Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...But for fans of this score, and there are many of us enthusiasts, this staging is very rewarding. And there's also a lovely clarity of what Corti is trying to do here: I watched many of the people around me, people who clearly did not know this piece, lean into the material and travel with him, even privileging the journey over the destination."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Still, it’s impossible to leave the Paramount Theatre’s staging of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical without a buoyant sense of hope, not just for the afflicted family at the center of Tom Kitt (score) and Brian Yorkey’s (book and lyrics) Tony Award winner, but for anyone who has found themselves or a loved one sucked into the morass of treatment-resistant mood disorders."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...Artfully written, with wry humor and a rock-infused score punctuated by power chords and wailing guitars, the Pulitzer Prize-winning show is a wrenching examination of loss and grief, bipolar disorder and the efforts of a damaged family to repair itself."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Next to Normal is not especially interested in being clear, so the ending stays true to form, ambiguous and open to interpretation about the future of the family. The structure of the play, the music, the lighting (created by Cat Wilson), and Yorkey's lyrics are designed to expose the pain, havoc, and lingering repercussions that mental health struggles can wreak upon individuals and their loved ones. And it works. Stigma be damned."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Corti has found an ideal cast of players to bring the characters to life. The mother, Diana is played to perfection by Donna Louden ( a newcomer to Chicago theater and a name to remember, She is terrific in every way. Her husband is played by Barry DeBois , a solid actor with a great vocal range. One of the songs that he does , "I Am The One" will give you goosebumps and in Act Two, the reprise, brings a tear to your eye."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...This Tony Award-winning musical is a perfect choice for Paramount’s Copley Theatre because it’s such an emotional, intimate story about six very real people. Jim Corti’s production of “Next to Normal” is a captivating evening of drama that sensitively deals with grief, depression, suicide, drug abuse and psychiatry. Still, some theatergoers might considered this an unusual choice for a Summer theatre. But, under such wise, careful and sensitive direction, told by a remarkably talented cast and supported by Kory Danielson’s sumptuous Musical guidane, it’s a winner. Accompanied by Celia Villacres’ brilliant six-member backstage band, and played upon a simple, artistic Scenic Design by Michelle Lilly, this moving and magnificent production will impress, enlighten and entertain every adult audience, providing a stunning Light in the Dark."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Highly Recommended
"...But it’s Jim Corti’s directorial vision that’s particularly poignant. This is a subtle, stark, and disquieting production. It’s staged on a stripped down, five-step unit set with minimal costume changes but some terrific sound and lighting effects (by Eric Backus and Cat Wilson, respectively). The production is a testament to Next to Normal’s deserved status among musical theatre’s strongest calls to compassion—to those suffering from mental illness and especially to those who love them. Mental illness is suffered by one in five American adults. By extension, it affects 100 percent of American families."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...This particular production of Next to Normal relies almost entirely on its gifted ensemble to deliver the powerful emotional experiences that the Goodmans go through. Celia Villacres' six-piece band delivers a huge sound that underscores Diana's psychotic breaks as well as an intimate one that allows us to feel the quieter emotions that Tom Kitt wanted us to understand. (Music Director Kory Danielson certainly had a hand in that.) Michelle Lilly's stage design opts for a series of interconnected platforms to stand in for all of the locations, so there is no multistory set with sliding walls, as in the original Broadway staging, to rely on. In this intimate space, it is an excellent decision: it forces the actors to rely on themselves and each other."
Life and Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Next to Normal is now being presented by Paramount Theatre across the street from its main facility in the beautiful Copley Theatre space in Aurora. The Tony-winning musical addresses mental illness in a frank and realistic way that touches the soul. I was not the only one in the audience shedding tears as the musical mesmerized and provoked both vivid emotion and intense thought. It is an incredible masterpiece."
Picture This Post
- Highly Recommended
"...Though Next To Normal might not be for those who want a lighter subject matter, if you're a fan of modern musicals diving into the twists and turns of a family delivered through top notch singing (in this writer's opinion), this would be a good fit for you."
