BWW Reviews: The World Spins, Sinks and Soars at CAP's NEXT TO NORMAL

There's something to be said for a small theater space. It's intimate, it's personal, and there isn't a bad seat in the place. But with a musical as beautifully tragic and human as Next To Normal, it is downright claustrophobic. A family attempting to overcome the past – a mother suffering from a mood disorder, a husband upholding his vows, a daughter fading into the background, and a son who hovers and coddles his mother. The lights are in your eyes, you can see the vacant look on this mother's face, the tears of a father, and the heavy emotions fill up all the empty space in the room and it's hard to breathe.

Honestly, it doesn't matter that the makeshift set of Cultural Arts Playhouse's mainstage production in Roslyn, New York is not one that reminds you of the big budgets of Broadway. It's the cast and the complex and capable rocking sounds of the band that transport you somewhere down the LIE and into the heart of the Big Apple. Most importantly, into the private and difficult crevices of a kitchen or a living room because the story of Next to Normal is so down to earth – the jealousy, the frustration, the love, the challenges of family, set to well-choreographed lighting, are ripped wide open for all to see. And it's not always pretty.

Tanya Wills embodies the sultry and downhearted character of Diana, originated on Broadway by Alice Ripley, a mother who creates miles of distance between her and her family because of the extreme love she has for her son. She is deliciously sexy and flirty, and at the same time, pathetic and empty and helpless. Diana is the focal point of this story, and despite the depths of her sickness she manages to joke with ease and show the brightness of the young woman she used to be. In the show stopping "I Miss the Mountains" in Act I, Wills owns the lyrics and is completely enchanting. Wills brings fiery passion to the role – when she is up, she's up and when she is down, she's down. You literally don't want her to stop singing, or acting, or leave the stage. Period. It is ironic how Diana is the glue of this family, and at the same time the one breaking them apart and Wills understands this, runs with it, and effectively toes this delicate balance.

As Dan, husband and father, Mark Cahill relishes the highs of life, dips into the lows, and stops somewhere in the middle – most of the time. Vocally, Cahill only improves as the show continues and excels in musical selections where he lets down his guard and gives into the anger he is feeling. In Act II, his frustrations and sadness are so palpable – his performance is raw and real as he interacts with Diana, attempts to 'start fresh', and is faced with an unlikely result. Dan and Diana's son, portrayed by Jeremy Hudson, is equally charming and dangerous -- his dark expression, the way he skulks around the stage and taunts his mother. Is Diana scared of him? Does Diana give him a certain power over her by the special treatment she grants him? Hudson is mysterious ("You Don't Know") yet surprisingly animated in "I'm Alive".

When Estelle first walked into her Theatre 101 class, she quickly wanted out. Even though she felt out of her league, anything was better than math class, right? To her surprise, she caught the theatre bug and it sort of stuck. A frequent audience member at shows in New York City, Estelle is looking forward to exploring the arts in her own backyard. She spends her free time blogging, obsessively visiting the library, baking, and spending quality time with the special “someone who sits in her chair.”

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