Next to Normal at The Bing Crosby Theater
One of our best shows of the years wraps up today (the "our" is The Modern Theater, for whom I work and create images)! We partnered with Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater to present this Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. I've listened to the soundtrack on a number of occasions and while I was always pleased, there was always something lacking. That "lack" was the personal connection of knowing the voices and stories behind the music.
I've known the folks in this cast for a while! I know some of their families, their personal struggles and victories, their stories. Hearing MY people sing these powerful tunes made the music much more deep and meaningful. I mean, the play is all about mental illness and family tragedies ... and how we move past these issues. Heavy stuff and these folks handled the weight of it so very well.
From The Spokesman-Review :
It’s an edgy, occasionally bracing rock opera about one woman’s struggle with bipolar disorder and how her manic episodes send ripples through her household. That description might make the show sound like some kind of postmodern goof – you may wonder how such sensitive material could ever benefit from flashy theatricality – but the Pulitzer Prize-winning show is as stylistically risky as it is emotionally bruising.
This was only the second time that I've shot a full show here. The Bing is an incredible space but it wasn't designed for ease of photography. I had a couple ladders available and, yes, I did monkey-scramble across the chairs a bit. Those armrests aren't always perfectly sturdy.
Using some audio captured by our sound guy, Jesse Worley, we made a short promo video that, I hope, captures the beauty of the cast. you'll hear, in order, Alyssa Day, Daniel McKeever and Cody bray singing bis from their numbers.
Again, Doc Heggem did a fantastic job of not merely lighting the set, but in making the lighting a character in the play. The brilliant ambers, blues and magentas made the story come alive even more! The square footage on the stage is rather minimal so the team designed a multi-level set that fit perfectly and provided ample room in which to perform.
I'll confess that I'd be a horrible set designer ... but I sure know functional beauty when I see it. On my end, it may have been tough to shoot, but it sure provided angles and vistas not normally found in my other theaters.
Next up .... A Bright New Boise!