--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Next to Normal' was a show many people…" description: "\"'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't be done.\" — Tom Kitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg" --- # 'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't… ![“'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't be done.” quote by Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg) > “'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't be done.” [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 'Next to Normal' defied expectations, proving bold storytelling can succeed. **In simple terms:** Risky shows can break new ground. Key Takeaway Support innovative theater. Themes innovation risk theatre Mood hopeful encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - producing new works - marketing daring shows Key Concepts Narrative daring audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - What makes a risky show work? - How do you balance risk and audience appeal? A Different Perspective Not all risky projects succeed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-thought-276047/) [Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Thought Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-couldn-548705/) ## Related quotes > [“In fact, after some thought, he couldn’t think of a word that meant female that men hadn’t imbued with some belittling shade of meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/in-fact-after-some-thought-he-couldn-t-think-of-a-word-that-meant/) [Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/) > [“You were going to refuse him?" "Yes." "Why?" I thought of you and I couldn't. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ashley/you-were-going-to-refuse-him-yes-why-i-thought-of-you-and-i-couldn-t/) [Jennifer Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ashley/) > [I thought, well I can do that. I couldn't be bothered writing a book review, because I'd have to read the book, I haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-campbell/i-thought-well-i-can-do-that-i-couldn-t-be-bothered-writing-a-book/) [Eddie Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-campbell/) > [“Because I thought I couldn’t be happy until I went home, and then I thought I couldn’t be happy until I came back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meagan-spooner/because-i-thought-i-couldn-t-be-happy-until-i-went-home-and-then-i/) [Meagan Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meagan-spooner/) > [“…With pulleys and ropes and time to plan one could move anything. Now that she thought of it, why couldn’t anyone do anything he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/with-pulleys-and-ropes-and-time-to-plan-one-could-move-anything-now/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [Overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/overcoming-the-things-you-once-thought-you-couldn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whoever thought that we couldn't last are totally wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-thought-that-we-couldn-t-last-are-totally-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought I was over him, done with him.. But then there he was, and I couldn't breathe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-thought-i-was-over-him-done-with-him-but-then-there-he-was-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And when I thought she couldn't prove herself any lower..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rameesha-khay/and-when-i-thought-she-couldn-t-prove-herself-any-lower/) [Rameesha Khay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rameesha-khay/) > [To All The Time You Thought You Couldn't Do It… And Then You Did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-all-the-time-you-thought-you-couldn-t-do-it-and-then-you-did/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never thought that I couldn't do what I set out to do. It wasn't from arrogance; it was from ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/i-never-thought-that-i-couldn-t-do-what-i-set-out-to-do-it-wasn-t/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [“I never thought I'd find someone that I couldn't see myself without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/i-never-thought-i-d-find-someone-that-i-couldn-t-see-myself-without/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rikki-rogers/strength-doesn-t-come-from-what-you-can-do-it-comes-from-overcoming/) [Rikki Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rikki-rogers/) > [I thought I couldn't make a difference because I was too small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-thunburg/i-thought-i-couldn-t-make-a-difference-because-i-was-too-small/) [Greta Thunburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-thunburg/) > [There's a lot of people who, for nine years, thought that I couldn't do anything on my own, and so I love proving those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-madix/there-s-a-lot-of-people-who-for-nine-years-thought-that-i-couldn-t-do/) [Ariana Madix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-madix/) ## More by Tom Kitt > [I've had so many experiences with film or musicals or books where I just walk away changed in some way. One of the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-ve-had-so-many-experiences-with-film-or-musicals-or-books-where-i/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [It's all about the audience and the people who support your work and respond to it. So, anytime I hear that 'Next to Normal'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/it-s-all-about-the-audience-and-the-people-who-support-your-work-and/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I didn't want to box myself into writing just rock music because you can try to force it into moments that don't want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-didn-t-want-to-box-myself-into-writing-just-rock-music-because-you/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [The thing about 'Next to Normal' is that it really is an ensemble piece for six actors. They are all asked to do very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/the-thing-about-next-to-normal-is-that-it-really-is-an-ensemble-piece/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [My love of Green Day is on so many levels. It's their genius for songwriting, the fact that they write about very important subjects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/my-love-of-green-day-is-on-so-many-levels-it-s-their-genius-for/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [Green Day is a band that you always felt had something to say, whether it was about the times or love or heartache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/green-day-is-a-band-that-you-always-felt-had-something-to-say-whether/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I hope Green Day write more for the theater. They're brilliant at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-hope-green-day-write-more-for-the-theater-they-re-brilliant-at-it/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [In the back of my mind, when we were developing 'Next to Normal,' I always heard Alice Ripley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/in-the-back-of-my-mind-when-we-were-developing-next-to-normal-i/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I love musical comedy; I love comedy in general, and I have varied taste in terms of books, film, theatre, and culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-love-musical-comedy-i-love-comedy-in-general-and-i-have-varied/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I do not take my job lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-do-not-take-my-job-lightly/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [Any musical is a major undertaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/any-musical-is-a-major-undertaking/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I was very lucky in that I had a happy home life and that I was interested in things my parents wanted to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-was-very-lucky-in-that-i-had-a-happy-home-life-and-that-i-was/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [I'm very influenced by the work of George Martin and the string arrangements that he did for the Beatles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/i-m-very-influenced-by-the-work-of-george-martin-and-the-string/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > ['American Idiot' is not only one of my favorite albums of all time, it's become an anthem of a generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/american-idiot-is-not-only-one-of-my-favorite-albums-of-all-time-it-s/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) > [Living involves making bold choices. You can't always know how they're going to turn out, and you can always play that game of wondering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/living-involves-making-bold-choices-you-can-t-always-know-how-they-re/) [Tom Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) [Explore all 28 Tom Kitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't be done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Kitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-thought-couldn-t-be-done/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-thought-couldn-t-be-done/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/tom-kitt-21972_done_next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-th_2714076.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'Next to Normal' was a show many people thought couldn't be done.” — Tom Kitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Kitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'Next to Normal' was a show...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-thought-couldn-t-be-done/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kitt/next-to-normal-was-a-show-many-people-thought-couldn-t-be-done/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```