This groundbreaking musical delves into the complexities of a seemingly ordinary family grappling with extraordinary challenges.
With its powerful storytelling and a hauntingly beautiful score, it explores themes of love, loss, and mental health in a way that resonates deeply with audiences.
From heart-wrenching ballads to moments of raw vulnerability, this musical doesn`t shy away from the complexities of human experience.
Since next to normal is the story of a modern american family, I knew the costumes needed to feel grounded in reality. THese are what I like to refere to as “people clothes”.
My approach to this type of costume design is to collaborate closely with the actors. Of course, my design has a specific direction and helps to illustrate specifics like class and time period—but the symbiotic relationship between the human and the clothes is of paramount importance. THe clothes need to be curated and expressive, but also lived in and believable.
My design was driven predominantly by color. Each character has their own signature color palette that evolves as the show progresses. In my mind, the ensemble is on their own specific journey to a life that is “next to normal”. For our production, this is expressed with the color purple.
Diana is our main protagonist. She is funny, intelligent, and has been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder (among other mental illnesses) for most of her adult life. In the beginning of the play, she wears more traditionally "soft" feminine clothing--high heels and dresses with full skirts and pretty details like ruffles to present herself as the ideal woman/wife/mother. Later in the play, as she embraces independence, she turns to fitted jeans and a more substantial boot. Diana's color palette changes along with her emotional arc. She begins the show in red, then as she begins to lose her memory, her clothes fade to a dull rust/brown. Diana then transitions into blue--the color I chose to signify her journey of rediscovery and connection to her daughter. At the end of the show, Diana has accepted her own definition of "next to normal", symbolized by the color purple.
Dan is Diana's husband. He dresses in a comfortable, cool, simple "no fuss" style of business casual. He is described by his wife as "boring"--therefore nothing he wears particularly stands out in color or style. Dan seems to be just trying to make it through life, as difficult as that may be--nothing he wears is designed to cause panic, or evoke feelings--he's just "there". His signature colors are teal, green, grey, and brown, and toward the end, as he also accepts his "next to normal" he appears in purple.
Natalie is Dan and Diana's daughter. She is an intelligent, talented, and sarcastic over achiever. Like any teenager, she has a deep desire to be seen and heard. Natalie starts the show already broken by her home life. She is desperate to get out of her current situation, but doesn't know how. Her signature colors are blue and grey, and her style is a mixture of hard/soft, sweet/edgy. She swerves away from herself toward her own madness (in red of course) and eventually finds her own "next to normal" in purple
Gabe is Diana and Dan's son. He is quite literally a fantasy version of the perfect "all American Son". Gabe's style is best described as the typical popular high school boy. He looks like someone who is voted "most likely to...". Gabe is likable, compassionate, and has a great sense of humor. He would do anything to make sure his mother feels safe and validated. Gabe's color palette is influenced by his "All American" appeal--he wears shades of red, white and blue--though in more muted tones to reflect his actuality. As Gabe fades into the background, he appears in grey, then as he becomes more integrated into his own "next to normal" follows the lead of his family and appears in purple.
Henry is Natalie's boyfriend. He is intelligent, and a typical high school slacker with an edge. Henry is self described as a "loser, a loner, a bit of a stoner". He loves music, and smokes a fair amount of pot, and loves Natalie. I dressed him in retro graphic tees and an abundance of flannel. Henry's signature color is "plaid", and he never goes anywhere without his beanie. I chose muted tones of blue, grey, and rust to connect Henry with Natalie. I also wanted his style to contrast directly with Gabe, but to also reference Dan. He, of course, adds purple to his wardrobe in the end of the show.
Dr. Fine and Dr. Madden are essentially two sides of the same coin. Dr. Fine is a more generic, straight-laced, old-fashioned physician. He dresses more conservatively, in a suit and tie, eyeglasses, and lab coat. Dr. Madden represents a more modern, experimental approach to medicine. He is perhaps more youthful than Dr. Fine. Dr. Madden wears darker colors, is less formal, and more streamlined and modern.
Natalie "Just Another Day"
Diana and Natalie "Just Another Day"
Gabe "Just Another Day"
Henry and Natalie "Everything Else"
Dr. Fine and Diana " Who's Crazy/My Psychoparmacologist and I"
Dan "Who's Crazy/My Psychoparmacologist and I"
Dr. Fine and Diana "Who's Crazy/My Psychoparmacologist and I"
Henry and Natalie "Perfect For You"
Diana "I Miss The Mountains"
Dan and Diana "You Don't Know"
Dan and Diana "You Don't Know"
Dan, Diana and Gabe "You Don't Know / I Am The One"
Natalie and Henry "Superboy and The Invisible Girl"
Diana and Gabe "I'm Alive"
Gabe "I'm Alive"
Dr. Madden and Diana "Make Up Your Mind / Catch Me I'm Falling"
Diana and Gabe "Make Up Your Mind / Catch Me I'm Falling"
Dan "Make Up Your Mind / Catch Me I'm Falling"
Natalie and Henry "Make Up Your Mind / Catch Me I'm Falling"
Diana "I Dreamed A Dance"
Gabe and Diana "I Dreamed A Dance / There's A World"
Dan "I've Been"
Dan and Dr. Madden "ECT"
Gabe and Dan "I've Been"
Dr. Madden "Didn't I see This Movie / A light In The Dark"
Dan and Diana "A light In The Dark"
Natalie "Wish I Were Here"
Dan "Song of Forgetting"
Natalie, Diana, and Dan "Song of Forgetting / Better Than Before"
Gabe "Aftershocks"
Natalie and Henry "Hey #3 / Perfect For You (Reprise)"
Natalie and Henry "Hey #3 / Perfect For You (Reprise)"
Ensemble "Light"