Next to Normal

A contemporary pop-rock musical

Internationally acclaimed musical actress Willemijn Verkaik ( Wicked, Frozen) is back in the Netherlands - this time as Diana in the multi-award-winning Broadway hit Next to Normal. Diana lives with bipolar disorder, which blurs the line between imagination and reality in her family. Husband Dan (Edwin Jonker) saves what can be saved; son Gabe flies in all directions; daughter Natalie flees into pills and perfectionism. As a viewer, you are dragged into the life of a family that seems 'ordinary' on paper, but fights for hold on behind the front door.

Award-winning

With three Tony Awards (2009) and the Pulitzer Prize for drama (2010) in its pocket, Next to Normal belongs to a rare club: only ten musicals were ever awarded that prize. Director Anouk Beugels, known for MELK, een motherfokking musical (awarded with five Musical Awards in 2024), deliberately opts for a direct, unpolished approach. Raw, contemporary and imaginative - exactly how NANOEK makes musicals. Hence also this new translation by Judith Boesen. Propelled by steaming pop-rock score, brought live by a four-piece band. This one takes the story far beyond the words: you feel the highs and lows in every fibre of your body.

And because NANOEK goes beyond just making musicals, the company creates an in-depth context programme around the performance about the theme and the musical genre. Straightforward - with guts, humour and recognition. Visit NANOEK.nl for more information.

Surtitles

This performance is staged with both Dutch and English surtitles.