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[title]Next to Normal Immersive has arrived in Buenos Aires and already sold out its first shows at CAI in Colegiales (tickets here). This immersive take on the groundbreaking Broadway musical about mental health takes the experience to a whole new level: 360° projections, surround sound, and actors performing in the same space as the audience.
The local premiere comes with a star-studded touch: Tony winner Alice Ripley and original Broadway cast member J. Robert Spencer traveled specially to Argentina to lead the cast alongside emerging Argentine talent. Additionally, Rent icon Adam Pascal participates virtually. Presented in English with Spanish subtitles, the show is brought to life by Argentine creative Pablo del Campo, who previously made history with this immersive version in Barcelona and now promises to make it a cultural milestone in Buenos Aires.
In this interview, Ripley and Spencer share what it’s like to return to the show that marked their careers and what it means to headline it now in this groundbreaking immersive format.
How has your experience performing Next to Normal changed now in its immersive version, compared to your original work on Broadway?
Robert Spencer - My experience performing Next to Normal in this immersive version is very different from my original work on Broadway. On Broadway, there was that traditional fourth wall—an audience sitting out there in the dark, taking in the show as this powerful story unfolded on stage. It was electric, but there was also a kind of separation. Now with the immersive production, that wall is completely gone. The audience is right there with us, feeling every moment up close. It makes the performances more raw, more vulnerable, and honestly, more unpredictable. There’s an intimacy and intensity to it—every breath, every pause, every look carries weight because the audience is literally in the room with us.
For me, coming back to this role after originating it on Broadway, it’s been incredibly moving to revisit the material in such a new way. The story hits differently when you’re sharing it in this immersive environment—it feels less like a performance and more like an experience we’re all living through together.
Alice Ripley - Diana is a performance I created from words and notes on a page. Since she is a literary example and not a real person, she has stayed the same. However, I have grown as a woman who has endured, for example, the recent loss of several beloved family members. Therefore, even though Diana and I are very different, I am perhaps more capable of understanding her complicated grief than I was before. My approach feels more relaxed, integrated, and masterful because of these facts.
This musical tackles mental health, grief, and family pain with great intensity. How do you prepare emotionally to relive these emotions night after night?
Robert Spencer - That’s always been one of the biggest challenges of Next to Normal. The show doesn’t let you hide—it asks you to go to some very raw, vulnerable places night after night. For me, it’s being able to pull from my own life experiences while grounding myself in the truth of the story. Once the curtain goes up, I trust my training, along with the writing and the music, to carry me there. The beauty of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s work is that it gives you the emotional map—you just have to be willing to walk it honestly. And then, when the show ends, I make sure to leave it on the stage. You can’t live in that heaviness 24/7, so finding joy, humor, and connection offstage is what allows me to keep coming back and telling this story with everything I have.
Alice Ripley - Since the beginning of my experience playing Diana, I have spent all my time in between shows doing two things: 1. recovering from the physical and mental tasks of conjuring grief as an actor who processes emotions for an audience, and 2. preparing my instrument (my voice, mind, body, breath, and soul) to be used in that way again by putting all the pieces back together as best I can. This is possible for me through my Heavenly Father's grace. Included in the recovery and preparation process is prayer, hydration, solitude, rest, making art alone, experiencing silence, providing adequate nutrition and fitness for myself, and extending simple warm kindnesses to the people I encounter on my daily errands.
Also of interest: Must-see musicals in Buenos Aires’ theater scene
Buenos Aires has its own unique culture and audience, with distinct references. How do you adapt your performance or connection with the local audience?
Robert Spencer - Buenos Aires has such a rich culture and a really passionate theater audience. What I’ve found here is that people don’t just watch theater—they feel it, they live it. So for me, adapting isn’t about changing the story itself—because Next to Normal is universal—but it’s about tuning in to the energy in the room. What’s beautiful is that even though I’m performing a story born in the U.S., the themes of family, loss, and resilience resonate just as strongly here. The universality of those emotions bridges any cultural differences, and that makes the connection with a Buenos Aires audience feel incredibly powerful and unique.
Alice Ripley - The story of Next to Normal Immersive will be received by the audience on their own terms, no matter where we tell it. Diana's story stays the same.
Working with young local talents like Ema Giménez Zapiola, Valentín Zaninelli, and Axel Munton must be a special experience. How is it collaborating with them, and how has it impacted your own performance?
Robert Spencer - I am getting choked up as I get to talk about these 3 young amazing stars because I love them so much!! Emma, Valentín, and Axel have been such a gift to work with. They bring such freshness, honesty, and a real sense of fearlessness to the work. That kind of energy is contagious—it pushes me to stay present and open, because they’re giving everything they’ve got. What’s been really inspiring is how deeply they connect to the material. Even though Next to Normal is a story I’ve lived with for years, seeing it through their eyes has reminded me of its immediacy and its impact. They don’t approach it with any preconceptions; they dive in with truth and heart. Collaborating with them has absolutely impacted my performance. Their talents ultimately make the story feel even more alive every night. I’m so proud to share the stage with them.
Alice Ripley - As in all theatrical companies, we try to learn from each other, no matter what our experience. I've been very impressed with the three actors you mentioned, and indeed with the entire company. Both their dedication to the craft of making live theatre and their respect for the piece have been humbling, and it inspires me to give even more of everything that has been cultivated over the years. Theatre people find each other easily in a place like Buenos Aires, a city full of warmth, history, and soul. True theatre people are skilled at opening their hearts, and they extend love to each other from a safe, respectful place. I find that here.
Fans of Next to Normal have seen the musical in traditional productions. What do you think they will take away from this immersive and completely new format? How do you hope this experience will resonate with long-time fans?
Robert Spencer - Fans who know Next to Normal from traditional productions are going to experience it in a completely new light. They already know the story and the songs, but in this immersive version, they’re inside the world of the Goodman family. They’re not just watching the struggle—they’re sitting in the middle of it, breathing the same air, and that changes everything. I think what they’ll take away is a deeper emotional connection. It’s more personal, more immediate, and in some ways, more confronting. When the boundaries disappear, the show doesn’t just live on the stage—it lives around you, with you. Even if they’ve seen it many times before, this format lets them feel the story in a way they never have.
Alice Ripley - I feel this immersive experience resonates even more deeply with the story of the Goodmans. The immediate impact is similar to the full-length show, but perhaps it feels even more personal to the audience because of their proximity to the action taking place.
Diana is a character deeply affected by mental illness, the grief over Gabe, and personal and familial guilt. How do you approach this emotional complexity now, drawing on your personal and professional experience after all these years? Was there anything new you discovered about Diana in this version that you hadn’t explored before?
I've found new humor and fun with Diana in the immersive production, thanks to our team. For that, I am so grateful.
Dan plays a somewhat balancing role: he supports, feels guilt, searches for solutions, and struggles with his own mistakes while facing the reality of a fractured family. How do you approach Dan’s internal arc today? Has anything changed in your interpretation of this role in the immersive production?
Coming back to him in this immersive production, I find myself leaning even more into his vulnerability. When the audience is literally in the room with you, every crack in the armor shows, and that’s actually liberating as an actor. While Dan still attempts to be the caretaker, the audience in this version sees him as a man/husband/father, who’s unraveling in real time—grappling with mistakes, with denial, and with the weight of love and loss.
What’s changed for me is that I see Dan less as a symbol of strength and more as a deeply human figure who’s just trying, failing, and trying again. The immersive format makes his arc feel more intimate, raw, and exposed, allowing me to connect with him in a way I never quite did before.