The Players Guild of Dearborn presents the musical “Next to Normal” March 6 to 22 at the theater, 21730 Madison in Dearborn. For tickets and more information, go to playersguildofdearborn.org.
Two award-winning shows will bring musical magic to local stages next month, as “Next to Normal” runs March 6 to 22 at the Players Guild of Dearborn and “The Outsiders” runs March 3 to 15 at Detroit’s Fisher Theater.
‘NEXT TO NORMAL’ AT THE PLAYERS GUILD OF DEARBORN
The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Next to Normal” will be performed at the Players Guild of Dearborn March 6 to 22 at the theater.
The show, which won a Tony Award for Best Original Score, features music by Tom Kitt, and lyrics and book by Brian Yorkey. It opened in April 2009 on Broadway.
The story focuses on a mother, Diana, struggling with bipolar disorder and the impact her illness has on her family. Set in the suburbs, it addresses grief, depression, suicide, drug abuse and ethics in modern psychiatry.
The Guild’s production, directed by Cayla Kolbusz, features Sydney Assalley-Williams as Diana, Kyle Harwood as her husband Dan, Nadia Gellani as her daughter Natalie, Mohamad Mohammad as Diana’s son Gabe, Ryan Long as Henry, a “musician, romantic, stoner and slacker,” and Adam El-Zein as Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden.
Kolbusz said “Next to Normal is one of her favorite shows.
“I love that it explores serious, real-world, uncomfortable topics,” she said. “I think the best theatre does that in a way that allows the audience to safely question our society and world as well as their role in it.”
She said the show is heavy in terms of content and themes.
“It’s been really important to me to protect the mental health of my cast throughout the process, and I’ve been using my training in theatrical intimacy education and making time for the cast to ease in and out of character, and take a lot of breaks,” Kolbusz said. “It’s been wonderful because we laugh through most of our rehearsals, which I’m grateful for considering the material is so heavy.”
She said she hopes audiences leave the show realizing how important it is to talk to others and to work through issues impacting their lives.
“I hope they talk about how this show makes them feel and it promotes conversation about mental health in our society,” Kolbusz said.
Cast member Nadia Gellani said the musical is extraordinary in the way it confronts dark and complex themes clearly and directly.
“The show presents mental health in a way that is human, illuminating the realities of these struggles rarely seen in entertainment,” she said.
Gellani said understanding her character, Natalie, Diana’s teenage daughter, is challenging.
“She exists in a constant between intensity and vulnerability, and I am still discovering where she lives within me,” she said. “Each time I read the script, I’m reshaping my perspective and deepening my connection to her.”
Gellani said she has enjoyed stepping into such a serious and deeply realistic role.
“The process has opened my mind to my own family dynamics, my inner child and relationships to the people in my life,” she said. “I feel that this show came into my life at a unique moment and I have embraced every opportunity it offers to learn and grow.
“I am incredibly grateful for the way it has pushed me past my own boundaries and given me the strength to expand not only as a performer, but as a person.”
Gellani said she hope audiences realize the vulnerabilities that everyone experiences.
“I hope it reminds people that mental health matters and deserves consistent care and attention, in the same way that we take care of our physical health every single day,” she said.
Harwood, who plays Dan, Diana’s husband, said the story is important and will impact people emotionally.
He said it is challenging to tap into his emotions when playing the more difficult scenes.
“Finding those more complex feelings can be tricky, especially when you tend to be a more comedic actor,” Harwood said. “Our director takes great care to make sure that we understand every scene thoroughly and that we examine our characters beyond a surface level.”
He said he hopes people are moved by the show.
“Hopefully people can relate to the story and examine their own mental health,” Harwood said.
Assalley-Williams, who plays the lead role of Diana, said the musical deals with real life situations that anyone could experience.
“There are some heavier themes in this show, and it can easily attach itself to you and how you are feeling,” she said. “We spend a lot of time getting to know one another and, more importantly, laughing so we can remind ourselves that we don’t need to leave with the heaviness of it all.”
Assalley-Williams said she hopes audiences recognize themselves in one of the characters and realize that they can find happiness and hope in their lives.
“These may be fictional characters, but what they face is not,” she said. “I want audience members to know that they are not alone.”
Showtimes are 8 p.m. March 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, with 2:30 p.m. March 8, 15 and 22 matinees at the playhouse, 21730 Madison in Dearborn.
Tickets are $26 and are available through the box office at 313-561-TKTS or online at playersguildofdearborn.org.
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical “The Outsiders,” based on the novel by S.E. Hinton and the Francis Ford Coppola film, runs in Detroit March 3 to 15 at the Fisher Theater. For tickets and more information, go to BroadwayInDetroit.com.
‘THE OUTSIDERS’ COMES TO DETROIT’S FISHER THEATER
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical, “The Outsiders,” based on the S.E. Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola film, comes to Detroit March 3 to 15 at the Fisher Theater.
The coming-of-age musical, set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1967, is told from the perspective of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, and follows the conflict of the working class “greasers” and the middle class “socs.”
The show received 12 Tony Award nominations, winning in four categories, including Best Musical.
The cast album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
“The Outsiders” opened on Broadway on April 11, 2024, where it continues to play to sold-out houses.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. March 3 to 7 and 10 to 14 and 6:30 p.m. March 8 and 15, with 2 p.m. March 7 and 14 and 1 p.m. March 8 and 15 matinees at the Fisher Theater, 3011 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit.
Tickets start at $40 and are available at BroadwayInDetroit.com.