Generic Research: Next To Normal

 Next to Normal

I have chosen to look at the musical 'Next to Normal' to aid my research in setting and movement within my project. The musical aired off-Broadway in 2008, and was revived in 2023 at the Donmar Warehouse before transferring to the West End in 2024. 

I went to watch the musical in August 2024 in the West End and found it interesting how the company use the set throughout the show. The set remains the same for the duration, consisting of a kitchen island on a turntable in the center, with other units behind to create a kitchen/living room style room. 

The Plot

The story follows Diana Goodman, described as a 'suburban mom' who has beenliving with bipolar depressive disorder and delusional episodes for the past 17 years. These are a result of the death of her infant son, Gabe, from an undiagnosed intestinal obstruction. Diana has visions of her son as a teenager, affecting her whole family and tearing them apart. 

'I'm Alive'

This song occurs during one of Diana's episodes in which she can see Gabe, however no one else can. 

This medium-long shot of Gabe depicts him becoming visible to his mother Diana. The use of a microphone gives the illusion that he is ghost-like, with his words echoing through the speakers. It's a clever addition to the set.

The low angle shot (above) shows Diana's realisation that Gabe is still alive in her world, however she doesn't realise that no one else can see her son. 

This two shot is something I would consider referencing in my own video. It represents Gabe's father, Dan, repressing and neglecting his grief. The use of the microphone can be seen as providing Dan with the opportunity to voice his grief, as well as being a comical aspect of the song. However the fact that Dan proceeds to walk away shows his unwillingness to face his emotions. The microphone further personifies Gabe's ability to amplify the problems his memory brings to the family, as he is the root cause of Diana's deterioration of mental health. 

Gabe uses his father and sister's neglect of grief to sing in their faces without them acknowledging his existence. Here, Gabe repeatedly sings the lyrics 'I'm Alive' to Natalie, finding her struggle amusing as he knows he is the root cause of the pain.

I will look to incorporate aspects of this performance in my own music video through the idea that those around a character can't see them move. This would be done during the climax of my music video, where the protagonist rebels against everything she has been taught to conform with. I like the idea of Gabe here giving the microphone to Natalie and Dan, and might consider doing something similar. 

'I'm Alive (Reprise)

The visuals of Gabe being behind a screen gives the illusion he is trapped in a box to be forgotten as a result of Diana's ECT. 

This two shot shows the neglect of Dan's grief through the fact that he can't see or hear Gabe. I like this idea that Dan isn't facing his grief (thus not facing his son) and could incorporate this in to the dining room scene of my music video. 

I really like the use of setting here, with Gabe using the kitchen counter as a metaphor for Dan's grief towering over him, yet he still neglects it. 

The projections on the set behind brings the chaos Diana is experiencing in her mind, as well as the internal conflict Dan is experiencing. 

I will use this performance as an intertextual reference to the protagonist walking on the dining room table in my music video. 

'I Am the One (Reprise)'

Gabe's facial expression portrays manipulative behaviour in making Dan remember him. I will look to incorporate this in my own work. 

I really like the way that Gabe hunches over the kitchen table, then as Dan begins to acknowledge his son, Gabe's body language opens up to imply he is filling the space in Dan's mind that he used to in Diana's.

This is a really powerful moment in the show. It demonstrates Gabe's attempts to keep a hold of his father, however his inability to do this provides a pivotal moment. I really like this aspect of the song as it has so much emotion behind it, driven by grief. The fact that both Dan and Gabe are openly emotional about this shows the power behind this scene. 

This wide shot of Dan pulling free of his son's grip actively narrates his pulling free from his neglect of grief, as well as the acceptance that the past won't come back to haunt the family. 

I would like to incorporate this idea in to my own music video. The concept of a person being spiritually present is something I would like to explore. This would be done through the idea that the male/antagonist is 'absent', much like the stereotypical male in a nuclear family. My understanding of this was further developed in my studies in Long Form TV Drama via Stranger Things. 

Conclusion:

I am looking in to incorporating aspects of the West End version of Next To Normal within my own music video. These aspects include:

1. The setting of a Kitchen environment. I would like to set the majority of my music video in a dining room with a long dining table, mimicking the kitchen island in the show.
2. I like the idea of providing a voice for grief in 'I'm Alive', which I could use in the context of the protagonist giving the antagonist, and indeed the old-fashioned male population (in historical context), a taste of his own medicine in stopping him from finishing his sentences. 
3. The portrayal of Gabe being trapped in a box is something I would like to explore in my storyboard. I like the idea of a person being behind a screen and unable to reach those on the other side is something very much in line with the themes I wish to explore in my music video. 
4. I like the idea of Gabe using the kitchen island to tower over others, demonstrating the overarchig problem that is grief, of which is unable to leave the family. I will definitely include this aspect, with the protagonist walking across the dining room table to reach the 'other side' of society. 
5. Gabe holding on to his father is something I would like to reflect in my music video. The raw emotion in this scene is the main thing I want to include, as well as the kneeling on the table, exposing both vulnerability and anger at once.