The Ozark Arts Council Presents:
Next to Normal
Friday–Saturday, April 10–11 & 17–18, 7:00PM
Sunday, April 12 & 19, 2:00PM
The Ozark Arts Council and NorthArk Drama present 3-time Tony Award-Winning Next to Normal performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater April 10–11 and 17–18 at 7:00PM, April 12 and 19 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. TICKETS ON SALE SOON!
Next to Normal, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country, including The Los AngelesTimes, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.
Dad’s an architect; Mom rushes to pack lunches and pour cereal; their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens, appearing to be a typical American family. And yet their lives are anything but normal because the mother has been battling bipolar disorder for 16 years. Next to Normaltakes audiences into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart.
This deeply moving piece of theatre provides a wonderful opportunity for performers to explore dramatic material and showcase vocal talents with an energetic pop/rock score. Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life and is ideal for community theatres, as well as colleges and regional theatre companies.
Join us at the Lyric for Next to Normal April 10–11 and 17–18 at 7:00PM, April 12 and 19 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. #LiveAtTheLyric. When tickets go on sale, they will be available here at TheLyric.org or by clicking any “Get Tickets” link.
Snapshots of Life, 
In the first part, the setting is the front porch of Roy and Elizabeth’s (Emma Bock) home in Maynard, TX on a hot summer afternoon. Elizabeth and her friend Hattie (Kylan Mayes) are whiling away their time folding laundry, watching TV, gossiping, and of course, sipping bourbon. The hot day gets a bit more heated when they are joined by the self-righteous Amy Lee (Brinkley Brewer), the new wife of Cletis, the local hardware owner’s son, who can’t resist blurting out that Elizabeth’s husband has been seen around town with other women. While the ensuing conversation in increasingly edged with bitterness, it is obvious that Elizabeth will stand by her man.
In the second part, Roy (Hayden Allen), Elizabeth’s husband, a brawny, macho type, is back in town after serving in Vietnam, and is trying to re-establish his place back in the community. He is joined by his younger brother, Ray (Donovan Walters), who worships him, but has a dangerous secret.. With the arrival of Cletis (Isaiah Wallis), the underpinnings of Roy’s world begins to collapse when Ray’s secret comes out: he has slept with Roy’s wife during his absence and also demolished his beloved Thunderbird. While the three men try to regain the status quo, we are left with the feeling that, with Elizabeth’s love, things may just work out.