Rachel Bay Jones, Brandon Victor Dixon & More Give Sneak Peek of Kennedy Center's NEXT TO NORMAL

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Up next for the Kennedy Center's Broadway Center Stage Production is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tom Kit, Brian Yorkie musical Next to Normal

which is once again directed by Michael Gryfe. It'll run from January 29th through February 3rd

and we drop by the rehearsal studio to bring you a sneak peek and meet the company

There was a time when I flew higher. was a time the wild girl running free would be me

Now I see her feel the fire. Now I know she needs me there to shift

God, there's so many things about the show that moved me

but not just the story, but what left me sort of paralyzed sobbing in the audience afterward

was that this was Broadway now, that it was sort of a landmark production

that changed everything, that allowed us to see this inside of a person

the way that this show shows you inside of this. person and what it looks like inside of a real family in one particular circumstance

And that an imperfect middle woman could be there for you in all of her rage and fury and desperation and grief And we want to see that And I think that even more true now is that we really need to see that

We need to see more of that so that we can process our own shit

Talk about the role. What can you tell us so far about what attracted you to this? The idea of supporting and helping, supporting a person and going through an experience in which maybe they are bearing the brunt of

the brunt of the experience or at the forefront of it. But, you know, we all have, there's an experience happening on the other side too

And I've certainly been in places or in relationships where I felt like there's no room for me here

And maybe there's no right to be a room for me here. But that's that push and pull that I think the husband deals with

She is going through all right and I need to be here. But being here is putting me through something

And also I went through the experience too. And finding that balance or never finding that balance is a challenge

And I can relate to that, and I think many people can. And I miss the mountains

I miss the lonely canine. Wandering from the wilderness and spending all my time where the air is clear

and cuts you like a knife. I miss the mountains

Oh, I miss the mountains. Guys the music of the show is insanely amazing It one of the most beautiful scores ever in in my opinion and getting to sing this with such an amazing group of people It mind It all sounds so beautiful

I think the material remains so unique and so bold and so engaging

and this group is so fantastic that you get to reinvestigate with sort of some confidence

and some knowledge of how to guide it, but also just, I'm also making sure that I remain open to learning all sorts of remarkable things from this remarkable group

And I am. Yeah. With this company. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh

As Ben, to my left, dear Evan Hansen, Rachel, to my right, dear Evan Hansen, Brandon

Like, we, Maya, oh, my gosh. They all are so freaking amazing, so talented

And all I can do is aspire to be like them. Like, I just want to continue to move behind them in their footsteps, you know, doing what I'm doing

and hopefully being able to work with them again and doing more shows, and it's just unreal

Like, their voices, they're acting, their way to just take in notes

and be able to follow everything just seamlessly incredible. So I really enjoy my entire cast

We're like one big happy family in a way. I am the one room

I am the one who's still. I am the one who walk away

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am the one of room. I am to tell me that I'm here for death

I know you know who I am yeah yeah yeah that who I am yeah yeah yeah that who I am yeah yeah that who I am yeah yeah yeah that who I am Yeah Yeah Yeah That who I am

Michael is so excited to just dig back into the material and sort of make it new and make it modern because it is just set in modern day

You know, whatever that may be. So in 2020, what does Diana look like

who is Henry, who is Natalie, how do these sort of influences

of our world in 2020 also play into this show? I was going to ask you, you know

all the kids look up to all of you, but I'm sure you learn so much from them

I don't know about that. Do they actually look up to us? Because, you know

they're kind of fierce. Yeah, learn so much. Learn so much. The way Kimari works

the stage, it's kind of wonderful and cat-like. It's amazing. And then this

this Maya, she's something special. And of course, Benley Betross. I've been a fan of his for a couple of years now

You say that you're not used to know. Oh. You don't know

I am the one who lives. I am the one who cares

I am the one who's always been dead. Yeah. I am. I am the one who eats

And if you die, I just don't give a death. You just don't know who I am

Who I am. Who I am? You just don't know what to him