Not Exactly What I Had In Mind

Although I've been lamenting the fact that so few new musicals are opening this spring, that doesn't mean I'm happy about the sudden announcement that Next to Normal is transferring to Broadway. In my initial review, I wrote that if many changes were made to the show, a Broadway transfer wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but now I have to say, I was actually angry when I read this news. Maybe it's because of the fans and critics who think this show is genius, maybe it's because there are so many better off-Broadway shows that never see the light of day again (How about Slug Bearers on Broadway. Anyone?). Now I'm angry because this seems to be a rush to get the show on Broadway before the Tonys, since there is not much competition this year. This is an interesting season because with the economy being what it is, many shows closed or were canceled or postponed, but at the same time, more risks are being made because there is more room for shows that wouldn't normally make it. I don't know how much work was done when it recently played in Virginia, but I hope that the producers respect their audience enough to give them the best product possible and really think it's the best it could be before bringing it to the Broadway stage.