High & low notes of bipolar mom, by Joe Dziemianowicz
Musicals have come a long way from those standard "boy meets girl, boy loses girl" plots. Add to the list of shows tackling offbeat topics <cite>Next to Normal</cite>—a "girl loses marbles" story about a young mother who is mentally ill. The production, which opened Wednesday night Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre, is audacious, original and—like its heroine—has issues.