Ripley, Believe it or Not

I've been seeing a lot of theatre lately and that makes me happy.  Tonight was the Next to Normal tour, which opened at the Benedum Center this evening.

I'm not really what to say about the production so I'm going to make a modified venn diagram (my fifth grade teacher will be proud) of some fleeting thoughts in my head.

Things I Liked
Bartender with a heavy hand in the lobby (I gave in and got the sippy cup)*
Kevin Adams' lighting design, appropriate use of bumps and fades
Having the orchestra on the levels of the set and fully embracing this fact

Things I Am Unsure About
Gabe's choreography in which he always had to be squatting or leaning
A depressed teenage girl is cured by a hot guy in a blue suit
Does some poor Props guy have to sort all those pills in the bucket by color each show?

Things I Didn't Like
Union stagehands not wearing blacks who appeared on stage during transitions
Alice Ripley's voice, perhaps the worst diction I've ever heard
All sad musicals must have an uplifting flashy number at the end that makes it all okay


* Andrea Approved