[NEohioPAL] Next To Normal

[Marc Howard]

*AURORA COMMUNITY THEATRE *

Contact:

Christine Patronik-Holder

330-562-1818

*Award Winning*

*NEXT to NORMAL **Opens **June 29*



*NEXT to NORMAL*, featuring an electrifying pop-rock score, opens June 29 at
Aurora Community Theatre, 115 E. Pioneer Trail for a seven-performance run
at 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays through July 14, plus 3 pm Sunday July 8.



*Tom Kitt* composed the music with book and lyrics by *Brian Yorkey* of
this American musical, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, three Tony
Awards, including Best Musical Score, and the designation as “one of the
year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including *The Los
Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone *and *The New York Times.*


*NEXT to NORMAL* tells the story of the Goodman family. Dad’s an architect,
teenaged daughter and son are bright and wise-cracking, while mom rushes
frenziedly to pack lunches, pour cereal and cope. Audiences will warmly
embrace each character in this story of a modern suburban family as they
struggle to manage normally under the mantle of mom’s bipolar disorder*.



“A brave, breathtaking musical. It is something much more than a feel-good
musical: it is a feel-everything musical.” ---* The New York Times*



*Marc C. Howard* directs and choreographs this deeply moving piece of
musical theatre with* D. Keith Stiver*, musical director and* Tina Davis*,
assistant director.



*Jessica DeFrange* takes on the role of Diana Goodman with *Paul G. Josell* as
her husband, Dan; *Libby Kendzerski* as their daughter Natalie, and *Logan
Soland *as son, Gabriel “Gabe.”  *Stephen Blauch* plays Natalie’s
boyfriend, Henry, while *Ron Davis* takes on the dual roles of Dr. Fine/Dr.
Madden.



*Erin Matson* is the producer, *Ann Nyenhuis*, stage manager/technical
director, with* Dave Nyenhuis*, assistant stage manager. *T.L.
Codella* designed
the lighting. *Maggie Hamilton, *in charge of sound, also serves as board
liaison. *Marianne Gingras* designed promotional posters and signs.


*Todd Plone*, set designer and scenic artist, also assisted with
construction, which was managed by Ann Nyenhuis. The construction crew also
included *Joe Mira, Dave Nyenhuis, Neil Rubin, April Sike, Craig McCloud,
Katie Hintze, Rollin R. Devere III, Tim Steiner, *and *Jerry Schaber, *who
will serve as run crew.

Musical director Stiver will serve as pianist while he conducts the live
orchestra featuring: *Jonathan "Skip" Edwards*, bass, *Rochelle Hylton*,
cello, *Tyler Harding*, percussion, *Heather Kovach*, violin, and *Dustin
Oliver*, guitar.



**American Psychological Association* defines bipolar disorder as “a
serious mental illness in which common emotions become intensely and often
unpredictably magnified. Individuals with bipolar disorder can quickly
swing from extremes of happiness, energy and clarity to sadness, fatigue
and confusion. These shifts can be so devastating that individuals may
choose suicide. All people with bipolar disorder have manic episodes —
abnormally elevated or irritable moods that last at least a week and impair
functioning. But not all become depressed.”



*“NEXT to NORMAL* is fabulous; make time to see the show. The script zings,
both funny and painful. The music pulses, keeping a tough subject
palatable—even entertaining." *Psychology Today*



“Beg, Borrow, or Steal to get a ticket to this show … It’s a fantastic
piece of musical theater…you will be entertained, touched, moved, and
devastated, all in two hours with electric guitars. Trust me, it works.”
Tara Kennedy *Onstage blog*



“The music is outstanding. That’s much of the reason we chose it,” said
director Howard, who also serves as the president of Aurora Community
Theatre’s Board of Trustees and chair of the play selection committee.



AMAZON.com patron music reviews of the original Broadway recording of *NEXT
to NORMAL *as 4.7 out of 5 with comments such as:



§    “*NEXT to NORMAL* is a breath of fresh air on the Broadway stage. Very
rarely does a show this fantastic come along.”



§    “It is so rare nowadays to hear music written in the traditional AABA
musical theatre structure in a pop style that truly compels you to listen
and draws you into the dramatic conflicts of the story. So many pop musical
scores are bland and generic, but not this little treasure.”



§    “I have not had a musical touch my heart like this in years. I can't
stop listening to it.”



AUDIENCE ADVISORY: *NEXT to NORMAL* contains strong language and
adult situations that some may find offensive.



*NEXT to NORMAL* is presented through special arrangement with Music
Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also
supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com <http://www.mtishows.com/>



Aurora Community Theatre is located at 115 E. Pioneer Trail
<https://maps.google.com/?q=115+E.+Pioneer+Trail&entry=gmail&source=g>,
near the intersection of SR 43 and 306, at the gazebo, in the center of
Aurora. ACT extends appreciation to The Denise G. & Norman E. Wells, Jr.
Family Foundation for their generous underwriting of the Wells Main Stage.



*ACT, celebrating 58 successful seasons in 2017-18, annually presents three
Main Season shows, a summer stock production, benefit show, plus two
children’s summer workshops, reaching an annual audience of over 7,000.*
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