Ozzie, Harriet and meds

Next to Normal is an extraordinary piece of theater. The play, a rock musical about a depressed, delusional, bipolar housewife and the family she loves and torments by her misery, won three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

It’s just the right blend of intimate and edgy that is the hallmark of the New Helvetia Theatre.

With music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, the play centers around Diana Goodman and her seemingly all-American family—husband Dan and teenage offspring Gabe and Natalie. It isn’t long, however, before it becomes clear that something is wrong. Diana exhibits unexpected ups and downs, from euphoric sensuality to manic sandwich-making on the floor. Diana’s countless trips to therapists and pills by the bottles-full haven’t brought her anywhere near normal, or near coping with a tragedy that occurred 16 years ago. As her family begins to fray, Diana consents to shock therapy.

Despite its serious subject matter, the play is smart and funny. It references both One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Sound of Music (“These are a few of my favorite pills”).

This production—the first play in NHT’s new home at the Studio Theatre at 10th and R streets—is exceptional in every way, starting with set designer Brian Watson’s staging for the action. A series of steps and structures suggesting the sloped roofs of suburbia, the set is as functional as it is stunning. Sally Slocum’s lighting design illuminates the stage and the performances equally well.

And what performances they are: Matthew Schneider directs an outstanding cast of six, equally adept at singing and acting. Melinda Parrett stars as Diana, well-matched with Michael Hunsaker as her husband, Dan. Casey Canino brings teenage angst and energy to daughter Natalie, while Garrett Bruce is mesmerizing as Gabe—their duet, “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” is a highlight. Matthew Provencal plays Henry, Natalie’s new boyfriend, and Mike Yee takes on dual roles as two of Diana’s therapists.