Next to Normal/Awesome

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Much of the music can be classed as this, as naturally can be suspected of a Pulitzer-winning rock musical. Many Crowning Music of Awesome moments include examples such as "You Don't Know/I Am The One" and "Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling" for not only being amazing to listen to, but are amazingly blocked and acted.
  • The set design. It changes colours, and eyes with different expressions appear at times, such as when Natalie is using her mother's medication and singing that she's the "light and heat of every sun" and a "bullet from a magic gun", or when Diana is hypnotized by Dr Madden.
  • The part of the show before "Wish I Were Here" when we think the actress playing Diana is in the bed about to get her ECT, but the real deal appears on the level above, a sort of out of body experience clad in a medical gown.
  • "Feeling Electric" from the off-Broadway and Workshop productions stood in for "Wish I Were Here" yet the actress playing Diana (Alice Ripley) was actually in the bed, which was vertically strapped against a wall on the highest level meaning that she is facing the audience, gloved hands reaching down to stroke her face as her psychopharmacologist turns into a rock star and belts out "Feeling Electric."
  • The end of "Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling" at its abrupt ending. The pure awesomeness of Dr Madden's running speech as the others sing about how they're falling has a great effect, showing that he doesn't really notice how much his patient is suffering. Probably because he's saying stuff that rather makes no sense.
  • The scene that ensues the aforementioned one, in which Diana is clearing out Gabe's room. In the off-Broadway, he appears right behind her and hums the tune of "I Dreamed A Dance" as Diana looks terrified, unable to turn around.
  • The part in the reprise of "Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling" when Diana says that maybe she'll let herself fall, singing "Watch me I'm falling, watch me I'm flying, somehow surviving!" as Gabe chants "Make up your mind!"