Superboy and the Invisible Girl, Next to Normal

[Lpanda123]

i cant stop listening to this song

can someone explain (without spoilers) what the show is about

[Meliawen]

@Lpanda123 The show is about a family, honestly... about a mom who is bi-polar depressive over the death of her son, who she still sees and believes is around. The rest of the show is dad and daughter trying to cope with mom's particular brand of crazy. It's an -amazing- show. I highly recommend seeing it.

[bwayandpop]

@sexpanther369

It's his character

He isn't there

It's in dianas head

[silentguh]

Jenn should have won the Tony for best featured actress...

[SexPanther369]

gabe is such an A hole.

[peachesb93]

The way Aaron Tveit adds the evil grins at times where he knows he's "winning" like When Diana chooses her or just in this song, i t really adds a lot to the character and i think its amazing

[Thewaiter525600]

@WickedMyster I kind of think that, while Diana is the only one who can really see him, that his presence onstage is symbolic, not as Diana's illusion, but as The family's opinion of him. When he sings to Dan, he is belligerent. When to Natalie, he's cruel. When to Diana, he's fascinating. I think he reflects what the family feels about his presence in Diana's mind.

[QTipbandit]

@Thewaiter525600 i definitely agree with you, his presence and depending who he's with varies. He's a problem with Dan cus he feels gabe is a strain on his marriage, and has caused this woman he loved to turn manic depressive and was probably already bipolar but the death and her not getting over it elevated it. We can see How Natalie feels through this song, and with Diana he almost demands attention. Such a good musical, they should have won the Tony for it.

[Thewaiter525600]

@QTipbandit Exactly. And if you watch the Tony performance, when Diana chooses Gabe ("You say that you know, YOU DON'T KNOW!"), Gabe gives Dan a wicked grin. It's so subtle but SO cool.

[QTipbandit]

@Thewaiter525600 Subtle my foot, "Gabe" gave a downright wicked grin, kind of like na-na-na-na teasing like she chose "me" Dad...thats why at the end of the play I was glad to see she had left Gabe with his father at the end while she went on to help herself..still hurting inside but dealing trying to go on, and then Dan had to finally deal with his grieving...should they ever do a "Next 2 Normal" (get it, like a second story) I would hope they show that all they needed to deal was each other.

[Thewaiter525600]

@QTipbandit The way it was filmed made it barely visible though. Right at the corner of the screen. And YES. I think they only needed each other and that's where the tragic irony is.

[QTipbandit]

@Thewaiter525600 Exactly...classic, they could have been good for each other but they didn't realize it until much to late and now they can't undo the damage they've caused to each other even though they love each other...indeed tragic. But i think the ending gave some hope, with Diana gone, Natalie found some consistency cuz her dad was there and not having to worry about the next disaster, Dan was actually getting some help and talkin and Diana was openly grieving, its what they all needed!

[Thewaiter525600]

@QTipbandit CORRECTION. Not the Tony Performance. It's this performance:

youtube.com/watch?v=Xcg-Xz6bhI­g

[whitetiefilms]

I'm going to sing this at a talent show next year! It means so much to me!

[Darkestflameuchiha]

@whitetiefilms That totall just gave me a great idea for my own talent show; I'll follow your plan XD

[xXxmendingheartxXx]

"id fly far away from here.." i sing that part when im sad :'[

[openmicwhore]

this is my past. this musical is incredibly real

[openmicwhore]

im in love with this musical

[SparkofCreation24]

Oh man this gives me goosebumps! So, so awesome!

[MissIssyJ]

whos the other guy?

not gabe but the other one?

[lovelylittlelindsey]

that's henry, natalie's boyfriend

[NoOnesBussiness]

@MissIssyJ henry. natalies boyfriend.

[SingingFool123]

favorite song

[DoReMi1225]

My favorite song from one of my favorite shows :) :) So much love :)

[WickedMyster]

Love this song! :)

Yes Gabe is taunting natalie, but thats the point he can't be seen by anyone other than Diana and he's jealous Natalie for being able to live her life while he can't and Natalie is jealous because she feels Diana loves Gabe more, and doesn't see her for who she is, hence the taunting :)

[jstevens241]

How does Aaron Tveit keep from falling off the stage? He comes flying right up to the edge of the second and third levels a bunch of times during the show, and he's not secured despite being about thirty feet up...

[Angelfish821]

The third level has a railing, but the second one is totally open (as far as I know)

[PrimaDonna081191]

i just got chills. omg....

[LilRippy]

=] Love you Alice! Hopefully I'll be in New York to see you live soon! <3

[EnchantedSilence]

How long is it going?

[imcoolikethat]

starting at 0:22 he just looks fabulous creeping in the background!

[kittypurrrr]

Hey, haven't seen it yet, but I've listened to the cd at least 50 times through. One thing I don't get, is Gabe taunting Natalie at the end of this song, or is he agreeing with her and trying to help her?

[KawaiiSora]

He's definitely taunting her.

[alycemhm]

I'm pretty sure he's taunting her.

[MusicalAstronaut]

He's totally taunting her. I think Gabe is a bit of a jerk.

[theRealCrazyOne]

I cried through most of the second act... I LOVED IT. ALICE RIPELY is AMAZING!!!

[aasjb4ever]

seeing it today!!!!!!!

[CurtainCall92]

where is it playing?

i wanna see it sooooooo badly!

[aasjb4ever]

the booth theatre on broadway! it was heartbreakingly beautiful.

[EnchantedSilence]

That girl is good.

[Heyaitsjohn]

Just saw this last night, it was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wickedisnumba1]

anybody know how long the OBC will be around for, I really want to see it before they all leave? I've never seen a show with the Original people before, and I'm hoping I'll be able to this time!

[blb464]

Well Aaron Tviet has left already to film a movie I think. He's being replaced by Kyle Dean Massey. So as far as I know he's the only one that has left. But you might luck out because he's supposed to return once he's finished.

[queenbeehoneyd]

actually he left to be in the previews of "Catch Me if You Can" the musical. He is going to be back within the first week of september, i dont remember which date exactly.

[blb464]

thats right. i forgot about that. thanks. there are a few of videos on here with the preview concert of "Catch Me if You Can"

[musikboi16]

He left to do Catch Me If You Can (A New Musical)'s Out-Of-Town tryout production. He returns September 7.

[jgmatsum]

There's really no way to know unless you know when their contracts are up. Most broadway contracts last 6-12 months. I personally see Alice staying for awhile. Aaron is already gone, but I think he's coming back in Oct after Catch Me in Seattle.

[claireem86]

Aaron Tveit should be back in September but I saw it with Kyle Dean Massey and his U?S Tom York who were both AMAZING!!!!

Best show i've seen I think!

[sarahsinclair]

Aaron Tveit is coming back once the previews for catch me if you can finish

[InnerLight4]

This is sooo powerful! Jennifer is FANtastic, and Aaron sends chills through me every time I see this! The way he moves on stage is absolutely flawless =]

[hahadud3]

saw this show 2 days ago amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! but jennifer doesnt go to the stage door after the show i was sooo pissed

[SamWhite218]

OMG Jennifer is sooooooo amazing!!!

[nole4unow]

I recently saw the show with Aaron's replacement. He was phenomenal. At first I thought it was Aaron! A GREAT show!

[Lexigiggles]

In this show, whats with Gabe?!

[SUPERCRACKER1029]

Don't wanna spoil it

[kristen72590P]

This scene is so captivating and powerful. If you listen to the lyrics, it's really moving. She is explaining to her mother that even after death, she loves her son more than her. The Natalie and Gabe sound amazing together. From the little I've listened to, the music from this show is phenomenal. So excited to see this show this august!

[BroadwayBaby98]

does anyone know the exact date when aaron will be back with this show

[AwesomeJosh127]

I think it's Sept. 7.

[PyroDefysGravity]

Well, I know that, but I mean how'd you get this video?

[loles20071]

this is in the oficial web site

[jastully]

its amazing. the best show i have ever seen, and i have seen MANY!

[hannah123765]

god damn. this song gets me everytime. i love it

[PyroDefysGravity]

Where this video come from?

[samalantha]

It's from the Broadway production of Next to Normal.

[OBCBW]

This is one of my favorite songs!

[CEDwyer1969]

Saw it yesterday ... Heartbreakingly amazing. Please go see it and be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster. The score is beautiful and the talented cast truly does it justice.

[thatseelyah]

i wanna see it so bad im jealous.

[WolvieGirl07]

I saw this on Broadway last week. It's amazing. So, that's really what the song is about. Trust me :)

[WolvieGirl07]

Natalie is singing about her brother and her. She's saying that her brother is some sort of superboy to her mother and that she (Natalie) is invisible. Her brother casts a shadow over her even in death. She's saying her mother doesn't know she's there because she's too preoccupied with her son.

[nickydubai]

he's a hero, a lover, a prince!

[idiotbreathing]

"Lover of Prince" ?

Am I missing something? Can someone explain this to me. If he was 18 or 8 months when he died, how did he love Prince? Also, does anyone know why he appears in teenage form, if he died so young (i'm guessing it's the mother's imagination).

[stinkyhobo10]

She suffers from a mental illness of some sort. She has been on medicine I assume for quite a while. She has been seeing him since he died when he was a baby, Somewhere between 8 and 18 months I am not sure. He tells her to stop taking the meds and she goes crazy. I think Natalie is referring to her new boyfriend (I don't remember his name) when she is talking about a Prince. I hope this helped, if I am wrong someone correct me but I am pretty sure thats how it goes.

[harryeragonanakin]

i think you're pretty much correct. the only thing is when she says superboy and how he's a prince, i'm pretty sure she's still talking about gabe because she feels that even though he's dead, he's still the center of attention and she's just invisible. i think this is correct.... i heard it on their website

[GoofyIndian92]

he's a lover a prince, she's not there. lover of prince doesnt really make sense. and yeah. she "watches" him grow up.

[idiotbreathing]

Thank you so much! It makes so much more sense now.

[WolvieGirl07]

The lyrics are "He's a hero, a lover, A prince." Not a lover of prince. LOL! He died when he was a baby and Diana (Alice Ripley) is imagining her son in her mind how he would be if he were still alive.

[samalantha]

Gabe died when he was 8 months old. The mother has Bi-Polar Disorder. He appears in teenage form because the mother visions him that way, because if he had not died, he would be almost 18. When Natalie sings "He's a hero, a lover, a prince.", she is saying that to her mother he's perfect. Everything she could've ever wanted in a son.

[Antwonster93]

So wait o,o Gabe is not real in this? He is just in Diana's mind?

[loles20071]

sorry , he is not real....busca la historia en wikipedia y mira el final por youtube...busca: i am the one ( reprise) El final tiene sorpresa. sorry for the spanish...my inglish is not very good

[StellaRose12]

is anyone else absolutely fascinated by the way aaron tveit moves?

[GoofyIndian92]

idk, sometimes it looks like he;s checking the mom out or something. but he has an awesome voice

[StellaRose12]

well i just love his motions, there's something very... artistic about them.

[Mahelva]

yes, he moves amazingly! he's almost floating, yet powerful.

[staymo]

quick correction- Gabe died at 8 months old and it says in the show that he died of an intestinal blockage.

[ritsfata]

The teen version is the mothers mind's creation.

[NoOtherRoad]

So, when Gabe joins in during the last bit, is he agreeing with her or mocking her? From the audio I thought he was mocking her, but this seems more like he's agreeing.

[clownrus]

He's mocking her.

[samalantha]

Gabe is agreeing. He's trying to tell her that he sees her and that he knows she's there and he agrees with what she's saying.

[SapAndJil]

in the official synopsis (in the lyric book from my cd) it says "Up in her room, Natalie vents her anger to Henry, then refuses Diana's apology as her brother watches and taunts her". He's not agreeing, he's making fun of her.

[Drama2041]

Well I haven't seen the show or purchases the cd yet. but isn't it like when Natalie interacts with Gabe, it's not really Gabe but how she views hispresense. That makes sense, cause I was wondering what Gabe's intent was during this part.

[wickedxrent21]

i just looked on wiki, it says that her son is really dead, she is just hallucinating him being there.

[hahadud3]

shhhhhh dont spoil it =p

[chelseaelizabethb]

Could someone give a synopsis or a short summary of Next To Normal? I'm obsessed with the music but would love to know the storyline, spoilers and all.

[kstar121]

Wikipedia it =]

[Museleaders]

I feel you! And the wikipeida article isn't written very well, basically, the mother (Alice Ripley) is Bipolar and has halleustons of their son, Gabe, who commited suicide a while ago (I dunno why), and their daughter is really smart but a social reject and kinda weird, and its about how the mom responds to different treatments, and marriage problems, its very weird, but brillant, main theme is that the family is trying not to fall apart and continues to love eachother.

[Happybunyoo]

um, i dont want to spoil the plot or anything, but Gabe didn't commit suicide.

[TreCoolIsMineBetch66]

He didn't commit suicide...

[dedge99]

Don't Wikipedia it. Theres is crap.

[smileeee16]

He died at 8 months or 18 months (not sure which one) from a bowel obstruction

[dedge99]

its 8 months

[TreCoolIsMineBetch66]

it's 18 months. Read the lyrics. xD

[Nikbin32092]

Actually, in the show, they changed it to 8 months.

And changed, "He's been dead, 16 years" to "He's been dead, all these years".

[TreCoolIsMineBetch66]

Really? When I saw it, I could have sworn Diana said 18 months in Maybe (Next to Normal) when she's talking to Natalie. I knew about the "all these years" thing.

[random123testing]

Does anyone know HOW Gabe died?

[omgitstiffy]

this makes me wanna cry. ok so gabe is dead, how and when did he die?

[TheTeeShirtShow]

is gabe..... dead?

[merrhurr357]

yeah SPOILER: that is basically the play the mother is depressed and seeing her son (remains nameless until the second act) who died and the family is being being torn apart

[TBOEandJW]

Gabriel is dead. He's just alive by his mother's delusions and wants everyone else to see him.

[iwannabeaweasley]

Actually, Gabe (or technically ULTRA MEGA SPOILER!!!! his memory) does struggle with insecurities. He struggles to be recognized and he keeps reappearing to Diana and the father (at the end) and taunting Natalie. Since he isn't there, he wants his memory to keep alive.

[biblegirl]

*spoiler* the son's dead, no insecurity there. Also everyone has problems in this play

[WhooshChill]

Probably on of the worst critiques (and I don't mean just because it's negative, I am referring to the terrible over-simplification of a complex plot) of this amazing musical I have EVER seen. Did you perhaps consider the father and boyfriend's feelings? They go through an emotional battle as much as the two female leads (even if you choose to ignore Gabe's insecurites, which are a bit more abstract). Do your research before calling one of the very few original musicals of this year "typical."

[iwannabeaweasley]

For proof for any naysayers: the songs 'I've Been' and 'Why Stay/ A Promise'. And more, too. But that's all I can think of.

(u brought up nice points; n2n everyone has a battle ftw)

[broadwaymike92]

I'm going to see the show on Aaron's last day before his Vacation in Seattle for Catch me If You Can.

[aasjb4ever]

cool! have fun!

[alliemallie18]

when's his last show?

[broadwaymike92]

Aaron's last show was on June 6th. He will be returning on September 7th

[whyhellotherefreak]

God, i wish I lived on the east coast.

This is absolutely amazing, and they're all fantastic.

I cannot wait to get out of California.

[samalantha]

ME TOO!

[gorramdoll]

this is such a gorgeous song and she's really amazing.

[Safaartje]

she's 17!! It's amazing!

[BellatrixNellieLovet]

She's only seventeen!!?? WOW

[SingingInTheRain499]

I want to see this so bad!!! 11 Tony Award nominations, just like Spring Awakening!!

[ilovebroadway123]

I freaking love this song!

[liliekinz]

omg

i might see Next to Normal in June

im sooooo excited!

[ccooper23]

me too!!!!

[dedge99]

Lucky ;)

[newyorklghts]

I'm glad that she got a Tony nom. She really deserves it. I just wish Aaron had gotten one too. Why didn't he?

[byrnegirl141]

Aaron was probably snubbed because he's leaving N2N on Tony Day to go do Catch Me If You Can.

[dedge99]

But he'll be back in september.

[BritishLoveTea]

wait you mean Aaron Tveit will be back to next to normal in september??????

[iwannabeaweasley]

Congrats to Jenn and Alice on her tony nomination!!

I still think Aaron got gypped big time, but there isn't anything that can be done now :/

[TerribleGreenBlizzrd]

ya and Constanitine (sp?) nominated :/, can he act well, I haven't seen RoA

[trentontheinuit]

constantine can barely sing well, lets not have too high expectations for him

[TerribleGreenBlizzrd]

oh I don't

[JennaLeighhh]

ugghh, i totally agree!

[animagusprincess]

Whoa. My favourite song in the show. I love it so much.

[elphabelle07]

I LOVE this song. This show is so amazing. Definitely a new favorite.

[ThruAcceptingRules]

I love this song!!!

[missdennyhead]

This is so amazing. I'm so glad this is transferring to Broadway.

[hthfreek1]

AHHH! so good.

[emmX96]

amazing. i love her.

[MaryBridget12]

Such a heartbreaking and lovely song...

[LisaDutchie1990]

Omigod! I love this show!!

[NeevsBroadway]

Incredible.