Normal is good when it comes to body temperature, precipitation, and a town in Illinois. In everyday life, however, normalcy is an impossible concept, and even becomes a pejorative when linked to conformity and doctrinaire standards of behavior. I honestly don't know any normal people, and I run with a pretty tame crowd.
But Next to Normal invites us into a world where normal looks like a Sisyphean paradise. As the title succinctly indicates, just arriving in the vicinity of prevailing behavior is a goal in itself, even if the exact reasons it prevails are unclear to the seeker. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is one of Broadway's more unusual success stories, and its excellent touring counterpart is now at the Curran Theatre.
There is only one holdover from the original Broadway company, but it's a doozy. Alice Ripley, a well-regarded stage veteran, scored a breakthrough triumph with the role of the mentally distressed Diana Goodman, whose unraveling causes the same within her family. Ripley won the Tony Award for her portrayal of this woman on the verge, and seeing her reprise it at the Curran is an exhilarating theatrical experience.
Next to Normal is a nearly completely sung musical with a rock-centered score by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey that can take on the cloak of different genres that the situations suggest. The basic sound is fairly generic, but its driving rhythms provide the right transport for a story of accelerating deterioration. The only false note comes at the end, when a here's-to-life anthem, even in its tempered tones, too neatly puts a bow on the damaged packages that the characters must continue to carry.
For reasons best left to the theatergoer to discover, Diana's ability to function in the day-to-day life of a wife and mother is in serious decline as the curtain rises. She has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, manic-depression, and the story serpentines through domestic situations, both comic and fraught, and into the characters' minds as they try to cope with an untenable situation. There are also adventures in pharmacology, with a kaleidoscope of toss-of-the-dice medications. "Valium is my favorite color," Diana says sardonically.
Michael Greif, who directed Rent, has sharply staged the musical on Mark Wendland's multi-tiered set based in pop-art sensibilities. While Ripley and her character are the production's driving forces, there is estimable work from Asa Somers as Diana's stalwart husband, Emma Hunton as their prickly teen daughter, Curt Hansen as their invasive son, and Jeremy Kushnier as a succession of doctors with no cures but endless remedies.
Next to Normal is hardly a feel-good musical, but that doesn't mean it's a feel-bad experience. Human drama, compellingly told and expertly played, brings pleasure even when it comes at an emotional price.
Next to Normal will run at the Curran Theatre through Feb. 20. Tickets are $30-$99. Call (888) SHN-1799.