Buy $100 worth of gift cards and get a $20.00 Complimentary gift card for ,ourseltl!! Kids Eat Free Monday Restaurant Italian Cuisine 248.476.0044 Buy one lunch or dinner entree and get the second 1/2 off total food bill Of equal or lesser value 15% off Not good with any other coupons. Not good on holidays. One coupon per couple. Up to $30 Expires 2/28/15 Not good with any other coupon. I Not good on holidays. One coupon per couple. Up to $30 Expires 2/28/15 Farmington Hills • Corner of Grand River & Haggerty Road Auburn Hills • 1 I /2 miles south of the Palace of Auburn Hills The cast of Next to Normal, including (left to right) Jake Zinke, Ron Williams Jr., Laura Diane Dooley, Kevin Kaminski and Miriam Goldstein, playing Natalie 10% OFF The New Normal Groves student gives audiences something to relate to in a not-so-feel-good but dynamic musical. I Suzanne Chessler Contributing Writer Iw argaret Goldstein would not want to be considered a stage mother, but she is glad to be of help to her daughter, Miriam, and the community as St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook presents Next to Normal. Miriam, who plays the role of Natalie in a serious rock musical about a suburban family coping with mental illness, has sought her mom's input to prepare for the part. Margaret Goldstein, an art therapist for crisis-services agency Common Ground, offers firsthand knowledge about mental-health services provided by the agency, and she is glad the the- ater company decided to use its dress rehearsal, Jan. 14, as a fundraiser for Common Ground. The play runs Jan. 16-31. "Anyone who is suffering with mental illness, and their family members, may find themselves in Next to Normal," says Miriam, 15, a sophomore at Groves High School. "My mom says the depiction is very accurate. "This has been my favorite show since I saw it in Chicago last year. The music is incredible, and I like doing a dramatic part:' At the center of the play is the character Diana Goodman (Laurie Dooley), a suburban mom fighting grief and manic depression with pre- scription pills. Husband Dan (Ron Williams Jr.) tries to keep life normal. High-achieving and wise-cracking Natalie is often compared to her brother, Gabe (Jake Zinke), but fears she is like her mother and finds solace with boyfriend Henry (Kevin Kaminski). Gannon Styles portrays two therapists. Next to Normal, planned by director Jeff Davison and musical director Matt Horn for St. Dunstan's, won three Tony Awards in 2009 and a Pulitzer Prize in 2010. "Everything Else a song performed by Miriam at the beginning of the show, is the favorite of its composer, Tom Kitt, who worked with lyricist Brian Yorkey. His comments were made during an earlier Michigan run of the play. "Natalie sings about how everything makes sense when she's at the piano:' Kitt explains. "Everything else goes away, and she gets to have her own world right there. Whatever she's deal- ing with (in reality) is not in her realm at that point. "Sometimes, I actually think of being in practice rooms at Interlochen, where I spent a summer and went off into my own thoughts as I was playing alone:' Miriam, training for a theater career, looks back on happy studies over the past two summers at the Stratford Festival in Canada. She has been taking voice lessons for seven years with Debbie Tedrick, a local teacher and musician. The teen actress, living in Southfield, shares a deep interest in theater with her dad, Eric Goldstein, an attorney active with the Rosedale Community Players. "I've always loved musicals, from New Normal on page 41 TOTAL BILL Excludes tax, tip and beverages. With this ad. Banquet Services not included. Dine in or Carry out. 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