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PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: Next to Normal Alice Does Live Here
By Harry Haun
16 Apr 2009
Prior to being joined as husband and wife for this production, Ripley and Spencer worked Side Show together 12 years ago she as a half-star (playing half of a Siamese-twin act), he as a swing but he subsequently stepped up to one of the original Jersey Boys, the late Nick Massi, and is now a bread-winning leading man.
"I love this role so much because it's so close to me," he admitted. "It's wonderful to be able to play the emotions that I feel naturally as myself, and then to be able to convey that on stage in front of an audience, with some spectacular music and lyrics. And such a solid group of actors I'm on stage with every night it's the best."
Their two children in the show have both had some previous Broadway experience.
Tveit made his Main Stem bow in 2006 in Hairspray (as Link) and then he moved on to Wicked (as Fiyero). "This is my first original cast on Broadway," he said. Interestingly, he will team up with the original Fiyero, Norbert Leo Butz, to butt heads in the Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks roles of the musicalized Catch Me If You Can. "I'm here until June," he vowed, "then I'm going out of town this summer to do the world premiere of that in Seattle. Then, I'm coming back to Next to Normal in September. I'm very fond of this guy that I'm playing here. It's something that gives me a lot of freedom to do a lot of things movement-wise and emotionally that I would not ordinarily get to do."
Damiano debuted on Broadway at the age of 15, among the youth on parade in Spring Awakening, "but now," she conceded, "it's just a little more perfect."
The daughter, damaged by her off-centered upbringing, has worked up a pretty impenetrable protective-coating over the years and Damiano didn't shy away from the character's toughness. "I think the biggest challenge is to break in a few holes here and there to let people see through to her vulnerable side," she declared.
And, yes, holding that kind of hard stance takes its toll, but "it's more like a refuge. I try to conserve all day for the show, and, when I get there, it just all flows out. It feels less draining. I'm always a little drained but ready to conserve for the next night."
Courting a tough cookie like Damiano's character is an uphill climb for Chanler-Berat, who readily allowed his character was "much braver than I am. That's what I admire about him. I wouldn't necessarily do the things that's forced on him by her."
It's his Broadway debut, and he was glowing accordingly. "It's surreal, like I'm in a dream. I want somebody to pinch me because I think it's really happening. I'm just floating through the day. I was floating when I got up this morning, and I'm still floating."
Director Greif was quick to give credit where credit was due: "Mr. Stone has the most to do with shepherding us, so we all certainly wanted to stay together and keep working on it, and The Arena gave us a fantastic opportunity to work on it, put it in front of an audience again and really be able to hone it. I'm very, very happy with the work. I love this musical. I love our cast. I'm very happy to be part of it."
Of course, this is not the only game in town for him. He is also rehearsing "a spectacular cast of 11" that includes Kathleen Chalfant, Linda Emond, Stephen Spinella, Michael Kristoffer and Michael Esper in Tony Kushner's new play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, which will world-premiere May 15 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
Greif did some wing-formation high-flying to get both plays in at approximately the same time. "I did a huge amount of preparation for Tony's play after Next to Normal closed at The Arena. Then, we did preparation for this New York production at that time, and, since we've been back in previews, it's only been a week of double duty."
The twice-Tonyed Spinella and Daphne Rubin-Vega from Greif's Tony-winning Rent headed the first-night guest-list of celebrities and supportive friends. A couple of teens from 13 Aaron Simon Gross and Ariana Grande came out to cheer on their former musical director, Kitt. In Tveit's camp were Hairspray's Tony-winning Marissa Jaret Winokur and his upcoming co-star, Butz.
Choreographers and composers came in clusters. Guys and Dolls' (and Next to Normal's) Trujillo was with the newest kid on the Broadway block, Rock of Ages' Kelly Devine, and Wicked's Stephen Schwartz arrived with A Catered Affair's John Bucchino. "I'm writing opera all the time," shouted Schwartz, speeding into the theatre (meaning Sιance on a Wet Afternoon, in which soprano Lauren Flanigan will reprise Kim Stanley's Oscar-nominated movie role at a free New York City Opera presentation May 1-2 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts).
Also in attendance: Jamie de Roy, celebrity hairstylist John Bartlett ($500 a clip), "The Practice" Emmy-winner Camryn Manheim with Side Man's Kevin Geer (whose dad, Jack Geer, played Gertrude Lawrence's lover in Broadway's first "psychiatric musical," Lady in the Dark), Robert LuPone, Legally Blonde's Nikki Snelson with Rock of Ages' Tad Wilson and In the Heights' Lin-Manuel Miranda.
"Who's minding the swamp?" someone asked when Shrek showed up. "Nobody," said Brian d'Arcy James. "We don't have a show tonight. We just got a new schedule, and I got lucky." 'Tis the season when roles he started reach fruition and Broadway and darn if he doesn't have the night off when they open so he attends. "It's my policy now," he shrugged with a grin. Careful to peel all green from his face, he gamely turns up like clockwork to watch others do parts he got up and running first Stephen Bogardus in White Christmas, now Spencer's dad role in Next to Normal.
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The cast of Next to Normal at curtain call.
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| photo by Aubrey Reuben |
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