FresnoBeehive.com

I still remember the day: It was 2008, I was in New York scanning the theater listings, and I was looking for an Off-Broadway show I could go see to fill out my play-going schedule. I’d be attending with a friend, and I pitched a show titled “Next to Normal.” I remember telling him, “Well, it’s a musical about a woman who gets electroconvulsive therapy.”

A little bit of a hard sell, maybe, but we went — and loved it. From there, “Next to Normal” made history. It went on to a smash Broadway run and the Pulitzer Prize.

Now it’s in Fresno, with StageWorks Fresno bringing us the local premiere. (The show did mount a national tour, but it skipped us.) “Next to Normal” opens Friday at the state-of-the-art Dan Pessano Theatre (the smaller theater that is part of the Shaghoian Hall complex at Clovis North) and runs through July 29.

I have four tickets to give away to any of the first weekend’s performances. (It plays 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.) Two Beehive commenters selected at random will win a pair of tickets each.

To enter, leave a comment on this post. If you know enough about the show, share your favorite song. Let us know in your comment which performance you’d prefer to attend.

Note: This show is for mature audiences only.

Deadline to enter is 10 a.m. Friday. If you’re a winner, you’ll be able to pick up your tickets at Will Call. We’ll notify the winner via e-mail, so please leave a valid e-mail address and please check it by noon Friday. (We reserve the right to pick another winner if we don’t hear back from you. We had something of a bad situation with our “Spring Awakening” ticket giveaway in which the first winner I selected didn’t check his email address in time and still thought he should be a winner.) You’re ineligible if you’ve won something from us in the past 30 days. No multiple entries allowed. Complete rules after the jump.

Bee photo / Craig Kohlruss

GIVEAWAY RULES
Only readers who submit a comment on this post are eligible. Two winners will be picked at random. Recipients will be notified by e-mail or phone at the end of each giveaway period. No substitutions or transfer of winners/prizes. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. Some prizes may have due dates for redemption/use. Employees and immediate family of The Fresno Bee, fresnobee.com and any/all of the participating giveaway sponsors, are not eligible to win. By accepting a giveaway, recipient consents to allow the use of his/her name and/or photograph for advertising or similar promotions without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prizes. Tax liabilities and insurance, if any, are sole responsibility of the winner. No purchase necessary to win.