Next to Normal (2nd Broadway Preview) - Original Cast
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ส.ค. 2013
- Full show, original Broadway cast. Second preview performance recorded March 28 2009 (not by me). See "show more" below for more info (plus download link).
Cast: Alice Ripley as Diana, J. Robert Spencer as Dan, Jennifer Damiano as Natalie, Aaron Tveit as Gabe, Adam Chanler-Berat as Henry, and Louis Hobson as Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden.
Warning: Despite bouts of humor, content includes difficult themes such as mental illness, grief, and self-destructive behavior. Potential triggers include drug use, self harm, blood, and suicidal thoughts/actions. Other mature content includes some strong language and sexual references.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the show. If you like what you see here, please consider supporting this work by purchasing official merchandise such as the Original Broadway Cast recording, libretto, or songbook, or by supporting a production in your area.
Current and upcoming productions can be found at these sites (check both):
www.mtishowspace.com/productio...
www.mtishows.com/show_detail.a...
Original VOB video files can be downloaded here:
www.mediafire.com/folder/zv0n1...
Enjoy. There will be light. - บันเทิง
![[TH] VCT Pacific Stage 2 - Week 4 Day 1 // PRX vs RRQ | GE vs GEN](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iIi2_04jGr0/mqdefault.jpg)
That awkward moment when your brother’s ghost is more self-confident than you are.
🤣🤣🤣🤣😅
"You've gotta let go, mom. I'm almost 18."
Really gives it a different meaning when you rewatch it...
'he's almost 18. Wouldn't you be just about to let go anyway?'
first time: ouch
Second time: OUCH!
@@Scholz23 idk if that's the line in this version, but it is NOT THAT DIRECT in the main script!!!!
@@QuikVidGuy 2nd preview, it's been revised like crazy over the many years they workshopped it and even through the broadway run
next to normal starring aaron tveit as the pole dancing ghost who says vague answers when you ask him who he is
Well now I have spoiled this for my self NEVER scroll through comments lol
@@evie5508 same😫 I read this before the birthday cake scene 😭
I think "pole dancing ghost" is my fav[eute description of Gabe
I love this
he’s alive?
Respect to those of the crew who ignored Aaron Tveit the whole time :D I couldn't have ignored this handsome man ;)
Natalie me either
@Alex Gout okay but it wasn't that serious lmao
They worked on this for probably at least 2 years. Even if he had some magic spell that makes you look at him it would've worn off after all that time.
crew = backstage, you’re looking for “cast” :)
RIGHTTTT?????
I just noticed that once act II begins we never see Henry doing drugs, and he doesn't even act high. So maybe he realized how badly the drugs effect Natalie, so he's actually trying to get clean and help her.
i know ajdhakhs i love those two 🥺
Definitely a possibility. Also, I know he seems kind of jokingly flippant about Diana's drugs (right before Superboy...), but he probably picked up on Natalie's frustration with all the prescriptions. And taking prescription drugs and even some over the counter meds can be a lot more serious, especially when mixing them, which is what Natalie seems to be doing at the top of Act II.
I accept this headcannon 100 percent
I personally interpreted it as him realizing how bad of an influence him doing drugs and being high around her is. I personally think that he still is a stoner but chooses not to do it around certain people. From a uh experience that a uh *cough* *cough* friend told me about where uh they chose not to do drugs or he high around other friends because of they’re as self control but uh this friend still did drugs when they weren’t around those specific friends
the pictures in the beginning scare the shit out of me for some reason. theyre creepy.
Yeah, right? They're all fine-looking people, but when their images are rendered with that much detail and they look like they're people who weren't meant to exist, it's unsettling. I love that, because of what it means to the show.
I felt like they were looking into my soul
Aaron tveit 😀
I love these actors but I agree. I was trying to watch this late at night and when I saw Alice's picture, I was like "There goes sleep". I had to forward it so fast because it scared me. Knowing the subject matter of this show made it scarier. I'm still wondering how much I missed the beginning of the show. I can't bare to even try going back to the beginning.
They're so unnerving
I personally think that this recording has the best vocal performance from the whole cast.
RIGHT
HI SARAH
I totally agree, other than the "no" at 29:04. The other bootleg had a much better version.
Next to normal = next to no fear of heights, literally there’s no guard rails anywhere, even the third floor has very little, like SHEESH
Also the pole dancing
I AM THE ONE REPRISE HAS ME ON THE FLOOR CRYING
YOU AND ME BOTH
Hey me too
Me too!
I was looking for a comment like this because I feel the exact same way. The pain in gabes face says it all
My daughters were in this show in college. Now I've seen all the recordings. That reprise really gets me. The whole show really. It's incredible. I love it. Love all the casts. Esp the one my daughters were in :)
"What....was....his.... NAAAAMMMEEEE!!!!""
Man don't you mess with Alice Ripley :)
Yeah the second she started that sentence I was afriad
Can y’all mark that part for me
1:34:55
aaron pole dancing during im alive
Agreed
Arguably the best part of this musical
Superboy and the invisible girl
“You know I love you. I love you as much as i can”
That hit me
That was phenomenal. Never have I seen mental disorders portrayed in such a beautiful and profound way. I cried , I laughed, I gawked over Aarons muscles(But I always do). but besides that I got the story from beginning to end. They didn't just tell the story, they were the story. True acting from the entire cast. Lastly the music box scene between Gabe and Diana had me drowning in my own tears. Just AMAZING!!!
Dan's "why didn't you go with her?" is so startling in this version
Cassidy Trinh Omg and Diana's "WHAT WAS HIS NAAAME"
I also don't like his "Gabe. Gabriel." It's two blunt - it's supposed to be said really softly. Gabe kind of fixes the moment with the little laugh though - overall they did fine.
@@cisnt9244 RIGHT I WAS SCARED
@@Dale-ct5ru fine?? lol wtf
the amount of times the actors looked directly at the camera stresses me out
I know right
When you finally find out that Gabe is Diana's delusion, and realize that that means his words are also technically her subconscience, it adds SO MUCH.
Like in "I am the one", Dan asks Diana to "tell me what to do" and Gabe says "look at me", that's Diana wanting Dan to acknowledge Gabe's existence (or y'know, that he *has* existed) and I just love listening to Gabe's lines with this lens on
It makes so much sense and is so perfect
Ok so I'm gonna just hope that the dad seeing Gabe at the end is just him finally facing the reality of his son's death and not another delusion.
P sure that's it cus Gabe then yeets off the stage after he says hi dad lol
Gabe also represents unresolved grief as the line in I'm Alive implies "If you wont grieve you wont leave me behind"
Yeah, no.
The running theory is that because Diana's mentally ill, she can see him the most, as although she gave Gabe the grief he needed, Dan kept Gabe around by suppressing his grief and feelings in order to help Diana and keep the house going. When Dan was "alone", with no one to suppress his feelings around, he was able to acknowledge Gabe finally.
This is why he said he had never been alone, and that he couldn't. He was scared of facing the grief, and often, for many people, being depended on and working is the easiest way to shut it out.
Dan was never delusional.
Not letting yourself grieve keeps the pain around, like hiding an infected wound until you're dying of sepsis. It can affect everyone around you, not just you. No matter how hard everyone grieves for whoever was lost.
I know this is an old comment but ugh i love this song and the way I interpret this whole bit is like, now that he can focus on himself instead of always trying to be strong for Diana, he's able to face his own denial (a coping mechanism he's shown throughout the story) of his feelings and get some well-needed closure of his own. And the trend of Dan being accepting of those feelings continues in the next scene where he accepts therapy. Hopeful ending!
That part makes me so sad because, over these eighteen years, Dan was unable to grieve his son. He had to be strong and help Diana and, when he finally acknowledged his son Gabe was finally able to leave. In a way, when he asked earlier "who's crazy?", There really both are.
NATALIE AND GABE LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA AT THE BEGINNING OMG AHAHA
So some people say that bootlegs can't capture the power of experiencing musicals live but if I cried this dang much because of a handheld recording then I don't think I would've been able to survive watching this live.
The first time I saw this production live, I felt loads of emotion, for sure. But, for some reason, the second time I saw it, I absolutely lost it and fell completely apart. I was literally sitting in my seat for about 10 or 15 minutes after it ended, sobbing. I wasn't the only one either - there were about 5 others just dotted through the theatre, sobbing. We all kept finally calming down, before looking up at each other, smiling through tears... and then falling apart again. It was a ridiculous but beautiful moment.
This play is 80% Alice Ripley making the 0_0 face.
Ender and it's f*cking amazing
Ender it's F*cking Beautiful
Next to normal deserved so much better #n2nrevival2019
#n2nrevival2020
#n2nrevival2021
#n2nrevival2022
It’s coming back to broadway at the end of this year
@@queenjaimewindsor8995 NO WAY WHERE DID U SEE THAT???
OK i thought this was gonna bee a light-hearted musical. Please tell me why I'm up here crying while trying to do my homework. Really should have read the description, but this was absolutely beautiful.
What on earth gave you the impression it would be lighthearted you poor soul
@@razberrymist9475 I thought it was gonna be a comedy based on the title. I knew nothing when my friend bought the tickets. Was bawling like a baby. To this day, this is still my favorite musical. I feel so lucky to have seen the original cast on Broadway.
@@razberrymist9475 like…just based off the playbill cover alone…how does that give light-hearted??
i love how they play their characters slightly differently in each version.
That's the beauty of live theatre. It's never the exact same
The sound quality on their mics is nothing short of amazing!!!!
omg that look at 5:24 from Alice Ripley. Such an obvious little "you see that....thats my son. Im a little crazy. Something isnt right here. You just wait. You'll see". This is why I love bootlegs. Without them, you'd never get to see these little moments.
Everytime they sing “catch me I’m falling” it makes my skin crawl in the best way. So heart wrenching
The fucking camera at "I'm alive" made me yell
UGH SAAAAAAAME
SOrry I could never be more grateful for a bootleg of this quality but I want to see what's going on during that song thanks
Omg... the 2 lines before "He's not here" add so much more to the song
The dialogue in between the singing has me seeing the whole show in a new light
I am kicking myself for not trying to meet Aaron Tveit when I saw him in WICKED.
That happens to me all the time! Well I mean used to before Broadway was canceled, I’d see a show on Broadway and then really get to admire an actor I took for granted when I saw them in stage for the first time djdndndnd welp
3:37, we've been spotted...
Sky Blue Aaron like gives a thorough look of disappointment
Evelyn Jackson I can see why. This is about mental illness and all the horny people are fawning over abs.
and at 11:50, alice looks right at the camera.
Evelyn Jackson I didn’t even notice before I saw this comment thread but he looks genuinely upset
2:10 tho
As much as I am excited to portray Gabe in my cast... I know I could never EVER live up to Aaron Tveit's performance and it depresses me
Alex White Hope you have fun still! Break a leg!!
Inês Varela I had a blast! The whole cast did fantastic and people loved it! Thank you very much!
Alex White Yes! That's great to hear!
Alex White where was this? Also, did you do the thing where Gabe wears the same color shirt of the person he's interacting with in all scenes?
Sascha Houpt we did this in Schenectady New York. And no we kinda did the colors based on our states of emotion/how far gone we currently were. I started out dark blue, went to purple, then by the end I was in red.
4:30 when I saw it live I nearly died. Dan LOOKS at the kid then ignores him, and foreshadows his own problems and lack of having dealt with Gabe. And Gabe's face when he realizes Dan saw him is so giddy and excited and it's SO much to deal with in one moment.
IM CRYING WHEN GABE IS ACTUALLY SEEN BY HIS DAD
i’m confused... So how did he see and hear him?
@@malloryfallon6394 he more like, acknowledges him. he can’t see nor hear him, he’s not a ghost in THAT way, he more like...haunts the inside of their heads
IKR THAT WAS SO GOOD
@@malloryfallon6394 it's less literal and more symbolic
@@malloryfallon6394 He represents unresolved grief.
Dan never saw Gabe physically, unlike Diana with her delusions.
Dan just suppressed his grief for years, not dealing with it to try and keep his family together, scared of any further grief or pain.
Especially with how Gabe stuck with Dan. He didn't go with Diana, because Diana had already grieved, and come to terms with her grief, and began a path to recovery. He stuck to Dan, because Dan was the one holding on. Not Diana.
Finally, he acknowledges Gabe, and then Gabe is gone. He no longer really haunts them in the same way, because the validation of that grief was finally acknowledged by Dan himself.
"Didn't I See This Movie" is a lot different when you realize Diana is talking to Mr. Fine
i break every single time she comes out with gabe's cake at 27:10 :(
Michelle Nedboy Same
Ikr she's just a happy mom wanting to celebrate her son's birthday, not able to accept he's dead
Oh I know, Nat saying he was dead hit me like a truck
yes the way she looks at the cake :( it hurts
OOOooKk ITs ssssssSooOmEones BirTHDaaaaAAyEe
The emotion changes so much from 1:57:10 to 1:57:14. It’s goes from holding him down to holding him up and it’s so amazing that the actors can do that is just a few seconds by changing something small about the embrace. Holy moly this musical is amazing and I’m crying.
I had no idea this musical was so sad. It had me on the verge of tears literally the whole time.
I've heard of an unreliable narrator, but an unreliable camera man is a step too far.
Then again, this person was filming this show illegally, and it is pretty impossible to do optimal work when you have to hide the fact that you are recording the whole time.
I wish there was a better quality version of this because I have to say I'm going crazy. I can understand that the person maybe couldn't record in all the best angles but he/she zooms in when it's not necessary and does it when it isn't and that drives me crazy because I can't see the interaction :'''c
There are at least a several other recordings on TH-cam.
There is one recording with the full stage, but you don't get as much visual detail.
In the beginning
Natalie (to Henry)- you give up too easily
Natalie to Henry in act 2- “you just don’t give up”
I love that more than I should
They really are perfect for each other
Natalie's little "jesus" in song of forgetting kills me
Me? No I'm not crying. IM DROWNING.
Its 3 am and my tears are running into my hair as a lay back after this. I had heard the music and known the story but the part where Dan finally says Gabe's name got me messed up more then I had been before.
That moment when the dad finally acknowledges Gabe at the end.... gave me chills!
One of the most underrated shows. Absolutely brilliant
3:36 Aaron Tveit totally saw the camera and just death stared all of us watching lmao
I mean, Aaron Tveit staring at me…. 💕💕
3:11 Jen definitely saw the camera too
ugh, I think this kind of story is the most tragic, where everyone's doing their best and the love is there, but it just isn't enough.
and sometimes people who care about one another aren't what's best for each other. hurts man
I think that this captures mental health better then DEH
DEFINETLY!
I think DEH tackles a different side of mental illness than this (teenagers struggling with anxiety and depression in school) whereas this is about a crazy woman and how it effects her family… but still yeah
@@katiehelms8903 I think DEH tackled it pretty badly. And "a crazy woman" is a VERY simplified way of describing Diana and it's not at all just about her either...
@@welp3974 I know I simplified it, Next to Normal is a very layered musical (and masterful in my opinion). I think Dear Evan Hansen did a pretty good job of capturing anxiety and depression in high school, and one thing I really like about it is the way the protagonist and antagonist are really both the main character. I think it shows the complexity of being a teenager and still figuring out what to do in the world by having the main character screw up really badly, because I think it’s important for teens (like me) to know that even if they’ve done something messed up, it doesn’t make them the bad guy and moving forward is possible. It also really captured the essence of anxiety in high school IMO. I actually prefer Next to Normal as a musical, but do feel the need to point out that it is a whole other situation than DEH - it isn’t trying to do the same thing. DEH isn’t my favorite musical but it is certainly relatable and I understand why it got so popular.
I think there are some interesting similarities between the Murphys and Goodmans and honestly DEH would've been more interesting if it focused on them instead of Evan since they seem to handle the conflict and grief over a troubled son that was abusive, an addict, isolationist and would just be better off if he was gone but then he actually dies and how do you process that. Anyways I like both musicals and I agree N2N captures mental health better
why did people laugh at "Patient stable?" Its so sad
whizzer isn’t dead fear laughter?
Some people can relate and we're uncomfortable. A lot of doctors will assume feeling nothing = stable. If I didn't have long lasting blunt affect, I would've chuckled too.
@@soulbound2 whizzer is dead😭😭😭😭😭
I burst into tears...
I know it's sad but the line was also ironic, especially considering the statement right before that line. Irony is also a technique used to evoke humour.
Those headshots will haunt me in my dreams
And so will that fake piano playing
I came back here in 2021 to see if I was immune to "Hi dad" yet. NOPE
Lol some wounds never hesl
Timestamp?
@@ludameri1384 1:56:19 until the end of the song
We have this thing called Musical Monday and this was the musical. I'm ready to be obsessed.
Kevin
Kevin
aaron tveit, staring directly into thr camera:
Happy 11 year anniversary to when this was filmed
Happy 11 month anniversary to when this was written
The lighting in "wish i were here'' is incredible
I knew nothing about this when I clicked on this video apart from the fact that it was number one on a top musicals of the 21st-century list. Now I understand why, Jesus Christ this was amazing! I just finished it, so I’m kind of at a loss for words. Sorry
Ok but literally how is Aaron Tveit even real
Danara De Jong He’s just a delusion, clearly.
@@elliotwarren1090 I think s/he was referring to Aaron Tveit's ethereal beauty, not the character of 'Gabe.'
Henry is such a cinnamon roll
Literally she doesn't deserve him
Henry’s “Oh no” at 49:42 is exactly what we were all thinking
Yes
Also is that jeremy jordan
@@dramagirls5717 no
We're actually singing one of these songs in choir. "I'm alive" it's a great song but I never thought of it like this until I watched the musical that it's with.
HOLY FUCK. This was the first time I ever watched this musical or listen to omg this was so well done and that lasts nearly light nearly made me cry. It was so relatable just wow.
the ending is so heartbreaking and haunting
Psychopharmacologist is kinda hot...
Thank you so much for putting this on, i would have never seen it and it was just magnificent, i love this version, in the final number you can hear one of the male cast singing the high note 'sun' and they seemed to have cut it on other versions, it's such a euphoric note, thanks again from the UK
This is the best slime tutorial I have ever seen.
LMFAOO
I Dreamed A Dance always makes me tear up wow
Thank you! One of my all time favorite shows.
Thank you for sharing! It's so great to see the cast grow as performers throughout the run of the show.
Okay but Dan's voice is so soft and gentle I can't handle it
my favorite part: 1:22:09. So beautiful.
HOLY CRAP THIS HAS ALWAYS BREN MY FAVORITE SONG. And how he comes in so gently like a whisper in her brian is beautifullll
Wow, this is really emotional. I just don't know what else to say. Love this vid and thank you for posting.
This version is fabulous!
As a pianist I find it funny how in all productions of Next to Normal I've seen on TH-cam, even the Broadway ones, all of the Natalies can't play the keyboard during Everything Else, and if their keyboards were turned on, it'd sound like they're just smashing the keys over and over 🤣
I’m also a pianist, but I think playing the piano like that while singing the song and acting and portraying this role would take away from the performance a little bit, for attention to a small detail that the majority of the audience wouldn’t notice. So even though I’m a classical pianist (I’ve played while singing before as well), I think if I portrayed the role I’d probably have somebody else actually playing while I smashed the keyboard senselessly and focused on portraying the character
I’m surprised the prop keyboard doesn’t better hide the player’s hands, you’d think that would be a natural design move
1:57:01 damn!! Lucky J. Robert Spencer!! I also cried at this scene so badly because I can't take my eyes off Aaron :/
LOVE this musical. ♥
3:26 ... thank me later
aleksandrasteff a musical about mental illness and you're talking about abs...
@@ameliajustvibing3850 the important stuff.
@@ameliajustvibing3850 this IS Aaron Tveit we're talking about so-
@@ameliajustvibing3850 i mean... it’s Aaron Tveit soooo....
This show is so gorgeous!!
I am crying for Dan
OH MY GOD I'D FORGOTTEN WHAT AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE THIS MUSICAL IS - I'M FUCKING BAWLING
For me listening to walk with me in my mind I imagined it being Gabe talking to Natalie and he’s telling to walk towards a door and at first she’s just thinking that it’s her own idea, but the she talks to him and it’s the start of her being like her mom. Then Gabe leads her to his old bedroom and she looks around for the first time, but I guess I was wrong. 🤷🏼♂️
Sometimes Natalie’s and Diana’s voices sound similar, and in the soundtrack the doc is singing in Gabe’s register during “Walk with Me”. I made the same mistake.
I'm still not sure why they thought over saturation and extreme HDR was the right way to go for the promotional pictures. They all look awful lol
i think that’s sort of the point
Made sense to me. None of them are okay.
3:35 did he see the camera and sigh?? Lmao
The actor who plays Dan actually looks like the father of the actress playing Natalie They look kind of similar..
I’ve been thinking the exact same thing
Omg they actually do
Tomorrow is March 1st. Yaaaaaay.
knowing the meanings behind red and blue in the show made it so much more powerful to see Diana is purple at the end
i know this is a slightly old comment but can you elaborate on what that means?
@@tristendiangelo8910 in very basic terms, blue kinda represents ignoring the issues and just pretending everything is fine, whereas red represents actually facing your problems and healing
I’m not sure I buy that. Cuz during “He’s Not Here/You Don’t Know/I Am the One” Diana’s wearing red and she’s very much in the grip of her delusion; and during “Hey #3” there’s blue all over the background and Natalie’s wearing blue, but she’s gaining a bit of security and resolve on moving forward.
I'd need a better recording to be sure, but I think Natalie is mostly in Blue and Gabe is mostly in Red, and Diana is mirroring which one she's actually paying attention to. In the front half she's mostly in red, but in the scenes where she's trying to get her memories back she's in blue because there's nothing in the way of her seeing Natalie. So the purple in the finalie is her dealing with her grief over Gabe and also seeing her daughter for who she is and not who she isn't.
Hey all, a new download link has been added in the description under this video. I'm also in the process of setting up links for the other videos. (You will not need any account to access these links.) I'm hoping that the server will be able to handle the demand, and that this will be more convenient for you guys. As always, feel free to message me with any questions.
Oh shoot…this musical got me when Dianna’s new therapist ask her to tell him about the last time she felt truly happy…and I realized I couldn’t answer that question if I’d been asked myself. Gut wrenching.
Aaron just appearing out of thin air gets me everytime
thank you so much for posting this! I was so sad to find it and then find out I was years too late to see it. where do you find these things?
How am I not even an hour in yet? This is so fast paced!
Aaron looking directly at the camera in the beginning
His fame was a result of his youtube bootlegs going viral in 2009 and he knows it.
my fav play ever.
Alice Ripley just makes my heart hurt
I know she’s AMAZING
I went into this thinking I could be strong but I Am The One Reprise got me a little omg
THE DOCTOR
If this was a movie Gabe would like disappear in editing or something. Buy cause this is Broadway he has to yeet himself off stage
say it with me ladies: this show was robbed of a tony and aaron tveit was robbed of a tony nom
Wait you're telling me this didnt get a tony??? What did??
@@razberrymist9475 Billy Elliot won that year.
Alice Ripley _did_ get Best Leading Actress though and this show was one of only ten Broadway shows to win the Pulitzer for Drama, so who's the real winner here lol
Aaron Tveit is actually so talented had the chance to see him in Sweeney and he was amazing. He’s my favorite Broadway performer ever
I think this is awsome, also it made me cry
Omg so beautiful