Next to Normal Brings Bold, Emotional Story to Riverside Stage This Summer
Uriah Kiser - Potomac Local News
June 26, 2025
Cast of Riverside Center for the Performing Arts’ summer show, Next To Normal.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts will launch its summer season with Next to Normal, a Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical that blends rock music with raw emotion to tell the story of a family navigating the stormy waters of mental illness and grief.
The show opens July 2 and runs through August 3, 2025, marking the Riverside debut of this emotionally charged and rarely produced musical. It stars real-life couple Adrienne Hick and Andrew Foote, who previously lit up the Riverside stage in The Bridges of Madison County. Now, they return in a production that digs even deeper. “We talk about the show pretty much every waking hour,” Hick said during a recent episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast. “Sometimes we have to declare a day off from it—it’s that consuming, in a good way.”
Next to Normal first premiered in 2008, with music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. It tells the story of Diana Goodman, a wife and mother struggling with bipolar disorder, and the ways her illness ripples through her seemingly “normal” suburban household. Since its Broadway debut, it has earned acclaim for portraying mental health challenges with honesty, nuance, and compassion.
On the podcast, the cast discussed how the show hits differently in 2025. “The way we talk about mental health today is totally different from when the show first came out,” one cast member noted. “There’s still stigma, but more people are willing to have honest conversations. This show opens that door.”
Foote, who plays Diana’s husband Dan, added that the impact of mental illness isn’t isolated to the individual. “It’s not contagious like the flu,” he said, “but it absolutely affects the people around you. The family has to navigate that world too—and that’s part of what makes this show so compelling.”
Cast members also reflected on the personal resonance of the story. Several spoke of their own experiences with mental health and how performing the show can be cathartic. One actor called the process “a dream come true,” adding, “This is the kind of show that reminds you why you got into theater in the first place.”
Though the material is heavy, there’s joy in the production as well. “It’s a feel-everything musical,” Foote said. “You’re going to laugh, cry, and think. You’re going to carry it with you after the curtain falls.”
The production is also a milestone for Riverside, a nonprofit theater that has recently broadened its programming to include more socially relevant work. “It shows that Riverside respects its audience,” said Hick. “They know people want more than escapism—they want meaning, complexity, real emotion.”
Performances include Wednesday matinees, Thursday through Saturday evenings, and Sunday matinees, with optional dinner service provided before showtime. Tickets range from $35 for same-day rush seats to $82 for a full dinner-and-show experience. Discounts are available for seniors, children, and military families.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit riversidedt.com.