Charleston , Kanawha County , West Virginia

Coping with loss. How do you do it? That's the central core of the rock musical "Next To Normal." The 2010 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama also captured three Tony Awards in 2009.

It showcases an outwardly mundane family whose members are struggling internally. A mom deals with worsening bipolar disorder...which has an enormous impact on the people she loves. Emily Capece plays family matriarch Diana Goodman. Ryan Hardiman is her husband Dan.

It is rare that a musical tackles the heavy subject matter of "Next To Normal." Shows filled with songs tend to center on romance and laughter.
But critics say "Next To Normal" helps expand the scope of subject matter for the genre. Using a throbbing rock soundtrack filled with energy and passion, it paints a picture of mental illness in the suburbs and how disease affects everyone the suffering person touches.

In addition to loss and death, "Next To Normal" explores suicide, modern psychiatry...and how a seemingly placid existence can be turned upside down in a heartbeat.

The show doesn't offer definitive answers. Instead, it lays out possibilities...and the reasons we choose the paths we take.

The Charleston Light Opera Guild presents:

"Next To Normal"
Charleston Civic Center Little Theater
June 15, 16, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm
June 17, 24 at 5:00 pm

There is a special panel discussion and talk back following the June 17th show.

All seats reserved: $20

Call 304-343-2287

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