Next to Normal premieres in Oldenburg, Germany

The musical will premiere at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater on 23rd January

The musical by Tom Kitt draws an intimate portrait of a family and how they deal with loss, illness and grief by addressing, among other things, the extreme emotional fluctuations of a mother Diana's bipolar disorder. In the new production of the Oldenburg State Theatre, Femke Soetenga and Gerd Achilles are on stage as the parents Diana and Dan.

»Next to Normal« tells the story of an »almost normal« family in which they have breakfast, argue and celebrate together. But the first impression is deceptive. Diana, the mother, suffers from bipolar disorder and is repeatedly caught up with her past, which puts family life to the test. The family stands behind her and supports her in her attempts at therapy, but at the same time the façade crumbles. Between medication, therapy and painful memories, a poignant story about love, loss and the desire for "normality" unfolds.

The musical draws an intimate portrait of a family and how they deal with loss, illness and grief. »Next to Normal« brings the extreme emotional fluctuations of bipolar disorder to the stage. The musical range of the piece is correspondingly wide: from sensitive ballads to rousing songs with great musical finales, »Next to Normal« brings the whole range of human emotions to life.

The musical was an extraordinary success in the USA and was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, received several critics' awards and the Pulitzer Prize 2010, which is rarely awarded to a musical production.

Music by Tom Kitt
Book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey
German by Titus Hoffmann

Musical direction: Jason Weaver / Mathias Mönius
Director: Konstanze Kappenstein
Stage: Markus Meyer
Costumes: Heather Rampone-Gulder
Light: Arne Waldl
Live video design: Nadja Krüger
Live camera operator: Richard Schlimper / N.N.
Dramaturgy: Anna Neudert

Diana: Femke Soetenga
Dan: Gerd Achilles
Nathalie: Anna Hirzberger / Lea Bublitz
Henry: Eike Onyambu
Gabe: Michael Berres
Dr. Madden: KS Paul Brady

Violin / Keyboard II: Seo-Wan Choi / Birgit Rabbels
Cello: Fabian Boreck / Senja Konttori
Double Bass / Electric Bass: Michael Hagemeister / Boy Petersen
Guitar / Electric Guitar: Matthias Maresch / Jan-Olaf Rodt
Drums: Andreas Heuwagen / Frank Schauer