But sometimes he’s almost diabolical, coercing his mother to go to a world where she can be “free” (by committing suicide). Mosley is marvelously intuitive as he slithers in and out of Diana’s mind, sometimes so sweet it’s easy to understand why Diana doesn’t want to let him go. It won’t take long before it seems perfectly natural for Diana’s long-dead son, Gabe (an electrifying Mitchell Mosley) to be interacting with family members and even joining his mother in sweet duets. But the acting’s so good that it’s best to just catch what you can and go with the flow.

It takes awhile to get used to hop scotching around in time - especially since not all the characters are who or what they appear to be. She’s been treated by so many doctors, given boatloads of medication prescriptions, and gets nothing but unrelenting love from her husband, Dan, and her frequently forgotten daughter Natalie. But here’s a brief synopsis: Diana has suffered from bipolar disorder, coupled with delusions for the past 16 years. Parts of this play are best left for audiences to experience in person. Credit Scott for a first-rate job of bringing out the natural humor in it to break the tension whenever she can. Yet, here’s a surprise: It’s frequently uplifting, nearly always spellbinding, and often funny. The play itself is sometimes difficult to relate to, what with the lead character Diana (an affecting Jillian Toby-Cummings) revealing her severe bouts of depression, anxiety, electroconvulsive treatments (ECT), delusional behavior and everything in between on the psychosis spectrum.

Locally acclaimed director Janie Scott pulls off a minor miracle here for Los Altos Stage Company, thanks to an entire cast of terrific actors and a pulsating, sometimes electrifying musical score - although at times the energetic guitar and drums were overly powerful. Even more impressive: It won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama - an honor rarely achieved by a musical, although “Rent” won the Pulitzer for drama in 1996. And: it’s a musical about mental illness.Ĭonsidered a “rock” musical, “Next to Normal” knocked the socks off Broadway in 2009, earning 11 Tony Awards nominations (and winning three). “Next to Normal,” now playing at Bus Barn Theater in Los Altos through June 22, has a distinctive rhythm and cadence.

Next to normal cast recording rar