Local Theatre Company Spotlights Mental Illness With Pulitzer Winning Musical

Beyond the surface, a local theatre company is looking at mental illness from a different perspective.

Opening on Friday September 5th, Cardinal Music Productions will present a two week run of pop/rock musical Next To Normal. With a book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play is set to engage audiences at Paulin Memorial Presbyterian Church (located at 3200 Woodland Avenue.)

Touting a strong cast, its challenging material drew the director’s attention early-on.

“We wanted to do a show that would be impactful for our audiences and this show is full of incredible resonant moments,” said Bayleigh Cardinal. “This is also a difficult show, so a big part of our selection of this show was knowing that we had the right actors to perform it and do it justice. Our main interest in the show comes from its powerful subject of mental illness and its phenomenal musical score.”

Next To Normal revolves around a seemingly typical American family on the surface. The father of their household is an architect, his wife rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal for the kids while their teens are a bright wise-cracking son and daughter. Upon closer inspection however, they’re anything but average: In reality, everyone is impacted by the mother’s 16-year struggle with bi-polar disorder. Focusing on the family’s story with love, sympathy and heart, The show takes audiences into each character’s thoughts and feelings while addressing issues like grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry and suburban life.

Although it may seem like an odd fit with such heavy drama, music ultimately works to give the story its unique identity.

“The musical score is one of the best parts of this show,” said Cardinal. “The music is energetic and to me that energy is always leading toward a path of hope. A lot of rock music is emotionally driven and I think that style really lends itself to the subject matter of the show, especially in a show that is almost entirely sung through.”

As a result, a focus was placed on strong vocals when casting took place in June. Putting together a small group for Next To Normal, those involved had to carry a difficult score. showing they were up for the task, Melissa Mills (Diana,) Joe Cardinal (Dan,) Regan) White (Natalie,) Beau St Pierre (Gabe,) Bayleigh (Henry) and Arshia Zaman (Dr. Fine, Dr. Madden) rounded out the seven roles.

After finalizing the cast, rehearsals began with an emphasis on music. Singing almost entirely throughout the play and having dialogue underscored as well, it’s something that wouldn’t work without perfecting such an element.

Assisted with musical direction by White, Bayleigh maintains that it was the most intense aspect of the project.

“The most challenging part of this show is its vocal demands,” said the director. “We are lucky to have a cast of  six fantastic vocalists who were up to the challenge. For example, the character of Diana sings in 26 songs. That is a lot of demand on the voice in a two hour time period, especially considering how difficult some of the songs are. Each actor was up to the task of their character though and I’m proud of each of their accomplishments in this show.”

After this aspect of production was on solid ground, work on blocking, incorporating movement, props and the set into rehearsals began. Assembling a small and talented cast, this phase went by quickly, letting everyone move on to find their characters while adding a final polish.

Given how common Next To Normal’s main subject is, each actor also related to material in their own ways.

“Mental illness is very prevalent in our society,” said Bayleigh. “Each of our actors have experience, whether through family, friends or themselves. I think having that understanding allowed everyone to bring sensitivity and vulnerability to the material. The thing that’s great about this show is how real it feels and the actors having such connection to it enhances that feeling.”

This conflict and realism is also what the director remains excited to showcase for audiences.

“I want audiences to connect with the characters,” she said. “We spent a lot of time growing these characters and building connections with each other, so I want audiences to see a piece of themselves in each of their stories. There are many phenomenal moments in the show, so it’s hard to narrow it down, But I love how each character’s struggle is highlighted through layers of songs on top of each other during You Don’t Know/I Am the One. Diana feels isolated and misunderstood, Dan feels unappreciated and Gabe feels unseen. The composer and lyricist did a phenomenal job putting these struggles into song. The whole show is like that and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to share it with audiences.”

Staged by Cardinal Music Productions, performances of Next To Normal will take place at Paulin Memorial Church on September 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30pm  while 2:00pm  matinees are scheduled for Sundays. General admission tickets are $33.90 each (HST included) and can be purchased online or via e-transfer at [email protected]. In addition, cash only admission is available at the front door for $35 (HST included.)

Those using e-transfer are asked to provide their name, date of desired performance, number of tickets required and phone number in the bank’s provided message box: Upon purchase, tickets can then be picked up at the venue on the day of the corresponding show..

Armed with amazing music, surprising humour and many turns, the director thinks audiences should also see the play for a more important reason too.

“I think the biggest thing people can take away from Next to Normal is that everyone has a different path through the darkness into the light and that’s okay,” said Bayleigh. “Healing is not one-size-fits-all and what’s ‘normal’ for one person may not be for someone else. It’s a powerful message and something that needs to be shared so people know they aren’t alone.”