THE rock musical Next to Normal, written by Brian Yorkey with music by Tom Kitt, is often credited as launching the discussion of mental health in mainstream theater back when it premiered on Broadway in 2009.
Next to Normal follows an American family navigating grief. The mother, Diana Goodman, suffers from worsening bipolar disorder that was triggered by a loss in the family. Her illness also affects the lives of her husband Dan and her children, Natalie and Gabe.
The late theater director Bobby Garcia brought the musical to the Philippines in 2011, its Asian premiere. It starred Markki Stroem, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Jett Pangan, Bea Garcia, Felix Rivera, and Jake Macapagal. It was very well received.
This year, 14 years later, it is The Sandbox Collective’s turn to produce the play. The director, Toff de Venecia, believes that as an exploration of love and resilience, the Tony and Pulitzer-winning Broadway drama will resonate with Filipinos audiences of today, who are now equipped with “the language and capacity to talk about mental health.”
“The last time this was staged here was a short Ateneo blueREP run in 2020 cut short by the pandemic. Before that was Atlantis Productions in 2011. I think it’s time to bring this piece back for new generations like Gen Z. It’s very timely, timeless, and important,” he said at a Jan. 14 press preview of the musical.
Sandbox has been staging mental health-themed plays these last few years — Every Brilliant Thing, Lungs, The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Tiny Beautiful Things, and Dani Girl. “Mental health is the core advocacy of Sandbox. There’s always a need to have a platform to talk about it,” said Mr. De Venecia.
A NEW STAGINGNext to Normal stars big names in theater: Shiela Valderrama and Nikki Valdez will be alternating as Diana Goodman, OJ Mariano and Floyd Tena alternating as Dan, Sheena Belarmino and Jam Binay alternating as daughter Natalie, and Vino Mabalot and Benedix Ramos alternating as son Gabe. Omar Uddin and Davy Narciso will share the role of Henry, who falls in love with Natalie, while Jef Flores takes on the role of psychiatrist Dr. Madden.
“The main characters are a family, which is very Filipino. The themes in this musical are universal,” Mr. De Venecia said.
For Ms. Valderrama, the burden of the material was made less heavy by the support of the cast and crew, who were all easy to work with, she said.
“It was cathartic for me to release the darkness,” she explained. “It’s not so much absorbing it but releasing it.”
Making the music feel authentic and real was also key in making this staging Next to Normal different from others, according to musical director Ejay Yatco.
“We did it before with Ateneo blueREP for that one weekend before the pandemic hit. It felt like an unfinished battle for me. Now we have a completely live band, not a synthesized keyboard, so it’s all ‘real.’ I also wanted the music itself to have an arc,” he said.
The choreography will be just as “real,” with choreographer Stephen Viñas saying, “I wanted them to just breathe and create something without really dancing,” when speaking of the actors.
The goal for this staging, which is “radically different” for “the emotions and performances to carry the show.”
REVISITING THEMESNext to Normal is relevant for people who may want to overcome their personal mental struggles through the arts.
Mr. Mariano, who plays the steadfast husband who must support his wife while also navigating his own grief, said that it’s good to “always revisit the topic of mental health.”
“I actually lost my parents last year, seven months apart, and I have really bad days. I told Toff it might be too close to home and I might not be able to handle it, but I had the strength to go to the callbacks. I’m lucky to have a support system around me to be able to do this,” he explained.
Playing the enigmatic son Gabe is Mr. Mabalot, who revealed that he has his own struggle, with major depressive disorder. He talked about the importance of “sublimating,” to divert or modify an emotional impulse into something more productive.
“There are times we have to move past it that way, to get to a healthy standpoint so as to not trigger our own traumas,” he said.
In line with the topic of the musical, The Sandbox Collective got The Medical City to sponsor tickets for those with mental illness who would like to watch Next to Normal. They will also be a partner in spreading awareness and being the support that audiences can turn to regarding the mental health struggles depicted.
“In the process of putting things together, we openly talk about mental health issues,” said Mr. De Venecia. “Being transparent makes the result more grounded and real.”
Next to Normal will run from Feb. 1 to 23 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit, Makati. Tickets are now available via ticket2me.net. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
