Review: Next to Normal

An almost ordinary family

The fast-paced and touching musical Next to Normal hypnotizes the viewer
from the very first minutes, and keeps you in the grip throughout the performance.

In the performance, which is touching in its message and fast-paced in its execution, the viewer breathes to the beat of the stage, and in the small space of Studio Pasila, you cannot escape your emotions; The performance melts the surface and releases tears.

In the Broadway play, the nuclear family suffers from their secrets and suffers from their inability to speak. A mother diagnosed as bipolar is treated with numerous medication cocktails and electric shocks. With little success.

The whole family perseveres in the rocking boat of everyday life in the cross-currents of love, renunciation, joy, sorrow, needs, guilt and hope. Without hearing and meeting each other.

As a counterforce to our age that glorifies over-positivity, life management, selfishness and self-realisation, the musical wisely questions: “why shouldn’t life hurt” and “why are we as if life wasn’t crazy”.

And he reminds us: “sometimes hope is just in vain”, “you can’t make the haze clear with medicine”, “only in dreams is life and happiness perfect”, “love is not blind but crazy” and “I get up and see the morning – we fight”.

The singing roles are brilliant Tuukka Leppänen (son), Jonna Järnefelt (mother), Vuokko Hovatta (daughter), Juha Junttu (father), Petrus Kähkönen (boyfriend) and Antti Timonen (doctor). A small minus for the sometimes artificial pronunciation of the translated text.

The orchestra will be led by Lasse Hirvi’s Jari Nieminen / Jarmo Nikku, Kaisa Ivars / Kukka Lehto, Mario Göbel / Tiia Lehto, Eeva Koivusalo / Pekka Korhonen and Mongo Aaltonen / Sami Koskela. The orchestra’s share is more than half of the play!