just kids, and by God, he's keeping that promise through sickness, through worse, through thin.
Semira's portrayal of Dan is a textured exploration of steadfast devotion in the face of overwhelming challenges. He sings impressively and believably reveals Dan's unwavering love and support for Diana while also exposing the cracks in his own facade. We see Dan struggling to keep the family together while hiding his own inner turmoil, offering an affecting look at the often-overlooked struggles of those caring for loved ones with mental illness.
Newcomer Penelope Sergi makes a very good Buffalo first-impression as Natalie, bringing experience from roles like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes to MusicalFare's stage. Her Natalie is a complex blend of teenage angst and mature-beyond-her-years wisdom. Sergi's performance captures Natalie's frustration at being overshadowed by her mother's illness and her brother's memory, while also showing the character's vulnerability and desire for normalcy. Her vocal performances, particularly in songs like "Superboy and the Invisible Girl," are both powerful and emotionally resonant.
Quinn Christopher McGillon, who played Clyde Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde" for Bellissima Productions earlier this season brings a devilishly playful stage presence to Gabe. McGillon strikes a delicate balance between charm and menace in the role. His Gabe is both a comforting presence for Diana and a destructive force in her psyche. His strong vocals and magnetic stage presence make Gabe's appearances a crucial element in the narrative, perfectly embodying the character's complex role within the family dynamic and Diana's mental landscape.
Aaron Gabriel Saldana makes a major leap forward as Henry, the patient and loving boyfriend cut from the same cloth as Natalie's dad. Here is a performer who slipped onto the scene almost unnoticed and has continued to rack up increasingly notable performances. As Henry, Saldana brings a warmth and steadiness to the role that serves as a counterpoint to the Goodman family's turmoil. His portrayal of Henry's unwavering support for Natalie, even as she pushes him away, is both touching and believable. Saldana's performance in songs like "Perfect for You" showcases not only his vocal talents but also his ability to convey complex emotions through his acting.
Marc Sacco, one of Buffalo's most highly regarded musical theater actors, shines in the smaller but pivotal roles of affectless and clinical Dr. Madden and compassionate and personable Dr. Fine. Sacco, who has carried shows on his own, demonstrates the secret of the excellence Buffalo theater can achieve: collectively the city is one large repertory company. Sacco is one of the best at bringing distinct personalities to his characters. He melts his character into music and dance as if this were as natural as playing Tennessee Williams. His Dr. Madden is coolly professional, embodying the clinical approach to Diana's treatment, while his Dr. Fine brings a more empathetic touch to his interactions with the family. Sacco's versatility in these roles adds depth to the musical's exploration of mental health treatment approaches while providing an unexpectedly vaudevillian highlight.
This talented ensemble, coupled with MusicalFare's excellent production values, delivers a Next to Normal that's anything but ordinary. The choreography by Michael Oliver-Walline keeps that hallucinatory musical always spinning, effectively translating the characters' emotional states into movement, and enhancing the storytelling through dance.
Dyan Burlingame's set design is an excellent representation of the family's fractured reality - a kind of dreamscape in decay, coming in and out of focus under Chris Cavanagh's lighting. The fragmented rooms and spaces serve as a visual metaphor for the characters' mental states, with Cavanagh's lighting design further emphasizing the shifting moods and perspectives throughout the show.
Theresa Quinn's music direction brings out the best in the cast's vocal performances, within the limitations of a highly demanding score and the vicissitudes of public health. Under her guidance, the company navigates the challenging score with great sensitivity to the emotional and narrative content of each song.
It is the nature of live performance that no two performances are identical. The vocal demands of this show did give a sense of the precarious that was not scripted. This unintended element adds an extra layer of authenticity to the production, mirroring the unpredictable nature of mental illness itself in ways that are both illuminating and harrowing.
Next to Normal continues through March 16, 2025.
