‘Next to Normal’ Not to be Outdone at Tony Awards

It’s no wonder the new Broadway musical Next to Normal has been scoring massive success on the musical scene since its arrival to the big stage - the show was constructed from the producer of Wicked and the director of Rent, and this family affair is just getting started. Next to Normal was overshadowed in Tony Award nominations by Billy Elliot (scoring 11 nods to Billy Elliot’s 15,) but the musical won’t be outdone by any means. Next to Normal is up for several of the biggest Tony Awards this year, including: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (J. Robert Spencer), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Damiano), Best Direction of a Musical (Michael Greif), Best Orchestrations (Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Mark Wendland), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Kevin Adams) and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Brian Ronan).

J. Robert Spencer, the lead actor in Next to Normal, has also garnered enough critical acclaim for his performance in the musical to score another award of sorts, receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Shenandoah University, his alma mater.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

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