Above / North Central College Department of Theatre is set to present the Broadway hit ‘Next to Normal’ at Meiley Swallow Hall, located at 31 S. Ellsworth St. (PN File Photo)
The North Central College Department of Theatre invites the community to attend the student-run production of “Next to Normal” on stage at Meiley Swallow Theatre. Five performances are set to run from Dec. 1 to Dec. 4. Showtimes are 7:30PM Thurs., Dec. 1 Fri., Dec. 2, and Sat., Dec. 3; with matinees at 2PM Sat., Dec. 3, and Sun., Dec. 4.
The Broadway hit and 2009 Tony Award-winning musical features lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, and is directed by North Central’s Jake Rehling, a fourth-year student studying musical theatre.
“Next to Normal” was also chosen as “one of the year’s 10 best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Show synopsis: Dan, Diana, Gabe, and Natalie are your typical American family. Dad is an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches for the day; their children are bright, wise-cracking teens. Yet their lives are anything but normal as Diana has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years. Next to Normal takes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, and compassion.
Note: This show takes on the issues including mental illness and its effects on the person diagnosed, as well as those around them. It contains adult language and themes. “Next to Normal” is not recommended for children.
Meiley-Swallow Theatre is located on the campus of North Central College at 31 S. Ellsworth St.
Tickets are available for purchase online, here. Seats are $14 for the general public and $10 for members of the military, retired individuals and educators. Admission is free to North Central College students, faculty and staff with a valid College ID.
North Central College since 1861
North Central College provides students with the confidence, instruction and direction they need to exceed their personal best inside and outside of the classroom and throughout their careers.
Founded in 1861 and located just 28 miles west of Chicago in the Historic District of Naperville, Ill.—named among the nation’s “Best Places to Live” by Money magazine—North Central is home to nearly 3,000 students and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, 60 additional undergraduate minors and concentrations, and 13 graduate degree programs.
Visit northcentralcollege.edu to discover why U.S. News & World Report has named North Central a “Best in the Midwest” school for more than 20 years in a row and to learn more about the College’s state-of-the-art facilities and distinctive programs, particularly in the sciences and business.
And just last Sat., Nov. 12, 2022, North Central College Cardinals finished another perfect football season.
