It's been 17 years since the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal first took the Broadway stage, and the original cast has gone on to achieve remarkable success in the years since. From Tony Award-winning performances to sold-out concerts and immersive productions, the show's impact continues to resonate. Here's a look at where the original 2009 Broadway cast is now.
Alice Ripley: From Side Show to Next to Normal
Alice Ripley's journey to Broadway began with a Tony Award nomination for her role as Violet Hilton in Side Show. Her performance as Diana Goodman in Next to Normal earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and she returned to Broadway in American Psycho. However, Ripley admitted that she "didn't really know what I was getting into" with Next to Normal, describing it as "like opening Pandora's Box". Since then, she's performed in concerts across New York City and released music with her band, RIPLEY. In 2022, she reprised her role as Diana in a 60-minute, immersive production of Next to Normal at the Festival Grec de Barcelona in Spain.
Jennifer Damiano: From Natalie Goodman to Mary Jane Watson
Jennifer Damiano made her Main Stem debut in Spring Awakening and earned a Tony nomination for her role as Natalie Goodman in Next to Normal. After leaving the production, she originated the role of Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which had the longest preview period in Broadway history. She then appeared in other theatrical works, including Venice and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, before returning to Broadway in American Psycho. Damiano married The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Michael Zegen in January 2025, and the couple welcomed their daughter Oona Rose Zegen in January 2026. She released her EP I'm So Sorry, Mary Jane in June 2025.
Aaron Tveit: From Gabe Goodman to Tony Award-winning Performances
Aaron Tveit already had a handful of credits to his name by the time he starred as Gabe Goodman in Next to Normal. He briefly left the production to star as Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can during its out-of-town run at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, and reprised his performance on Broadway when the show transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre in 2011. Tveit went on to star in films and television shows, including Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty, and Les Misérables. He made his U.K. stage debut in Assassins and starred as Danny Zuko in Grease Live! opposite Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens. In 2020, he became the sole nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical at the 74th Tony Awards, making history as the only performer in that category. Tveit recently starred as Freddie Trumper in the Broadway revival of Chess and is married to actress and dancer Ericka Hunter Yang, with whom he shares a daughter.
J. Robert Spencer: From Side Show to Next to Normal
J. Robert Spencer played the loyal husband Dan Goodman opposite Alice Ripley's troubled Diana in Next to Normal. Before that, he was a swing in the 1997 production of Side Show and received a 2009 Tony Award nomination for his work in Next to Normal. After leaving the production, he went on to perform in other shows, including Bayonets of Angst, for which he received a New York Musical Theatre Festival Award for Excellence for Outstanding Individual Performance. Spencer formed his own company, 7 Spencer Productions, for which he produces, writes, directs, and acts in films. He returned to Next to Normal for the 60-minute, immersive production in Spain and documented his time there via his Instagram, praising the show's healing power.
Adam Chanler-Berat: From Henry to Gossip Girl
Adam Chanler-Berat made his Broadway debut in Next to Normal, reprising his performance as lovestruck stoner Henry from the musical's Off-Broadway debut at Second Stage Theatre and out-of-town run at Arena Stage. He went on to play Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher, Nino in Amélie, and Dauphin, Charles VII in Saint Joan. Chanler-Berat has also racked up a handful of Off-Broadway and regional credits, including Rent, Fly By Night, Assassins, Sunday in the Park With George, A New Brain, and The Jonathan Larson Project. Despite his success and busy work schedule, he remains dedicated to doing good work, striving to "come in and not mess things up, or get in anyone’s way".
Louis Hobson: From Next to Normal to Producing Theater
Louis Hobson made his Broadway debut playing Dr. Madden and Dr. Fine in Next to Normal, remaining with the production until it closed. He then appeared on Broadway in The People in the Picture, Bonnie & Clyde, and Leap of Faith. Hobson has also done a lot of theater work in Seattle, where he became artistic director of Balagan Theater before the company shuttered in 2014. He is currently producing theater, working on The Hunger Games: On Stage in London, John Proctor Is the Villain, and the Arena Stage production of Damn Yankees, which is slated to return to Broadway in 2027. In celebration of John Proctor Is the Villain's closing on Broadway, Hobson praised the show's vibrant and powerful story, highlighting the importance of supporting new theater and new voices.
The original cast of Next to Normal has gone on to achieve remarkable success in the years since its Broadway debut. From Tony Award-winning performances to sold-out concerts and immersive productions, the show's impact continues to resonate, and the cast members have continued to push the boundaries of their craft, inspiring new generations of theatergoers.
