Thiel Players tackling modern issues with rock musical ‘Next to Normal’ at Robinson Theater

Posted March 25, 2019 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- The Thiel Players will put on a production of the award-winning rock musical “Next to Normal” on March 29-31 at the William A. Robinson Theater.

The show opens at 7:30 p.m. March 29. A 7:30 p.m. show is Saturday March 30 and is followed by a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, March 31. The performances are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required but reservations are encouraged due to the theater’s seating configuration.

Reserve tickets by email.

All unclaimed reservations will be released to waiting patrons five minutes before the show.

With a driving rock score, this musical investigates the intersections of family, pharmacology, and mental illness. It is not recommended for children under 14. Brian Yorkey wrote the lyrics and Tom Kitt wrote the music.

“I fell in love with this show the first time I saw it. The story is compelling, the music is melodic and moving, and the pit orchestra is a rock band. I love art that addresses real life and makes you question perceptions and ideas and perspectives—which is exactly what this show does. This is truly a musical for our American lives right now and confronts the issues of a modern American nuclear family and grief and psychology head on,” Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music Julie Neish, D.M.A., said. “The Thiel students in the show have worked so hard to bring this compelling, at times funny, and heartfelt show to life. Come check out the issues facing ‘The Perfect Loving Family’ set to musical theatre rock music.”

The musical opened on Broadway in April 2009. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards that year and won for Best Original Score, Best Orchestration, and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley. It also won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, becoming the eighth musical in history to receive the honor.

The performance will include a basket auction as a fundraiser for The Thiel Players. Donations are accepted in the box office before and after performances.