Stage text of the musical «Next to normal» in Michael Grief’s production
Authors: Liu Jian 
Published: March 2021

Theoretical Background. The concept of stage text is actualized in musical science in the context of a variety of samples of director’s theater, in which the stage decision may dissonant or act as a counterpoint to the original musical (ie compositional) text of the work. Sometimes the musical score is only the starting point for the director’s version. T. Grigoryants (2007), M. Kosilkin (2017), M. Kuklinska (2018; 2020) turn to the analysis of the stage text. Among the parameters that M. Kosilkin draws attention to are psychological types (2017: 85), which are embodied through facial expressions and gestures, plasticity and movements, the appearance of the character; and a set of pictorial means – costumes, objects and decorations. Unlike traditional opera, the director of a Broadway musical of the XXI century (especially on modern plots), as a rule, does not face the problem of modernization of stage means or compliance of the stage solution with the expectations and inertia of the audience. However, within this genre it is important to understand what aesthetic tasks are solved by this or that production and what happens in the dynamics of the stage life of the musical, whether the elements of the stage text are written in the score, or, conversely, the director is required to find a solution. Objectives. The aim is to identify the features of the stage text of the musical «Next to normal» – its main components and functions in relation to the musical score. In accordance with the purpose, such methods are used as comparative (to compare the composer’s and stage texts), structural and functional (to identify individual elements of the stage text and their role in revealing the plot and dramaturgy of the whole). Results and Discussion. Unlike directorial experimentalism in the field of opera, where the score may lose “its leading role, giving way to the leadership of a musical performance” (Kuklinskaya, 2020), the Broadway musical «Next to normal» illustrates the unity of the composer and director who seek to be understood by the public. Last but not least, this is due to the fact that some elements of the plot are so cinematic that they seem to be inaccessible for the implementation of purely musical and stage means. Thus, the stage realization of the image of a ghost, various «flashbacks» (№ 5), the delimitation of frames of parallel action (№ 16), the release of Diana’s consciousness during ECT (№ 18) is extremely difficult. However, the director manages to do it with minimal means, without involving special effects. Among the most important tools for creating stage text are: &#9679; two-level stage with different sectors allows to implement fast spacetime switching while maintaining the dynamics of action and embody the idea of parallel action, a combination of real and imaginaryevents; &#9679; the light – directed to the relevant sector of the scene, emphasizes a particular character or pair of characters, focusing the teacher’s attention on a particular plane of action; another approach – even illumination of different sectors of the scene, aimed at; &#9679; concise props (sandwiches, trash can, candle cake, photo, box) – brings to the surface hidden subtexts and reveals the psychological characteristics of the characters hidden in the musical text, ie performs the function of objectification, specification of certain events; &#9679; gestures – turns of the head and body of the characters indicate their «relationship» with the ghost. Since for Diana he is real, so she always turns to him. The other characters behave as if Gabe is not on the stage, and only at turning points do they begin to see him (Dan in № 37); the idea of flashback (Diana’s memories of her marriage to Dan) – is realized through a gesture – a woman reaches out to hug her husband, but catches the emptiness; &#9679; stage action of the characters and mise-en-sc&#232;ne – excessive gestures and strange movements make Diana go crazy; dance and choreographic elements (Dr. Madden, Diana and Gabe), skating on the operating table (Gabe, doctors) highlight the unreal elements of the plot; the main character’s hugs with Gabe illustrate her choice in favor of a ghostly world over the real one (her husband, Dan); &#9679; scenery – demonstratively minimalistic – it consists of key objects – the dining table symbolizes the Goodman family home, the operating room – the hospital, a comfortable chair – psychotherapy sessions; &#9679; costumes – deserve the least attention of the directors, as the household plot focuses on everyday clothes (jeans, sweater, shirt, etc.); against this background, the dance of Gabe and Diana stands out, where they are both in white (№ 4), which gives the action a hidden subtext; white can also be seen as a symbol of madness (Diana’s shirt in the hospital). Conclusions.In terms of musical content, the production deepens the tragedy of Diana’s image, which is that she chooses a ghostly man instead of a real one. And the relationship between her and her dead son in the stage decision goes beyond the roles of «mother – son» – as evidenced by their dance, kissing hands, hugs, which allow us to consider them as a romantic couple of characters, which in the musical text of the opera is only a hint. Thus, the stage text of the musical «Next to normal» is aimed at concretizing the musical content, working with simple symbols that will be understandable to the public, and on the other– to deepen the content and multifaceted disclosure of the ghost world, hallucinations, mental disorders and madness.