Community Corner
next to normal - contemporary musical presented at Wayland’s Vokes Theatre
The Vokes Players roll up the curtain on what is probably their
most ambitious undertaking yet, the Tony Award and Pulitzer-Prize winning
mjsical, next to normal.
Performances will be held at Beatrice Herford’s Vokes Theatre, Route 20
in Wayland, MA from October 31st through November 16th, Thursday-Saturday
evenings at 8PM, Friday and Saturday, November 22nd and 23rd at 8PM, with a 2PM
matinee on Saturday, November 9th and 16th. For tickets order online at www.vokesplayers.org, or
call 508-358-4034.
Ticket prices are $18.00 for Thursday evenings & Saturday matinees; $25.00
for Friday & Saturday evenings.
next to normal. is
truly a musical written for our times. With music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics
by Brian Yorkey, this engaging, powerful and utterly contemporary musical
concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect
her illness has on her family. next to normal’s
stage director is Donnie Baillargeon with music direction by Howard
Boles.
After opening on Broadway in 2009, next to normal
was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won three of them. The following year,
it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, in no small part for its insightful story
of a suburban housewife fighting through an all-too-common psychological
problem to remain a part of her family. This groundbreaking musical
explores how her family copes with crisis. Diana struggles to battle her
mental demons, brought about, in part, by her bipolar disorder. Husband Dan
fights to help keep both her mind and his family stable, even as Diana decides
to stop taking her meds. Sixteen year-old Natalie, on the other hand, can’t
seem to escape the shadow of her mysterious eighteen year-old
brother. With its thrilling contemporary score next to normal
is an intense, often times humorous, emotional powerhouse of a musical that
aims right for the heart.
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The cast of Vokes’ production includes Lea Oppedisano
(Hopkinton), Robert De Vivo (Waltham), Kelsey Bevins (Wakefield), Brendan Paine
(Quincy), Matthew Sherman (Newton), and Dan Masden (Newton). Director, Donnie
Baillargeon, is from Waltham. Music director, Howard Boles, lives in
Marlborough.
The historic Beatrice
Herford’s Vokes Theatre in Wayland is one of the truly unique cultural and
historical resources in Metrowest. The Vokes Players is a non-profit
theatrical organization. next to normal is the first
production of our 2013-14 season; our 307th production to date. The
theatre is wheelchair accessible. For more information about the Vokes
Players, visit our website – www.vokesplayers.org.
