American Voices-Michael Greif: What has always attracted me to
Next to Normal was how I felt the music—and how each character’s individual musicality perfectly expressed their emotional state. The stylistic leap to a heightened form of expression—singing—is beautifully justified. These characters are written with real intelligence and complexity, and I truly appreciate intelligent, complex musicals.
American Voices-Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey: Next to Normal represents the kind of piece we always aspired to create. While mental illness is a subject matter that may not be an obvious choice for a musical, anyone dealing with this terrible affliction knows that it takes you to extreme places of emotion, the kind of emotions one would sing about in a musical. And through this form, we have been blessed to be a part of creating something new and original with its own voice and its own power about something we have all dealt with in some way.”
Previously the Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse, Michael Greif is best known for directing Rent and Grey Gardens on Broadway.
One of the freshest voices of the American musical, Tom Kitt’s Broadway credits include High Fidelity, Laugh Whore, and Urban Cowboy.
As Associate Artistic Director for Village Theatre, Brian Yorkey’s credits include Play It by Heart (book), Making Tracks (lyrics/co-book), and The Wedding Banquet (book/lyrics).
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