Sure, Hamilton is a great musical, I won’t deny that. But that can’t be the only modern musical you should know about. There are so many amazing productions that you’ve probably never even heard of, you just have to know where to find them!

Northern State University has just wrapped up their production of the musical Next to Normal. A rock musical about a mother who is struggling with bipolar disorder that is slowly getting worse. Her illness is effecting her family in more ways than one. Each family member deals with this in their own ways. The story does also touch on subjects such as grieving, suicide, drug abuse and the ethics of modern psychiatry.

In the beginning, no one was completely certain how the show would end up going, but it turned out to be a big hit with anyone who went to see it. While this show is definitely not for all ages, it certainly is something that is worth seeing! If you research what this musical is about and ask people who have seen it before if it’s worth the time and money, there will be a lot of expectations to uphold, and this is one show that meets all of them.

So, here are 5 reasons why Next to Normal should be your new favorite musical:

(This list is in a completely random order)

• The Music

Now this might be obvious considering it’s a musical, but hear me out. The music for this production is absolutely brilliant. The songs perfectly capture the scenes and the mood of the story. There are the classic big musical numbers and then there are the songs that end up being conversations between two or more characters, just being sung rather than said. Adding to this, the lyrics of the songs are so powerful in their meaning. Each song has its own story to it, which gives the music that much more credit. When sung by the right actor/actress, the music will send chills all over your body. Also, the music doesn’t seem forced into the production because the transitions from song to acting and song to song are well timed and smoothly done with the scenes. As a bonus, these songs are performed with a live instrumental band and will get stuck in your head, but they’re good songs so it’s not even a bad thing!

• Characters

If played by the right actors/actresses, you will fall in love with these characters. The cast consists of Diana (mother), Dan (father), Natalie (daughter), Gabe (son), Henry (Natalie’s boyfriend), Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden.

They deal with issues that the audience can relate to. The mothers bipolar disorder and how the family deals with her illness is the focus of the show. These characters’ deal with the issues in the show in very real ways with very real emotions. The family and just the individual characters themselves are not perfect in any way, shape or form. They have their flaws just like everyone else in the real world. They mess up, say the wrong things, struggle with relationships and let their emotions and love get the best of them. But being able to connect with the characters on stage makes the show that much more real and more likable than other musicals you may have seen.

• The Relationships

The connections that the characters have with each other is something that is very difficult to do with a musical or even a play. Each relationship is so real, so raw, that the audience instantly connects with them. Family wise, they’re not the stereotypical “perfect” family. Hell, they’re not even the stereotypical “quirky” family! This is a family that is struggling and dealing with difficult issues yet trying to pretend like everything is perfectly normal when it is the complete opposite of that. They are a family that stays together as long as possible, even when things get so difficult that it would just be easier to leave. The title says it best; they are a next to normal kind of family.

Now relationship wise, it is very similar. You have Natalie and Henry, two people who are complete opposites of each other, come together and fight through the tough times. No matter what happens or how a situation is handled, Henry doesn’t want to leave Natalie, even when it would be the easier thing to do. Everyone needs a Henry in their life. This is the same with the parents Diana and Dan, he doesn't leave her no matter what ends up happening. These relationships between the characters are so strong that you instantly connect and sympathize with the them.

• Bringing Awareness

Honestly, this is one of the more important reasons as to why this musical is so amazing. It brings awareness to mental illness. Though many people know what mental illnesses are, not many people know what they do to people and how it effects the person who has it and the people around them who love and care about them. Next to Normal shows that something like bipolar disorder and depression are not something to be romanticized or taken lightly. It shows you how it can completely take over a person’s life and destroy the relationships with the loved ones of that person. This show also helps you realize that sometimes medicine doesn’t help and taking drastic measures to help cure an illness like this can have consequences. This is a big reason why this production is definitely worth your time.

(The picture above is from the performance at Northern State University!)

• The Story Overall

Last but not the least, the reason that I believe that Next to Normal should be your new favorite musical is because overall, this is a well-rounded show with an amazing and real story line and cast. There are moments that make you laugh and there are so many moments where you cry (trust me, just about everyone that went to see it at NSU admitted to crying during the show). It is a very real story with realistic characters dealing with things that even audience members have had to deal with. It also has its own twists and turns along the way. This musical is very intense, but so worth it. I am very proud of the Northern State University Theater Department for performing this musical and making it one of the best productions to be performed at NSU so far! I guarantee that you will not regret going to this show.

(Northern State University again!)