Next to Normal (styled as
next to normal) is a
rock musical with book and lyrics by
Brian Yorkey and music by
Tom Kitt. Its story concerns a mother who struggles with worsening
bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness and the attempts to alleviate it have on her family. The musical also addresses such issues as grieving a loss,
suicide,
drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the underbelly of suburban life.