Redeeming Moments

MANILA, Philippines - With all the flare surrounding the revival of movie musical adaptations these past few years, a stellar production has somehow slipped through the radar. Not much has been heard about it aside from the praise heaped by Broadway followers. And how unfortunate, too, because it can easily be said that the rock musical Next to Normal is one of the more interesting examples of what can be termed a modern musical. It is driven by a gripping story and yet it is also firmly rooted in the nitty-gritty wiles of reality and charged primarily by emotional drama. However, instead of resulting in an overly-histrionic presentation, it transforms these would-be confines into strengths and tools to further garner audience empathy and enjoyment.

Interestingly enough, Next to Normal is quite young: It was nominated for Best Musical in the Tony Awards in 2009 (along with 10 other nominations, winning three). If that track record doesn’t seem impressive yet, toss in its 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which has only been given to eight musicals in history. In fact, the last musical to get it was Rent in 1996.

Whereas Rent tackled disease in the ’90s inner cities, Next to Normal seeks to handle a different illness, on a more microscopic scale — within the confines of an otherwise typical suburban family. The story revolves around Diana Goodman, a wife and mother battling a mood disorder. It puts a heavy strain on her family, a lot of cash into her psychiatrists’ wallets, and an increasingly alarming variety of drugs into her system. Woven into the mix are interludes of romance, but the narrative remains immersed in portrayals of loss, drug abuse, and more.

Admittedly, it is difficult to keep from divulging many of the sparks that both complicate and liven the play considerably. With twists at every turn, to go too in-depth with Next to Normal’s plot would be one big spoilerama. However, one thing is clear: that this is heavy, heavy stuff, and quite the opposite of child-friendly. There are monologues, battles of morals and a lot of philosophizing of the proper ethics when it comes to psychiatric treatment. Domestic disputes — primarily emotional — run rampant in the play.

Right now, the whole thing sounds like a description of a telenovela taking itself too seriously. Perhaps that’s what it would end up in the hands of less capable actors. Tackling this kind of subject matter could very well go any which way, including awry. But it doesn’t, and that is what makes the musical stand out.

A brief but not uncommon moment of tenderness between Diana (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) and Dan (Jett Pangan)

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (who delighted audiences as kooky Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd) plays the title character. Tasked with having to juggle mood swings while oscillating between helpless and tenacious at various intervals, it should come to no one’s surprise that Lauchengco-Yulo is able to rise to the occasion and get people to actually care about this woman. Her Diana Goodman is worthy of sympathy, whose hang-ups you sincerely wish would finally depart. Lauchengco-Yulo expresses her pain in subtle ways — shifts in body language, a slight change in the tone of her voice — so much so that she does not need to burst into song and tell the audience how she’s feeling.

The conflict is already all there, and though it would be so easy to dismiss her character for not being able to solve her own problems, the chemistry between her redeeming moments versus her forfeits compels you not to. It’s the redeeming moments that ultimately win out regardless of Diana Goodman’s fate.

Playing Goodman’s husband Dan is another powerhouse — Jett Pangan, who last portrayed Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde The Musical. Dan is the supportive yet conflicted spouse who resolves to never give up on his wife, even if it sometimes means inflicting pain on his own psyche. Thanks to Pangan, Dan is one worth rooting for from start to finish. The character’s decisions, whether good or questionable, stem from a reasoning worthy of commiseration. Pangan provides the bit of clarity needed every now and then, even when Dan has his own moments.

Rounding off a family wherein the harmony only shows during musical numbers are Felix Rivera (Xanadu) as Gabe and Bea Garcia (A Little Night Music) as Natalie, the kids. Rivera’s role as a skulking older brother may sound like an unusual change of pace at first for those accustomed to seeing him in various comedic musicals. However, Rivera proves he can do drama just as well as he can do funny and romantic — there’s a collective sense of foreboding activated at every instant that he appears.

For her part, Garcia, together with Markki Stroem, brings some well-deserved sweetness to the stage as Natalie gets to know Henry, the lazy but caring stoner who takes all of Natalie’s family issues in stride. Garcia also manages to illustrate the agony of her character while dealing with what seems like the entire collection of all mother-daughter issues rolled into one.

Jake Macapagal completes the cast as the mysterious psychopharmacologist Dr. Fine. Aside from looking fittingly creepy when standing in a lab coat under blue-greenish light, Macapagal brings more than enough complexity to the role, especially for a character who’s mostly there for exposition. Dr. Fine stands largely as an illustration of ethics in modern psychiatry — whether he genuinely cares about Diana’s condition or only cares enough to cure her no matter what the cost is up to the viewer to decide.

The tragicomedy (yes, there are moments of good humor injected throughout) had its preview last Friday, March 11, with many shedding tears as they left the theater. Directed by Bobby Garcia (A Little Night Music, Xanadu), Next to Normal is certainly worthy of a viewing and will definitely leave you deep in thought about whatever issue you choose to fixate on, be it dysfunctional families or death.

You might even start to question your own sanity. Sadly, though, most of the play’s latest buzz has revolved around the Broadway production’s closure last January. Then again, that’s a whole other reason to go see it — who knows when the next staging will possibly be? And in Manila, no less?

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‘Next to Normal‘ will be showing at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza from March 11 to March 27. For tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 ot 840-1187. You may also contact Ticketworld at 891-999, or visit www.atlantisproductions.com.