Next to Normal with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt is a Pulitzer prize winning rock musical. It's about a mom, her struggles with bipolar disorder, and their impact on her family. The musical also exposes the sometimes unseemly underbelly of suburban life. To prepare for her role as Diana Goodman, the mother, Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance actor Heather Hamby says she's followed the lives of several individuals with bi-polar disorder, and the psychiatrists who treat them. She's also studied other modern media interpretations of the disorder including Showtime's award-winning series Homeland. According to Heather, and her Theatre Alliance colleague Henson Milam who plays her daughter Natalie, the acting challenges they're finding in Next to Normal are equaled by the play's powerful song repertoire.

The Pulitzer Prize winning rock musical Next to Normal comes to WSTA Friday, May 23rd where it'll run through June 1st with evening shows at 8:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM.  The show is sponsored by the Mood Treatment Center and Awakenings Whole Life Counseling and Resource Center.

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