Chico State’s Department of Music, Theater and Dance production of Brian Yorkey’s “Next to Normal” is a gut-wrenching, witty wild ride that absorbs audiences into the dysfunctional lives of a family through magnetic performances and smart staging choices.

The show follows the Goodman household as it spirals around mother Diana – played by Olivia Moffat – and her bipolar disorder, and how it derails the lives of her, her husband Dan – played by Jacob Harmon – and her 16-year-old daughter Natalie – played by Kira Cory – as they attempt to get her help.  

It is important to note that this show engages with themes of severe mental illness, suicide, drug abuse and self-harm and does so in a blunt fashion. Those sensitive to these subject matters to use their discretion.   

The Wismer Theater was the best stage for this show as the black box and seating configuration allowed for a more intimate audience and performer dynamic, enhancing the immersion and forcing the plot to impact the audience more heavily than if they were watching from far away.   

The seats were divided into three sections on each side of the performers. Although most of the blocking kept the multiple perspectives of the audience in mind, there were some moments where the blocking obscured actors’ facial expressions and background interactions — especially when sitting at the main table – which made me feel like my choice of seating led me to miss out on important bits of the show. However, all the actors did a great job of acting to all sections of the audience. 

Both the microphones and the actor’s diction made most lyrics clear allowing the audience to easily follow along as they were picked up and thrown into the plot. However, if anyone got lost, the blocking both demonstrated and reinforced character relationships, dynamics and parallels.

The set was exactly as much as it needed to be. There was a backdrop of a deconstructed house perfectly illustrating the wreckage and destruction that has become of the Goodman family. Different locations were signified by chairs, tables and a bed being moved off and on by cast members.

The costuming was simple; most characters dressed in beige and gray clothes except for the ensemble of nurses wearing light blue scrubs. 

Behind the set piece was a small, live band that mixed so nicely with all of the cast’s vocals. The show’s music was a mix of theatrical and pop-rock anthems and was definitely a product of the early 2010s. Still, the band added energy and excitement to the stage. 

Opening night was sold out and the audience was eager to cheer and laugh at the beginning, however as the show progressed, the audience became quieter as they were swept away into the show but delivered a standing ovation at the end. 

This show is intense, tragic and leaves you a bit frustrated over some of the character’s decisions but each cast member made all the characters likable and relatable on some level.

The leading role of Diana demands a lot from her actress and Moffat delivered on every aspect. Her portrayal of Diana’s bipolar disorder managed to show how deep Diana’s suffering was without ever feeling overacted. Through her tone and body language, she humanized Diana in each scene of mania and agony. Moffat excelled in both the soft piano ballads and pop-rock songs. 

Harmon portrays Dan’s desperation and devotion to Diana so empathetically that some of Dan’s more vexing decisions and behavior throughout the show were made understandable. I couldn’t stay annoyed with Dan because whenever I would look at him, his facial expressions and acting just made me feel so bad for the character.  

Cory embodied her role as Natalie. Her singing voice was beautifully theatrical and her delivery of lines was so natural and effortlessly witty, which provided much-needed levity. Cory’s scenes with Henry – Natalie’s boyfriend — played by Joshua Thacker, had a fun energy to them that contrasted the angst of their counterpart couple. Thacker’s endearing performance as Henry was just a ray of sunshine in such a gloomy show. 

Stephen Mason as Dr. Fine, Diana’s psychopharmacologist, and Dr. Madden, Diana’s psychologist, was a nice anchor amongst all of the eccentric characters and played off Moffat well. 

This show’s talented cast, beautiful accompaniment and sharp design all cumulate into the most fun emotional rollercoaster I’ve ever been on.

This production thrives when the plot thickens, so this review will delve into spoiler territory. However, I believe this show is best experienced when going into it blind.

I urge you to catch the last performance Nov. 17 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $10 for both 17 and under and Chico State students with an ID card at the door.  

Below are spoilers for the plot of “Next to Normal”.

Throughout the plot, Diana is visited by visions of her son Gabe, played by Jaiden Griffin, as a teenager. Gabe operates outside of the confines of the stage. Although each character looks out to the audience, Gabe consistently interacts and sits among the audience watching as the events play out. 

This all foreshadowed – without making it too obvious – the revelation in act one’s “It’s Gonna Be Good” that Gabe was dead, and Diana had just been hallucinating him. During that number there only being three seats at the table – interrupting the consistency of the four chairs seen throughout the show to signify the Goodman’s dining room – was a nice touch and how Griffin emoted standing behind the others made it truly devastating. 

The most thrilling sequence of the show was “Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling” through the end of act one. Every actor was completely in the zone, from Cory’s heartbreaking portrayal of Natalie’s breakdown to Moffat’s outstanding solo in “I Dreamed A Dance” to Mason’s cold reveal of Diana’s suicide attempt. The mix of blocking and lighting of “There’s a World” was stunningly somber.    

The blocking for the numbers that featured duos of Diana and Dan, and Natalie and Henry, illustrated the parallels between the pairs of characters, something that wasn’t super explicit in the lyrics. The staging showed that Natalie’s behavior due to the stress of her home life was similar to Diana’s episodes and that Henry and Dan will always be there to try and help pick up the pieces of their chaos. I feel like if I were to just listen to the lyrics, I wouldn’t have picked up on all the references to generational trauma, so the staging and performances perfectly reinforced it. 

The conclusion of the show wasn’t as satisfying as I would have hoped – to no fault of this production — this is strictly a critique for Mr. Brian Yorkey. Moffat’s subtle acting during her last scene delivered on the conclusion to her character’s journey that the text of the show skipped out on.

However the real emotional resolution of the show was, Dan finally acknowledging the presence of Gabe was the bittersweet closure the show needed and Harmon and Griffin delivered their best moments on stage together during that scene.  

Regardless of my personal grips with the show itself, this production of “Next to Normal” was captivating, cathartic and showcased some wonderful performances.

Nadia Hill can be reached at [email protected]