Midland Center Presents Pulitzer Prize Winning Musical 'NEXT to NORMAL' May 17-26th

Stigmas associated with mental illness can often create problems within a family that may easily detour into the broader context of any given community, creating a sense of hopelessness that often tests the fragile fabric of a family that more often than not stems from a lack of understanding.

It is within this context that Center Stage Theatre presents the finall production of their 2023/24 season with Next to Normal, recipient of the esteemed 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical, from May 17-26th. 

Next to Normal is a rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt that concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness and the attempts to alleviate it have upon her family. Opening the prism even wider, this work also addresses such issues as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the many unturned stones that lay upon the underbelly of suburban life.

Directed by Tommy Wedge, Assistant Professor of Theatre at SVSU, with music direction by Jim Hohmeyer, apart from the seriousness of the subject matter, the music for Next to Normal is some of the most beautifully created work, with a score that is both touching, driving,  and rocking in a manner that pushes through these societal barriers in innovative ways.

Midland Center is proud to partner with local community resources, ensuring a supportive environment for the Center’s patrons during performances. At each show, representatives from MyMichigan Health and Family and Children’s Services will be present in the lobby, available to lend an empathetic ear to anyone in need of assistance. Both groups, in addition to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan, The Children’s Grief Center, and Great Lakes Bay Mental Health Partnership, will provide materials in the lobby for patrons to peruse and take home.

The production will run for six performances over two weekends in the Little Theater at Midland Center for the Arts from May 17-19 and May 24-26. There will be two panel discussions following the performances on May 18 and May 26. These panels will feature members of the cast and creative team, along with a mental health professional from one of the community partners. Together, they will delve into the show's content, characters, and creative decisions, as well as the representation of individuals dealing with grief and mental health issues.

Tickets are available online at www.midlandcenter.org, by calling (989) 631-8250 or visiting the box office located at 1801 W. St. Andrews Rd., Midland. 

Next to Normal is sponsored by MyMichigan Health and presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.