Next To Normal Broadway Shows And Twitter

By Author: Al Terry
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With Broadway shows mirroring contemporary life to a greater extent than ever before, it comes as no surprise that the new musical Next to Normal recently made its debut on Twitter. Directed by Michael Grief who also has the hit musical Rent to his credit, Next to Normal tells the story of a dysfunctional family where the mother suffers from bipolar disorder. She has struggled with the disease for the better part of sixteen years, and the family has largely managed to adapt to the situation. Both the mother played by Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer who plays the father, work hard to keep the family together and to maintain some amount of sanity and balance. It almost looks like a losing battle at times, yet there are a few glimmers that give the audience hope.

Instead of being dour and depressing like the story it tells, this is one of the Broadway shows that entertains while staying away from poignancy. How it does this is with the help of a talented cast and crew, along with a crisply edited script. The music director Charlie Alterman ensures that the contemporary score is upbeat and lively, yet covers many genres ...
... that encapsulate the moods and the emotions of the characters. A mother who struggles for sanity, a father who seems cheerfully neutral and weak at the same time, a daughter who fears turning into her mother, and a son who swings between hate and love for his mother, form the main characters. The other characters are the doctors who nurse Ripley and the boyfriend of the daughter.

More interesting than the success and the acclaim that the play has garnered among the current Broadway shows is the fact that it is one of the first to be adapted to Twitter. The script was modified and from early May onwards lines from it were published online in the form of tweets several times a day. And just like the play unfolds on the stage, the lines by the different character were posted one by one, finally ending in an audio link to the finale song Light. Over the 35 days that it took for the entire adaptation to be posted, the followers increased from 35,000 to 145,000 in just those few weeks. After the entire story had been tweeted, the cast then took to the page and began to respond to questions and comments of the public. The platform is still being used and apart from generating a lot of interest in the musical, has translated into increased sales of tickets. The free advertising and the publicity that it has garnered by taking this step forward has increased the charm of a musical that had already won the hearts of many.

In case you've read the Twitter page and even if you've not, it's definitely worth catching the musical at the Booth Theatre. You can book your tickets online on one of the many portals dedicated to Broadway shows. These have seating charts available online for you to ensure that you get the seats you want. It's almost like going physically to the theatre to book your tickets, but without the inconvenience of the long waiting lines.
Al is the webmaster for a New York City entertainment site which writes reviews and content about every show in the city including Great Ways To Get Next To Normal Broadway to a performance. His online content cover every musical and play and has advice for ways to get Next To Normal Broadway tickets.