The Cast Photo by Daniel Rader

The rock opera musical garnered three Tony Awards after its Broadway run in 2009 and has been often performed. Paul literally opens up a vast expanse on his stage, and the audience, upon entering, is greeted by a black and white image of a human eye which appears on a large screen. Projection designer Nicholas Hussong provides this and other transfixing visuals which are proactive rather than passive.

Diana Goodman (Natalie Joy Johnson) is a bipolar mother caught in a struggle to survive. She hopes her son Gabe (Andante Carter) will arrive home soon since the night hour is late. Natalie (Madison McBride) is Diana's tightly wound daughter. Dan (Alan H. Green) is Diana's ,husband who hopes his stability might lend some calm. These four combine early on "Just Another Day." Some time later, we meet Henry (Ben Clark), who persistently pursues Natalie in a quest to be her boyfriend. He might be stoned on marijuana but Henry remains undaunted.

Diana goes to see a psychiatrist who prods her to take a number of medications that might provide some respite for a woman whose disorder might otherwise dominate her existence. Diana tries the meds but, now physically numb, longs for a time when she could experience human emotion. Joy Johnson's "I Miss the Mountains" is vocally sublime.

Diana is in denial about her son Gabe, and Dan, through "He's Not Here," tries to explain the reality. When Diana tries to take her life, Dr. Madden (Joseph Morales) prescribes electroconvulsive therapy (shock treatment) for her. She reacts by making reference to the film version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but, as the first act ends, she and Dan, singing "A Light in the Dark," agree that she will try. The second act, as rich as the first, is accelerated. The cast reprises several songs and midway through, Diana and Dan combine on a moving "How Could I Ever Forget?" Henry and Natalie, a couple the audience can root for, are sweet with "Perfect for You." The entire shining cast comes together for the finale, "Light."

Wilson Chin's set for the show is minimal, as it includes a chair, a table, stair leading to a second tier platform, and little else. Cory Pattak's imaginative lighting can and does startle. Eamon Foley's choreography is of importance since the actors are frequently in motion.

A theatregoer fortunately has multiple options as he/she views and assesses. This is a complicated musical about mental illness and a family's dynamics as it grapples with a woman's troubled plight. The impactful subplots revolve around teenagers trying to cope and an authentic, trying-to-be-consistent husband and father who is exhausted yet determined.

The BSC cast is sensational. Natalie Joy Johnson's Diana is a complex individual who desperately wishes to be healthy enough to navigate through the present and future. She wants the torture to end. Johnson personifies Diana as a life force, one who drives forward. A sterling contingent of actors, individually and collectively, surround her.

As director, Alan Paul combines voice with musicality and relies upon artistic visuals as he triumphs with this Barrington Stage production. He absolutely creates an environment that feels visceral and catapulting. Much of the performance is exclamatory yet Paul does not slight intimate moments, which are sweet and genuine. Next to Normal, ultimately and breathtakingly about love, very much deserved the Pulitzer Prize for Drama it was awarded in 2010.

Next to Normal runs through September 8, 2024, at Barrington Stage Company, 30 Union St., Pittsfield MA. For tickets and information, please call 413-236-8888 or visit barringtonstageco.org.