BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Next to Normal, the play that changed musical theater a decade ago and celebrated 10 consecutive seasons in Buenos Aires under the creative leadership of Pablo del Campo, has just premiered worldwide in a new version: Next to Normal, an immersive live musical, as part of the Barcelona Grec Festival program.
Del Campo Global, Layers of Reality, and Festival Grec co-produce this new immersive show that combines live performances interacting with the public in the same place, 360° projections on walls and floor in a space of 2000 square meters, which proposes, with its particular characteristics, immerse yourself in an intimate and unique experience. The original production in English has subtitles in both Spanish and Catalan.
“I am very happy with the creative result we have achieved. There are ideas that may seem excellent when thought about, but only when they come true do we realize their true magnitude. I am personally shocked. And, fortunately, the public of a city as cosmopolitan as Barcelona, too,” affirmed Pablo del Campo.
“I feel like we’re creating a way to tell a musical for the ‘Netflix generation.’ From my place, always connected to the world of ideas and storytelling, today, I feel what at some point that this Next to Normal Immersive is like my Titanium at the Cannes Festival,” added Pablo, who, in addition to getting Federer and Nadal to face each other on a half-brick-half-grass court, garnered more than 90 Lions at Cannes for brands such as AB InBev, Playstation, Procter & Gamble, Mondelez, and Coca-Cola, among others, leading his agency to be named International Agency of the Year by Advertising Age.
At a time when mental health has gained great relevance, this proposal brings these issues to light by placing viewers at the center of the action and where immersion allows new depths to be found. Next to Normal is the story of a family that struggles to be normal in times when normal ceased to exist. Links, duels, and mental health are the axis of this plot.
Once again, Alice Ripley, who premiered this play on Broadway for which she won a Tony Award, leads the live cast. Along with her, there are renowned artists and the special participation of the also award-winning Adam Pascal as her virtual psychiatrist; something very familiar post-pandemic.
Pablo del Campo leads a multidisciplinary team made up of Argentine, Spanish, English, and North American talents.
