@XOMaddieXO143 Dianna just tried to commit suicide so the doctor recommended that she get ECT to try and rid herself of the memory of her son. She originally doesn't want to get the ECT but then Dan sings this song to try and convince her that everything will be ok. At the end she signs the paper to allow the doctor to administer the ECT
BDJ is such a talented actor. I prefer him as Dan over Bobby and Jason. Haters, remember that Dan was a very different character when the show was off-Broadway. When I saw him in the Broadway production, I thought he was absolutely amazing.
I think his emotion is very much there, just in a bit of a different place than other interpretations. I really feel his caring for Diana, he wants so badly for her to be better and to just forget about everything that has happened. The chemistry here is great. I feel a "I want you to do this for us and for yourself." I think he does this song very well. Go Bobby!
I don't know, but I don't really like this. He doesn't sound like he's really feeling anything; this song, in his voice, lacks the emotion that's supposed to be there.
dis was about 2 years ago at Second Stage, when Brain D'Arcy James plays dan, and dey had a buch of numbers still in it, like feeling electric and more and more and more
Don't worry, Alice is there until March. I asked her and she said she signed a year contract but she says she might sign another one after but she might not...she doesn't know.
BDJ is a better singer and a better "father figure" than JRS. However, JRS brings an emotion that BDJ lacks... I don't know? I think BDJ fits with Shrek, and JRS fits in with Next to Normal... So it worked out!
I know what you mean. I saw N2N last week, and seeing this clip leaves me in shambles all over again. Kudos to Brian D'Arcy James for telling a story so exquisitely in song.
I didn't see BDJ whole performance, but I think he seems too strong almost in these clips. One of the things that is frustrating but so moving about J. Robert's performance is that he cares so much but is so weak that he just won't own up to the reality of the situation....just wants everything to be ok. Last time I saw it, he was completely in tears when she leaves later in the show....staggeringly moving.
Agreed. He really deserved the Tony for this role. Watching clips of BDJ just doesn't do anything for me after seeing the emotion JRS puts into his performance.
what day did u see it and was it a matinee or evening performance cuz im seeing it for my birthday (maybe) cuz i wanna see the show on a day where damiano, ripley, spencer, and tveit are in it
i just saw it yesterday on a saturday matinee. aaron comes back september 9th. i saw understudies for aaron and jenn, but they were both AMAZING. it's definitely tied for best show i've ever seen, even with the understudies
I saw that same show on Saturday and was in a daze for the rest of the day; I couldn't stop thinking about it. AMAZING is right. Will definitely go back when Jennifer and Aaron are back in it together.
i defintely think Dan cares, I agree with you, he's so emotionally worn down with taking on such a load himself all these years and that frustration comes out. But you could still see how much he loves her. Especially in A Light in the Dark. So, I think Bobby does an amazing job conveying conflicting emotions. You can love someone but be frustrated by their actions.
forgot to add--this scene is so heartbreaking! Kills me everytime. I saw the show for the second time yesterday and being in the front row, I could see everything and this scene...amazing. She was crying as she signed the consent form and he kissed her and then they both mouthed "I'm sorry," to the other. It is one of the most powerful moments of the entire show, imo.
I guess I'm in the minority, but I much prefer Bobby's interpatation of Dan. He and Alice have amazing chemistry and I feel his pain so deeply. Brian has a GREAT voice but I'm not crazy about his acting. I dunno...just my opinion.
I'm with you. I know alot of people prefer Brian because of the compassion, but at this point in the story its several years into this mess. Dan is over the compassion part. He's frustrated and emotionally worn-down.
Going by this particular role, I agree JRS seems the better actor. However, don't discount Brian as an actor- he's incredible, though you mightn't know just from N2N. Try to see some clips of him in "The Wild Party"- the man is phenomenal ("What Is It About Her?" is simply stunning, check it out if you can).
Don't get me wrong, J.Robert does a good job as Dan for sure. But Brian just portrays the role in a way that I'd rather watch...I often find myself looking at Dan's character with less compassion when I watch JRS portray him. I almost get angry at him b/c he seems too "woe is me and this is all your fault" when interacting with his wife. Both are great in their own respects, but I enjoy Brian more. And I love him in Shrek, he and Sutton make that show what it is.
i personally disagree with everyone. i dont like brian's portrayal in n2n. i much prefer him in shrek. he's great dont get me wrong. but i dont like him in this part and i dont think his voice is right for it either.
So I'm in love with Brian's interpretation of Dan. He clearly portrays the concerned husband who loves his wife among her problems and tries to keep an open line of communication with the kids (as best he can)
JRS (in my opinion) invests too much energy in being the 'estranged' husband and not enough in trying to "hold the family together".
BDJ is more compassionate in his approach. Which I like more.
Good description and comparison of Brian D'Arcy James and J. Robert Spencer. Also, I find Brian more believable than JRS as the husband, perhaps because he's older. And I'm not sure, but I think his voice is more supple and that allows him more shading in his performance.
I may be wrong but I believe he left for Shrek before Next to Normal transfered.
I'd see either of them; both have amazing voices and since I don't live in NYC I'd love to see either BDJ or JRS in person. I need to get to NYC and see this show, it looks amahhhzing!!
You're correct. He left "Next to Normal" before they were told of its transfer to Broadway. If you were offered a Broadway show against the off-Broadway show you were in, wouldn't you go for it too?
I don't understand either. This music is so powerful and real. Shrek is just fluff (I'm sure it's fun...but...) I would rather see him in this kind of a role than as Shrek. I imagine the reasoning had something to do with a whole lot of money......
Well yeah it's coming to Broadway (at the Booth), but Brian D'Arcy James is too busy with Shrek to do this and has since been replaced by J. Robert Spencer.
One of my favourite songs in the show
theguythatsings 3 months ago
Just from watching this video I tear up. The combination of the music, the acting, and the storyline itself...just...ugh. *sighs*
Soon2beonbroadway 8 months ago 2
I like both.
BwayBoundChristian 1 year ago
whats going on in this scene?
XOMaddieXO143 1 year ago
@XOMaddieXO143 Dianna just tried to commit suicide so the doctor recommended that she get ECT to try and rid herself of the memory of her son. She originally doesn't want to get the ECT but then Dan sings this song to try and convince her that everything will be ok. At the end she signs the paper to allow the doctor to administer the ECT
lacrossepl9 1 year ago
No one beats Brian Darcy James.... no one.
heresmysweetusername 1 year ago 4
BDJ is such a talented actor. I prefer him as Dan over Bobby and Jason. Haters, remember that Dan was a very different character when the show was off-Broadway. When I saw him in the Broadway production, I thought he was absolutely amazing.
AliceRipleyN2NFan 1 year ago 3
....You are so right, I mean Brian hahaha, oops
ahmangos 1 year ago
@ ahmangis your comment has confused me as its brian BDJsinging this not JRS :S
mediabusybee 1 year ago
I think his emotion is very much there, just in a bit of a different place than other interpretations. I really feel his caring for Diana, he wants so badly for her to be better and to just forget about everything that has happened. The chemistry here is great. I feel a "I want you to do this for us and for yourself." I think he does this song very well. Go Bobby!
ahmangos 1 year ago
@ahmangos it is BDJ not JRS
AdamEfimoff 1 year ago
I love the line "To let love never die, if it does we'll pretend" why did they change it???
susansings1 1 year ago
I don't know, but I don't really like this. He doesn't sound like he's really feeling anything; this song, in his voice, lacks the emotion that's supposed to be there.
DassMorris 1 year ago
i'm really in love with brian d'arcy james. he's absolutely perfect in every single role he performs, especially this one. i prefer him to J. Robert.
peacechica45 1 year ago 7
Love this man
nappy1967 1 year ago
I just saw BDJ last week and he absloutely wrecked me. One of the top performances I've ever seen in my life, I was so completely shaken by him.
thoughtsmeander 1 year ago 5
Why did Brian not get into the broadway show and hence, the recording? He's brilliant!
evitaperon88 1 year ago 3
i love this song! its adorable(:
singinismylyf 1 year ago
LOVE this song.
CVActor1 2 years ago
I love Dan. He's got to be my favorite character.
KikimoLie 2 years ago
Comment removed
TMK1010 2 years ago
What happens when Natalie approaches them? And how does act one end?
AlixZin 2 years ago
Where did Robert Spencer go??
hangtencatie 2 years ago
dis was about 2 years ago at Second Stage, when Brain D'Arcy James plays dan, and dey had a buch of numbers still in it, like feeling electric and more and more and more
KHDisneyATfan 2 years ago 2
Thanks, I was getting worried about it!
hangtencatie 2 years ago
Who's the dad here? That's not Robert is it?
iceleoparde 2 years ago
That's Brian D'arcy James, otherwise known as Shrek on Broadway.
subwayeatfresh45 2 years ago
<3 love this song... wish i was allowed to go see this, now is the perfect time.. aaron just got back, alice is there, *siiiigh*...
Lighthouse713 2 years ago
Don't worry, Alice is there until March. I asked her and she said she signed a year contract but she says she might sign another one after but she might not...she doesn't know.
rebaldock 2 years ago
ahh thank you, do you know untill when aaron is there?
Lighthouse713 2 years ago
No clue about Aaron. He was out like 3 times last week though and Kyle did it. But I have no idea when he's officially leaving.
rebaldock 2 years ago
maybe jan.
KHDisneyATfan 2 years ago
Is there a CD recording of this show with Brian d'Arcy James?
pinky783749 2 years ago 2
i wish there was i love Brian in this role
Elphaba88 2 years ago
Oh I wish!
subwayeatfresh45 2 years ago
i totally agree with u !!!!!!
SarahT85278 2 years ago
BDJ is a better singer and a better "father figure" than JRS. However, JRS brings an emotion that BDJ lacks... I don't know? I think BDJ fits with Shrek, and JRS fits in with Next to Normal... So it worked out!
minicko88 2 years ago 26
@minicko88 I very much agree.
Jayee123 1 year ago
dan is playing sherk right now,lol
skullfan135 2 years ago
Is this even in the Broadway show?
amazinggarrett1 2 years ago
Yes it is, it's the final number in the first act.
Gah! It makes me cry everytime! I seriously drowned my sorrows at intermission lol!
claireem86 2 years ago
I know what you mean. I saw N2N last week, and seeing this clip leaves me in shambles all over again. Kudos to Brian D'Arcy James for telling a story so exquisitely in song.
Jayee123 2 years ago 2
i think it would be really funny if they instead started sining theres a light from rocky horror lol
ScottZaborski 2 years ago
thank you so much for posting this. it makes my life lol
caseychanin 2 years ago
I didn't see BDJ whole performance, but I think he seems too strong almost in these clips. One of the things that is frustrating but so moving about J. Robert's performance is that he cares so much but is so weak that he just won't own up to the reality of the situation....just wants everything to be ok. Last time I saw it, he was completely in tears when she leaves later in the show....staggeringly moving.
jovannyctube 2 years ago 2
I saw N2N on Tuesday, and I thought that J Robert Spencer was absolutely fantastic. But of course, I can't judge because I've never seen Brian live.
Marold101 2 years ago 2
Agreed. He really deserved the Tony for this role. Watching clips of BDJ just doesn't do anything for me after seeing the emotion JRS puts into his performance.
eelw22 2 years ago
what day did u see it and was it a matinee or evening performance cuz im seeing it for my birthday (maybe) cuz i wanna see the show on a day where damiano, ripley, spencer, and tveit are in it
HPSJ85 2 years ago
i just saw it yesterday on a saturday matinee. aaron comes back september 9th. i saw understudies for aaron and jenn, but they were both AMAZING. it's definitely tied for best show i've ever seen, even with the understudies
WeirdFro 2 years ago
*september 7th
WeirdFro 2 years ago
thanks
HPSJ85 2 years ago
I saw that same show on Saturday and was in a daze for the rest of the day; I couldn't stop thinking about it. AMAZING is right. Will definitely go back when Jennifer and Aaron are back in it together.
cabramc 2 years ago 2
yo do you have the rest of the show to put up?????????
kasually289 2 years ago 2
i defintely think Dan cares, I agree with you, he's so emotionally worn down with taking on such a load himself all these years and that frustration comes out. But you could still see how much he loves her. Especially in A Light in the Dark. So, I think Bobby does an amazing job conveying conflicting emotions. You can love someone but be frustrated by their actions.
jezzebelle2000 2 years ago 4
forgot to add--this scene is so heartbreaking! Kills me everytime. I saw the show for the second time yesterday and being in the front row, I could see everything and this scene...amazing. She was crying as she signed the consent form and he kissed her and then they both mouthed "I'm sorry," to the other. It is one of the most powerful moments of the entire show, imo.
jezzebelle2000 2 years ago 5
I guess I'm in the minority, but I much prefer Bobby's interpatation of Dan. He and Alice have amazing chemistry and I feel his pain so deeply. Brian has a GREAT voice but I'm not crazy about his acting. I dunno...just my opinion.
jezzebelle2000 2 years ago 40
I'm with you. I know alot of people prefer Brian because of the compassion, but at this point in the story its several years into this mess. Dan is over the compassion part. He's frustrated and emotionally worn-down.
lf1234 2 years ago 3
Going by this particular role, I agree JRS seems the better actor. However, don't discount Brian as an actor- he's incredible, though you mightn't know just from N2N. Try to see some clips of him in "The Wild Party"- the man is phenomenal ("What Is It About Her?" is simply stunning, check it out if you can).
WickedRENThead20 2 years ago 3
I know! I absolutely love him in The Wild Party :) What a show!
Though, I definitely prefer JRS in this role! He's just Dan for me!
EllieSvitKona 2 years ago
I have to agree, Bobby and Alice are phenomenal together!!
BroomFlyer357 1 year ago
Don't get me wrong, J.Robert does a good job as Dan for sure. But Brian just portrays the role in a way that I'd rather watch...I often find myself looking at Dan's character with less compassion when I watch JRS portray him. I almost get angry at him b/c he seems too "woe is me and this is all your fault" when interacting with his wife. Both are great in their own respects, but I enjoy Brian more. And I love him in Shrek, he and Sutton make that show what it is.
xjtiger08x 2 years ago 2
i personally disagree with everyone. i dont like brian's portrayal in n2n. i much prefer him in shrek. he's great dont get me wrong. but i dont like him in this part and i dont think his voice is right for it either.
elkgrovegal 2 years ago
So I'm in love with Brian's interpretation of Dan. He clearly portrays the concerned husband who loves his wife among her problems and tries to keep an open line of communication with the kids (as best he can)
JRS (in my opinion) invests too much energy in being the 'estranged' husband and not enough in trying to "hold the family together".
BDJ is more compassionate in his approach. Which I like more.
xjtiger08x 2 years ago 5
Good description and comparison of Brian D'Arcy James and J. Robert Spencer. Also, I find Brian more believable than JRS as the husband, perhaps because he's older. And I'm not sure, but I think his voice is more supple and that allows him more shading in his performance.
Jayee123 2 years ago
How could Brian leave this amazing show for Shrek?? it does not make sense to me!
ccooper23 2 years ago 6
I may be wrong but I believe he left for Shrek before Next to Normal transfered.
I'd see either of them; both have amazing voices and since I don't live in NYC I'd love to see either BDJ or JRS in person. I need to get to NYC and see this show, it looks amahhhzing!!
mitchbudd 2 years ago
You're correct. He left "Next to Normal" before they were told of its transfer to Broadway. If you were offered a Broadway show against the off-Broadway show you were in, wouldn't you go for it too?
cheatsatmonopoly 2 years ago
I don't understand either. This music is so powerful and real. Shrek is just fluff (I'm sure it's fun...but...) I would rather see him in this kind of a role than as Shrek. I imagine the reasoning had something to do with a whole lot of money......
OBCBW 2 years ago 3
Watch his ask a star, someone asked him if he would go back and do the role of Dan again and he said, no that it is to emotionally draining for him...
he is amazing as shrek and really you shouldn't judge unless you've seen it
broadwaybabe1234 2 years ago
this song is so heartbreaking, especially when she signs the paper
anactornamedseth93 2 years ago 3
may i ask why she signs the paper? ive never seen the show but was jw. thanks!
bwaymylife 2 years ago
i don't want to spoil anything for someone that wants to see the show.. But its for a chance for her to recover.. from her illness..
ccooper23 2 years ago 3
I believe she's signing herself away to Electric shock. I've never seen it either
anactornamedseth93 2 years ago
i wish brian was still doing this show i like him better
elkgrovegal 2 years ago 2
I agree wholeheartedly. I just like his interpretation of Dan so much more.
spencerlbeck 2 years ago 2
j'aime brian d'arcy james
mimirose4dubin 2 years ago 4
Anyone have a bootleg of N2N? If you do, message me and we can work out a trade! :)
actorderick 2 years ago 2
when and where did this showing take place?
pjgame08 2 years ago
This video is the off-Broadway version from March 3, 2008 at the Second Stage Theatre.
spencerlbeck 2 years ago
When did it end up on broadway?
ritsfata 2 years ago
April 15, 2009.
cowntess2 2 years ago
i wish I could have seen this! Is this Brian D'Arcy James?
XoJessiegirlox 3 years ago
Yep indeed. Isn't he amazing?
pinkladyalice 3 years ago 4
He really is. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of him in this? There are no clips up of him! :(
XoJessiegirlox 3 years ago 2
it's coming to broadway in april :)
themirrorbluenight 3 years ago
Well yeah it's coming to Broadway (at the Booth), but Brian D'Arcy James is too busy with Shrek to do this and has since been replaced by J. Robert Spencer.
mormonophobic 3 years ago 3
I'm SO glad Bobby got this role. He's SO perfect at it!!
BroomFlyer357 2 years ago 4
thank you soooo much for posting these!!!
God I hope there is a recording some day
malphaba 3 years ago
ghostlight is releasing a recording :)
the release date isn't set yet
themirrorbluenight 3 years ago
its been set for mid may!
BrokenBroadway 2 years ago
with a digital tomorrow!...or 2 days for the US lol
tappentiggerer 2 years ago
I know!!! I'm soooo excited!
BrokenBroadway 2 years ago
thank goodness there is some N2N on here!!!
thebatterysdown 3 years ago
Thank you soo much for posting this scene, I
wish I could have seen this show, do you have the ´´I am the one reprise´´ scene?
tweggybird 3 years ago