Pulitzer Winning Musical Next to Normal for Williamstown

Pulitzer Winning Musical Next to Normal for Williamstown

Williamstown Musical Theatre Company Inc (Vic) presents the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal from November 9 to 24, 2012.

Highly acclaimed as a ground breaking musical which has pushed Broadway in new directions, Next to Normal, which opened on Broadway in 2009 was nominated for a total of 11 Tony Awards, winning for Best Original Score, Best Orchestration and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

This emotional powerhouse of a musical portrays the intricacies of a family trying to take care of themselves and each other in the face of a mother’s deteriorating mental state. With a pulsing, exhilarating, and contemporary score, this Tony Award winner also took home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

In awarding the prize, the Pulitzer Board called the show "a powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals.

Next to Normal is an intense, emotional and ultimately hopeful musical and makes a direct grab for the heart with its story of a family coming to terms with its past and bravely facing its future.

President of WMTC, Marcus Cassidy – Anderson said “The inclusion of Next to Normal in our 2012 season supports WMTC’s ongoing commitment to not only present traditional musical theatre classics but to also tackle productions that explore new and challenging topics, themes and concepts.”

We spoke to Rosa McCarty, who is playing Diana Goodman, about what she loved most about her character and what her characters most interesting traits are.

“I think the characteristic of Diana I most admire is her sense of freedom. She has spent 16 years being classified, moulded, analysed, and ‘treated’ in an attempt to make her behaviour and thoughts more ‘normal’. Yet throughout all of these trials she has the courage to always seek freedom in what she feels – she is defiant of the authority of social pressure to behave as a woman ‘should’. Diana is not constrained by the society’s perception of what is acceptable – even though the decisions she makes has eventual consequences of all those around her”.

We also asked Rosa why people should come and see this production of Next to Normal?

“This is a wonderfully sophisticated piece of musical theatre. If you haven’t seen it before – I encourage you to come along – but don’t read anything about the plot – let yourself be carried away. The entire cast are incredibly talented and do great justice to the characters and the piece. The score sounds awesome with Tyson Legg’s band, and the staging and direction are sublime. Williamstown Musical Theatre Company are an innovative and progressive company that deserve support and recognition for their commitment to community theatre in Victoria. I love working with WMTC – and this production has been no different. Everyone involved has been wonderful to work with, and encouraged the support and trust required to create these multifaceted and damaged characters.”

For over 50 years Williamstown Musical Theatre Company has been perfecting its craft and providing high quality entertainment for both the Hobsons Bay Community, as well as Melbourne’s theatre going audiences.

Next to Normal opens for a limited season on Friday 9th November and plays until Saturday 24th November at the Williamstown Mechanics Institute (Corner of Melbourne Road & Electra Street, Williamstown).

Tickets are available online by visiting WMTC’s website www.wmtc.org.au orby calling 1300 881 545.

Images: (top) Brittany Lewis (Natalie), Paul Watson (Dan), Rosa McCarty (Diana) and Bradley Dylan (Gabe); (middle) Rosa McCarty (Diana) and (lower) Zachary Alaimo (Henry), Brittany Lewis (Natalie), Rosa McCarty (Diana), Paul Watson (Dan), Bradley Dylan (Gabe) and Michael Butler (Doctor). Photographer: Gavin D. Andrew.

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