REVIEW: ‘Next to Normal’ is an emotive exploration of mental health struggles

REVIEW: ‘Next to Normal’ is an emotive exploration of mental health struggles

“With De Venecia’s stylized direction, the performers are given a wide berth to fully inhabit their roles, resulting in a show filled with moments of breathtaking emotional honesty.”

Warning: This review contains spoilers.

Once a topic shrouded in stigma, mental health has now become part of mainstream discourse—an urgency amplified by the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our society, like most, is still grappling with the collective trauma, and the timing of Next to Normal‘s return to the Manila stage feels particularly poignant.

This musical by Brian Yorkey (book & lyrics) and Tom Kitt (music) was last staged by Blue Repertory in early 2020, right before the world shut down. Now, five years later, The Sandbox Collective’s production arrives as something of a bookend to that period, offering audiences a chance to revisit its themes with fresh, post-pandemic perspectives and when the global mental health crisis seems to be hitting critical mass.

Early 2020 was a different time and to those who may have been familiar with Next to Normal may sense the contrast between experiencing the show pre-pandemic and now in this post-pandemic era. One opportunity that this show may provide is the shift in our collective sensitivity to mental health struggles and how it has evolved.

It’s gonna be good

Next to Normal is a raw and unflinching exploration of mental illness, grief, and the impact they have on a family. At its center is Diana Goodman, a mother battling bipolar disorder and the haunting memories of a past tragedy. Her devoted husband, Dan, struggles to hold their family together, even as he suppresses his own pain. Their daughter, Natalie, a gifted but neglected teenager, wrestles with feelings of invisibility, while her boyfriend, Henry, offers a glimpse of stability she isn’t sure she can trust. Meanwhile, Gabe, Diana’s charismatic yet enigmatic son, looms over the family’s psyche in ways that unravel as the story unfolds.

This production, directed by Toff de Venecia, features two sets of casts and like in his previous Little Shop of Horrors where there were also two sets of casts, each offers audiences vastly different experiences:

In the light

Next to Normal takes on a sentimental and emotive tone should you watch it with Shiela Valderrama as Diana, OJ Mariano as Dan, Sheena Belarmino as Natalie, Vino Mabalot as Gabe, Omar Uddin as Henry, and Jef Flores as Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden.

Shiela Valderrama delivers a vocally powerful Diana, even evoking Alice Ripley at times. Her performance is remarkably nuanced—she conveys Diana’s shifting mental state with subtle facial expressions that range from grief to rage to the near-imperceptible flickers of instability creeping in. When she sings “I Miss the Mountains,” it’s devastating, her voice carrying a weight of longing that lingers long after the song ends.

OJ Mariano’s Dan is deeply tender and emotional. He embodies the grief of a husband desperately trying to keep his family together while barely suppressing his own emotions. 

Sheena Belarmino leans heavily into Natalie’s anger, but with little variation in her emotions. Omar Uddin, as Henry, clearly understands his role as Natalie’s unwaveringly patient boyfriend, and his adoration for her is evident in every interaction they have on stage.

Despite delivering a vocally strong performance like the rest of them, Vino Mabalot as Gabe lacked nuance, rendering the character more of a dark ghoulish figure that almost feels like the Goodmans need to expel to find some peace. The consequence of such a one-note portrayal is also diminished stakes, where Diana and Dan’s grief over him feels like an abstract loss and even makes it inexplicable as to why they would remember him as a teen instead of the baby they lost.

Individually, Valderrama and Mariano deliver stellar performances, but together, they feel disjointed. This lack of chemistry extends to their chemistry as a family with Belarmino as well as Mabalot. This disjointedness is exacerbated by de Venecia’s sparse staging and possibly preview night technical issues that the show this writer saw felt more like a concert than a fully realized theatrical production.

Feeling Electric

Raw, intense, and cohesive, the cast with Nikki Valdez as Diana, Floyd Tena as Dan, Jam Binay as Natalie, Benedix Ramos as Gabe, Davy Narciso as Henry, and Flores as well for Dr. Fine/Dr.Madden, delivers a deeply affecting take on Next to Normal that pulses with urgency. 

Nikki Valdez’s Diana is visceral—her pain and anger feel unfiltered, her manic highs and crushing lows starkly evident. Her performance leans into the extremities of Diana’s emotions, making her journey all the more harrowing to watch.

Floyd Tena, meanwhile, delivers a career-defining performance as Dan. He masterfully captures the tragedy of a man whose entire existence has been centered on keeping his family together. Tena unearths the nuanced helplessness of a provider and protector who watches his wife and daughter struggle in ways he cannot fully mend. His portrayal is absolutely excellent, balancing restraint with deeply felt emotional turmoil. 

Together, Valdez and Tena craft a dynamic that feels lived-in, allowing the audience to believe in the history and weight behind their family’s struggles. Their chemistry elevates every interaction, making the Goodman household feel heartbreakingly real.

Jam Binay’s Natalie is a standout, capturing the emotional ebb and flow of a young woman desperate for stability. She’s more than just an angry teen—there’s an aching vulnerability beneath her sharp edges. When she sings, “something next to normal would be okay,” the weight of her hopefulness is undeniable, giving even more poignancy to her arc.

Benedix Ramos is a revelation as Gabe. His presence is haunting yet full of life, allowing the audience to truly feel the depth of the Goodmans’ loss. He isn’t just a specter looming over them; he’s a vivid reminder of the son they could have had, making Diana’s turmoil all the more agonizing and Dan’s grief all the more profound. Ramos seamlessly shifts between warmth and mischief, fully fleshed out that towards the denouement, the story of grief being told is not about moving on from Gabe’s loss but moving forward with his memory and potential in their hearts.

Davy Narciso’s Henry, and Jef Flores’ Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden here provides grounding and steady contrasts to the chaos of the Goodman household.

This cast almost explains de Venecia’s sparse staging. The absence of elaborate set pieces forces the focus onto the performances, and with this ensemble, that choice pays off. Every emotion is laid bare, every note charged with meaning.

Everything else

De Venecia’s stylized production, leaving the Goodmans to inhabit for their stage a practically empty platform with varying levels (production designer is Mark Daniel Dalacat) and six chairs. Backdrop to the whole affair is a mesh screen that houses a full band (led by musical director Ejay Yatco), as though with the intention that Kitt’s music serves not just as a seventh performer but also partly as setting for the proceedings.

The show’s lighting (by Gabo Tolentino) is also a pivotal element in conveying de Venecia’s vision of the story. When on form, the lighting makes for arresting visuals, but overall the choice of such a minimal set and technicals places most of the weight of the storytelling on the actors, requiring them to fill the emptiness with their performances amidst overpowering sounds that frequently get in the way of said performances. 

The production’s sound quality (Aji Manalo is sound designer/engineer) present challenges, often leaving dialogue and lyrics muddled. Given that Next to Normal is a show where every word carries weight—both emotionally and narratively—the untenable quality of the sound system detracts from the experience, especially for audiences who might be coming in to this musical cold.

A good step

The Sandbox Collective’s Next to Normal is a bold and timely revival, one that underscores how much the conversation surrounding mental health has shifted even just since the last time this same musical had been staged.

De Venecia’s direction grants the performers space to fully inhabit their roles, resulting in moments of breathtaking emotional honesty. However, the production’s sparse staging and inconsistent technical execution sometimes hinder the show’s potential.

Yet, despite its uneven elements, this Next to Normal remains a necessary piece of theater—one that feels especially so for a society like ours whose understanding of mental health is still maturing and evolving. Yorkey’s material continues to resonate, not just as a musical but as a mirror to the struggles we are still working to understand and accept.

 

Tickets: PHP 2500 – 3400
Show Dates: February 1-23, 2024
Venue: Power Mac Center Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati
Running Time: approx. 2 hour and 30 mins (w/ 15-minute intermission)
Company: The Sandbox Collective
Creatives: Tom Kitt (music), Brian Yorkey (book & lyrics), Toff de Venecia (Director), Ejay Yatco (Musical Director), Stephen Vinas (Choreographer), Mark Daniel Dalacat (Production Designer and Associate Director), Elliza Dawn Aurelio (Hair & Makeup Designer), Gabo Tolentino (Lightning Designer), Aji Manalo (Sound Designer/Engineer), Francisco Miguel Yabut (Technical Director), Jonas Garcia (Dramaturg), Serena Magiliw (Intimacy Coach)
Cast: Shiela Valderrama (Diana), Nikki Valdez (Diana), OJ Mariano (Dan), Floyd Tena (Dan), Sheena Belarmino (Natalie), Jam Binay (Natalie), Vino Mabalot (Gabe), Benedix Ramos (Gabe), Omar Uddin (Henry), Davy Narciso (Henry), Jef Flores (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine)