Next to Normal - Donmar / Wyndham’s

[Nelly]

Thanks all. I've seen it twice so far (once at the Donmar and once at the Wyndham's) I saw Ben Heathcote's debut as 'the Doctors' and actually preferred him to Trevor. I'm taking my mom this time and whilst I'm sure the covers are all magnificent, I'd feel sad if I didn't see at least Caissie, Jack W and Eleanor one last time.

I actually forgot to post my thoughts about it when I saw it again. Someone they'd all seemed to raise a level from the Donmar and I didn't think that was even possible. Jamie was my weak link at the Donmar, whilst good I felt he was struggling a bit out there but the consensus at the time was I'd just caught a bad night for him. He was excellent the second time round, vastly improved in all areas.

Is my mind playing tricks on me or were there 'nurses' (possibly stage management) for the start of Act 2 instead of cast? Also, during I'm alive I don't remember Gabe putting his microphone in Dan and Natalie's faces for their lines during that song, but again, might have just missed that in the world of Jack W's dreamy vocals the first time round.

[Nelly]

Aug 1, 2024 11:19:49 GMT pancakehaus said:

Aug 1, 2024 9:11:33 GMT Nelly said:

Mine was also £65...! But had already re-booked for this coming Tuesday for £45 good dress circle seats, so also happy with that!

Now just have to pray the full cast will be on again, already got the fear.

None of the Goodman principals have missed a show yet. Jack O missed a few early in previews and Trevor was out a few days three weekends ago, but that's it. I would be surprised if you didn't have full cast.

It's statements like this that make me convinced they'll all be out...irrational I know haha!

Edit: Sorry for the double post...bad form.

[pancakehaus]

Aug 1, 2024 11:28:36 GMT Nelly said:

Thanks all. I've seen it twice so far (once at the Donmar and once at the Wyndham's) I saw Ben Heathcote's debut as 'the Doctors' and actually preferred him to Trevor. I'm taking my mom this time and whilst I'm sure the covers are all magnificent, I'd feel sad if I didn't see at least Caissie, Jack W and Eleanor one last time.

I actually forgot to post my thoughts about it when I saw it again. Someone they'd all seemed to raise a level from the Donmar and I didn't think that was even possible. Jamie was my weak link at the Donmar, whilst good I felt he was struggling a bit out there but the consensus at the time was I'd just caught a bad night for him. He was excellent the second time round, vastly improved in all areas.

Is my mind playing tricks on me or were there 'nurses' (possibly stage management) for the start of Act 2 instead of cast? Also, during I'm alive I don't remember Gabe putting his microphone in Dan and Natalie's faces for their lines during that song, but again, might have just missed that in the world of Jack W's dreamy vocals the first time round.

Yes, at the Donmar, they had assistant stage managers as the anesthesiologists at the start of Act 2 (and as the nurses(?) at the end of act 1 when Diana is singing Didn't I See This Movie). Jamie and Jack are now playing the anesthesiologists for the West End run.

Jack did put the microphone in their faces for that bit at the Donmar. It might not have been as noticeable/memorable because Dan and Natalie were standing much closer together. Now, I think you notice that he's doing it a lot more since he has to run a bit between them and reach out the mic far to get the lines.

I understand the irrational worries! I traveled pretty far to see this show, and you can't help but worry that the people you are excited to see are going to be out the one time you can go.

[solangelafitte]

Jul 31, 2024 21:10:47 GMT Dr Tom said:

Jul 31, 2024 18:05:20 GMT jm25 said:

Just received a rebooker offer from Delfont Mackintosh - £25 seats for performances across August. I was very pleasantly surprised to see front row seats were included in the offer on some dates and have duly booked my return visit. Can't wait!

Lucky you. The offer they sent me was for £45. I am a DMT+ member and have been before, but that was booked through TodayTix. I was going to book too at £45, but now I know we’re being treated as lesser citizens, I’ll hold off.

My email said £45 as well but when I clicked through to check availability it included the £25 seats.

[Dave B]

We jinxed it. Lizzie Parker on at the interval for an indisposed Eleanor Worthington Cox.

[tal]

Aug 1, 2024 21:08:36 GMT Dave B said:

We jinxed it. Lizzie Parker on at the interval for an indisposed Eleanor Worthington Cox.

I was also there, and I though it was funny how the swap added extra meaning when Diana asks “And who are you?” the first time she sees the new actress playing Natalie in the second act.

[lotster]

Gosh. What happened to Eleanor? I assume they made an annoucement that the cast member had changed before Act 2 or did she just come out to lots of puzzled faces? (I had a similar thing happen at a show before and they announced it)

[wefox]

Aug 1, 2024 21:08:36 GMT Dave B said:

We jinxed it. Lizzie Parker on at the interval for an indisposed Eleanor Worthington Cox.

Was also there tonight. First time this kind of thing happened to me during a show, glad Lizzy was there to save the second half!

[wefox]

Aug 1, 2024 23:32:24 GMT lotster said:

Gosh. What happened to Eleanor? I assume they made an annoucement that the cast member had changed before Act 2 or did she just come out to lots of puzzled faces? (I had a similar thing happen at a show before and they announced it)

They announced right before the beginning of Act 2

[Dave B]

So I saw this in Donmar last year for the Olivier panel, which meant I was not allowed to talk about it at the time. Suffice it to say that I thought it was excellent, a clear highlight of the year and I voted for it pretty heavily in the panel meetings and then in my Olivier votes itself. I think it a shame that Sunset came out in the same year, I don't disagree that it deserved strong contention for a plethora of awards but I do think the buzz and backing it had eclipsed well.. almost everything else.

I have one issue with the show and actually, it is about one of our favourite topics, the trigger warnings.  I keep an eye on them for some shows that relate to mental illness or anything brain affecting. I had checked this one due to the obvious nature of the show, I'm pretty much okay with seeing anything and frankly I had to see it for the panel so it wasn't going to be a thing for me but my partner has a fairly specific issue. At the risk of an overshare, about 8 years ago at the age of 37, her brother (and one of my oldest friends) had an unexplained heart attack. He was left without oxygen for over seven minutes and has a result he has brain damage which presents as an amnesic disorder. Memory loss, the way you see it in pop culture - the way you see it in Next To Normal.

There is NOTHING about this in Next To Normal's trigger warnings, not even a hint. Yet the start of act two opens with a pretty significant piece and a couple of songs about this. So when it hits the moment where they go through photo books - my partner was in bits. We have done that, literally done that for an extended period in hospital hearing the *exact* same advice the doc gives Dan in this. Centre of the second row at the Donmar, she was so far from okay, I started to look to see which way we could get out easiest but she wanted to stay and so we did.

Now certainly, these circumstances are thankfully not that common BUT memory loss itself gets a two song focus here so I really really feel like this wasn't given due consideration, it is more than a throwaway moment, it is a key plot point with what certainly appears to me to be research doing into the real thing, so a big markdown to the producers, the Donmar and now Wyndhams for not including this.

She also thought it was excellent but not something she would ever see again and indeed would not have gone had there been suitable trigger warnings. Our first visit to this was a Sat matinee which had been cancelled after about 20 minutes wait. Thankfully we had rebooked for an evening so it was not a double show day and we could go straight home after. So suffice it to say when I saw it again last night, herself did not come with me! I basically told my one other regular theatre going friend that she had to come and see it. She also thought it was excellent so that worked out.

A couple of thoughts. Some slight bits are improved in Wyndham's. The lighting and stage space allows Gabe to be more obvious moving around in the boxes upstairs, his silhouette more prominent than I recall.

One thing that really struck me is that I think Jamie Parker has different direction than the rest of the cast. He's the only one that looks and talks out to the audience and up into the circles. No-one else seems to address the audience, all of their lines are to each other and facing each other, lots of eye contact with each other. I noticed it early on and I thought it might be because some of Dan's first lines are fourth wall breaking, he tells us he has no idea what is going on, even while hugging Diana, he is gesturing at and talking to the audience. Gabe talks to, and intense eye contact with several of the front row, during one of his big numbers but other than that, it feels like the direction/focus is not on playing for an audience but on play with the character/cast in front of you except for Dan.

I think Jack Ofrecio has really quite beautifully grown into the role of Henry, particularly towards the end of the second half, he's giving just as much as anyone else on stage and last night he was also dealing with a cast change at the interval! Very impressed by him.

Front row, the stage is slightly high. I could not see sandwiches being made on the floor or the blood spreading. I wonder if this is staged a little differently from the Donmar, there was an audible gasp there but here not so much. Perhaps just the nature of the size of place. I strangely found it slightly more intimate than Donmar, I think the front row and slightly higher stage made it feel like that. With Wolfe clearly picking out people in the front row when running around with the mic, Levy sat on the stage legs dangling down and more than once just standing toes over the edge of the stage.

On Eleanor Worthington-Cox, without I hope straying too much into speculation, in hindsight something had looked wrong during her final scene in the first act and as soon as they made the announcement it made sense. I thought Lizzy Parker smashed it especially for coming on half way through. Audience very receptive at the end and she got a big hug from Cassie Levy.

I still think it is excellent, a superb cast and if I get one of those rebooker emails a few of you have reported, there is every chance I'll make a third visit before it closes.

[ladidah]

Glad you enjoyed it, your poor partner was very strong to stay when they went.

[Dr Tom]

TodayTix has an offer for this at the moment. I think the prices are the same as the ones sent through by DMT in the recent email. However, if you're a TodayTix Gold member, you should also get the additional 10% off, so might be worth booking through TodayTix in that case (and you can also pay the extra £1 for ticket cancellation).

[thistimetomorrow]

The deal Donmar sent me had back of dress for £25, but the todaytix one has those seats for £35 so double check your deals before you book!

[ncbears]

Aug 1, 2024 22:34:36 GMT tal said:

Aug 1, 2024 21:08:36 GMT Dave B said:

We jinxed it. Lizzie Parker on at the interval for an indisposed Eleanor Worthington Cox.

I was also there, and I though it was funny how the swap added extra meaning when Diana asks “And who are you?” the first time she sees the new actress playing Natalie in the second act.

This happened in the first US Tour when Alice Ripley was replaced by her understudy Pearl Sun for Act Two. Reportedly, audience bemusement at lines about how ECT "changes" people.

[stevej678]

Lizzy is on again as Natalie tonight.

[marob]

My weird taste manifested itself yesterday, when I saw this last night following an afternoon at Mean Girls. I didn’t know much about the show, went primarily because I knew it had been well received on here. I was a bit sceptical about mental health as a topic for a musical, but I shouldn’t have been. What a hell of a show. Caissie Levy was wonderful as the lead, but Jack Wolfe was extraordinary. Only negative was I did feel like act two didn’t quite live up to act one. I got for row G of the stalls, in theory just off to the side of the best seats, but still couldn’t see the stage floor properly. Could see the sandwich making, but didn’t realise there was blood until Jamie Parker was cleaning it up with towels.

[Nelly]

Looks like Eleanor was back on last night.

[ncbears]

And Parker is back on as Natalie on 8 August
x.com/westendcovers/status/1821531786024812822?s=46&t=c8AYn9o3ZHkn-imSWQVGxA

[ryanadibou]

They've just announced a remixed and remastered version of the Broadway album dropping tomorrow for the 15th anniversary, I'd say the chances for a West End recording are the lowest they can be right now...

[heypax]

I saw a tweet mentioning a q&a after todays matinée, did someone happen to be present for that ? was anything interesting/fun said ?

[blamerobots]

Aug 8, 2024 19:41:45 GMT ryanadibou said:

They've just announced a remixed and remastered version of the Broadway album dropping tomorrow for the 15th anniversary, I'd say the chances for a West End recording are the lowest they can be right now...

I've already "obtained" it as it came out early in some places.

Fully high-resolution 24-bit FLAC master now instead of the previous available CD quality, and I believe it will in Dolby Atmos for those that listen on Apple Music(?)

It sounds really good. Band sounds as prominent as the vocals without either being muffled or drowned out. There definitely feels like a change in approach in direction, I saw an interview that saw the remixing process as mixing for an album rather than a stuffy accurate cast recording, which I think works best with this score. May change though depending on the platform I'm sure (I don't know how this will sound compressed down on Spotify...)

[ntherooh]

Any news about the Broadway transfer?

[steven22]

Aug 8, 2024 20:31:35 GMT ntherooh said:

Any news about the Broadway transfer?

And a recording of the London cast…even a live recording from the theatre would be perfect.

[flouise]

I'd interpret Caissie Levy's instagram story yesterday as suggesting that one isn't in the works unfortunately.

I wish that they would at least release the songs that they recorded for the promotional videos as a 'highlights' album.

It looks like they're (thankfully) changing tack with the promotional art, it's still on the official website but seems to be changing elsewhere (social media, TodayTix etc).

[Rory]

Aug 10, 2024 8:02:16 GMT flouise said:

I'd interpret Caissie Levy's instagram story yesterday as suggesting that one isn't in the works unfortunately.

I wish that they would at least release the songs that they recorded for the promotional videos as a 'highlights' album.

It looks like they're (thankfully) changing tack with the promotional art, it's still on the official website but seems to be changing elsewhere (social media, TodayTix etc).

The artwork campaign for the transfer has not worked and people told them that loudly and clearly from day one. Glad to see they've finally changed it.