Next To Normal in LA

Last night Alba and I went to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles to see the play, "Next To Normal".  Wow what a show.  Some of the reviews raved about the lead actress, Alice Ripley, I have to say, I hadn't heard of her.  She was just amazing !  It's a great play, that starts out with plenty of laughs, great writing about family dynamics.  If your part of any family of more than one, you will find something to relate to.
The play takes a dark turn, when you find out, Alice's character is dealing with the loss of her son, who died when he was 8 months.  And all that comes with dealing with that, and maintaining the rest of the family, and a daughter, what she has to deal with, being the surviving sibling.  Sorry, there will be tears.  The same directors or producers, I'm not sure which, or both, who were involved with the broadway show "Rent", were involved in this production.  At the conclusion, there was no smattering of a standing ovation, it was instantaneous, the entire crowd, leaped to their feet, and gave a thunderous ovation.  It was a great night all together, we arrived early, to have some coffee, and enjoy the ambience of the whole Music Center experience, with the lights, water, and people.  The music center incorporates three different venues, each in separate buildings, coming together in one complex of theatres.  You have the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion where years ago they had the academy awards, and many operas today.  You have the smaller  Mark Taper forum, a theatre in the round, that seats aroudn 700. Then you have the Ahmanson, which seats about 2,500.  If you get the chance, see " Next To Normal".