A Next to Normal Note

We are so proud of this group of wonderfully talented artists who are putting forth a production that speaks to such a deep and difficult issue: Mental Health. Thank you to our first time producer Natalie and our budding music directors Caleb and Nick for wanting to put this show on the stage!

We are doing a first as well at The Ooley: Live Music! That's right, we are not using recorded music tracks. We are very happy to have joining us on the stage a host of musicians bringing their talent to the forces of this show. We thank them for wanting to part of this very beautiful and poignant production. 

Thank you, our audience, for joining us on this journey of love, loss, and deep meaning. 

PRODUCER'S NOTE: 

Thank you so much for supporting this production of Next to Normal. This show marks my debut as a producer, and I couldn’t imagine a more meaningful musical to begin with.

This year, my parents celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I wanted to honor them in a way that felt true to who I am — which, of course, meant putting on a musical. But not just any musical. I chose Next to Normal because its heart beats with themes my family has lived, survived, and grown through.

A little over a year before I was born, my parents lost their firstborn son, William Zimmerman, the twin brother of my brother Donald. William was only nine months old. That kind of loss reshapes a family forever. Next to Normal explores exactly that — the invisible work of holding a family together after grief rearranges the ground beneath you. Diana Goodman’s struggle to stay present, to stay connected, to stay whole, echoes a truth many families know but rarely speak aloud.

As I’m now seven years older than “Natalie”, I know I grew up in the aftermath of that loss, I understand the quiet strength required to keep a family steady. I see now how much resilience, tenderness, and grit my parents carried to give me and my siblings a beautiful, stable life. In many ways, I’ve always related to the character of Natalie — the daughter trying to be “fine,” trying to keep the rhythm going, trying to make sense of a story she was born into but didn’t witness.

My hope is that this production reminds audiences — and especially my family — that love deepens when we talk openly about mental health, grief, and the things we’re taught to keep silent. Healing doesn’t come from pretending everything is perfect. It comes from acknowledging the cracks and choosing one another anyway.

To my beautiful family — Joel, Louise, Donald, Katie, and Will — this one is for you.

Love prevails through loss.

— Natalie Zimmerman