Pulitzer Prize and Tony-wining musical explores mental illness from the insde

Mandarin production of musical "Next to normal" is now on the stage in Beijing. [Photo provided by Sevenages]

A Mandarin production of the award-winning musical "Next To Normal" is now on the stage in Beijing.

As Broadway musicals are gaining increasing popularity in China, insiders say good story-telling and localization help the industry growth in the country.

"Next To Normal" is a Broadway musical depicting a middle-class American family that is suffering crisis. Debuted in 2009, the show won three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, and has become one of the Broadway favorites examining such topics as mental illness, social relevance, family relations and life struggles.

Mandarin production of musical "Next to normal" is now on the stage in Beijing. [Photo provided by Sevenages]

Now for the first time, it has been adapted into a mandarin version and has been put on the stage in Beijing. American director Joseph Graves in this Mandarin production shows confidence about the domestic market.

"I think Chinese audiences will react very positively because it's dealing with things that all of us deal with, such as depression and confusion about our lives. How can we be happy? How can we have a meaningful life? How should we love our families and express that love to them? The issues in this play are universal. They're not just American or Chinese issues, but are common conflicts all over the world. I think and I certainly hope our Chinese audiences will relate very profoundly to the show. "

Mandarin production of musical "Next to normal" is now on the stage in Beijing. [Photo provided by Sevenages]

Joseph adds that the musical exemplifies how rock music can be the best-suited medium for a play about mental health.

"The music is driven by the rock & roll sound, which is not the kind of musical that we've done before. So it's really, really powerful, terrific, and beautiful music in many places. It's a different kind of music that we haven't done here before, but I think the audiences will love it. You feel like you're in a rock concert when you're watching this show. "

Cheng He, the translator of the script, says the lyrics reflect the rich inner world of people who may suffer from such issues.

"I think one of the highlights of the show is that it explores deeply in the topic of mental health. It's such a well written dramatic tale, makes it clear that things are not always as they seem to be. It could be the story of anyone who might seem like nothing is wrong on the surface but really hurting behind closed doors. When the lyrics express those feelings that you dare not speak aloud due to social pressure, it's just like a release."

As an imported art form, musicals have been gaining popularity in big Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in recent years. Several localized works produced by Sevenages have been quite successful, including the Mandarin versions of Avenue Q, The Sound of Music and Cinderella.

Mandarin production of musical "Next to normal" is now on the stage in Beijing. [Photo provided by Sevenages]

Cheng He says as the industry grows, localized works can play an active part in nurturing domestic audiences.

"Translating a western musical means using your mother tongue to present the original flavor. That is, singing our own language and performing the stories exactly as they were written. It bridges the distance between Chinese expectations and western expressions. Now many Chinese audiences are consuming and evaluating musicals in their daily lives. I think in the future, there will be more people who fall in love with musicals."

The mandarin version of "Next To Normal" will run in Beijing until August 26th. 

Written by Lu Chang

(Zhangwan vocices the story)