The contemporary musical — staged on Mark Wendland's three-tiered steel set — made its world premiere last season at Off-Broadway's Second Stage and was subsequently revised for a limited run by Arena Stage in Arlington, VA, in December 2008. After more revisions, Next to Normal arrived at Broadway's Booth March 27.

Rent's Michael Grief, who directed both the Off-Broadway and Arena Stage productions, directs on Broadway as well.

The tale of a mentally unstable mother and the waves she creates in the lives of her family stars Tony Award nominee Alice Ripley (Side Show), who recently received a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production for her performance in the Arena production.

The cast also boasts J. Robert Spencer (original cast of Jersey Boys), Aaron Tveit (Wicked, Saved), Jennifer Damiano (Spring Awakening), Adam Chanler-Berat and Louis Hobson, who were all part of the Arena company. (Ripley, Tveit, Damiano and Chanler-Berat were also in the Second Stage Theatre production.)

	J. Robert Spencer and Aaron Tveit in Next to Normal
	photo by Joan Marcus

Helen Hayes Awards also honored Tveit (Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production) and the show (Outstanding Non-Resident Production). Next to Normal, which was penned by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), is "a contemporary musical that explores how one suburban household copes with crisis. . . . [The musical] shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family's world intact," according to production notes.

The Broadway production features set design by Mark Wendland, costume design by Jeff Mahshie, lighting design by Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan. The creative team also includes Sergiio Trujillo (musical staging), Charlie Alterman (musical direction), Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt (orchestrations) and AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal arrangements).

Ghostlight Records released the Next to Normal cast recording April 7 (digital release); the double-CD set will arrive in stores May 12. Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records president Kurt Deutsch and Grammy Award winner Joel Moss produced the CD.

Broadway producers are David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo and Second Stage Theatre.

Show times are Tuesday at 7 PM, Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 PM and Sunday at 3 and 7:30 PM.

The Booth Theatre is located at 222 West 45th Street. Tickets, priced $25-$115, are also available by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com.

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The complete track list for the Next to Normal cast recording follows:

Act 1
1. Prelude
2. Just Another Day (Company)
3. Everything Else (Natalie)
4. Who's Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I (Company)
5. Perfect for You (Natalie, Henry)
6. I Miss the Mountains (Diana)
7. It's Gonna Be Good (Company)
8. He's Not Here (Dan)
9. You Don’t Know (Diana)
10. I Am the One (Dan, Gabe, Diana)
11. Superboy and the Invisible Girl (Natalie, Gabe, Diana)
12. I'm Alive (Gabe)
13. Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling (Company)
14. I Dreamed a Dance (Diana, Gabe)
15. There's a World (Gabe)
16. I've Been (Dan)
17. Didn't I See This Movie? (Diana)
18. A Light in the Dark (Dan, Diana)

Act 2
1. Wish I Were Here (Company)
2. Song of Forgetting (Diana, Dan, Natalie)
3. Hey #1 (Natalie, Henry)
4. Seconds and Years (Doctor Madden, Dan, Diana)
5. Better Than Before (Diana, Dan, Natalie, Doctor Madden)
6. Aftershocks (Gabe)
7. Hey #2 (Natalie, Henry)
8. You Don’t Know (Reprise) (Diana, Doctor Madden)
9. How Could I Ever Forget? (Diana, Dan)
10. It's Gonna Be Good (Reprise) (Dan, Diana)
11. Why Stay?/A Promise (Diana, Natalie, Dan, Henry)
12. I'm Alive (Reprise) (Gabe)
13. The Break (Diana)
14. Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling (Reprise) (Diana, Gabe, Doctor Madden)
15. Maybe (Diana, Natalie)
16. Hey #3 / Perfect for You (Reprise) (Natalie, Gabe)
17. So Anyway (Diana)
18. I Am the One (Reprise) (Dan, Gabe)
19. Light (Company)