Natalie Goodman

Natalie Goodman is a character in Next to Normal, originally played by Jennifer Damiano on Broadway.

Biography
Daughter of Diana and Dan. Stage age sixteen, prodigy, but life’s not going well.

Act I

When the show opens the anxious and over-achieving Natalie is up late, and her mother Diana comforts her. In the morning the whole Goodman family prepare for the day (Just Another Day). Natalie and the others realize something is wrong with Diana when Diana’s lunch-making takes a turn for the bizarre, and sandwiches end up on the floor. While her father, Dan, takes Diana to the doctor, Natalie hurries off to school and the refuge of the piano practice room ("Everything Else"). There she is interrupted by Henry, a classmate who likes to listen to her play and who is clearly interested in her.

Natalie and Henry grow closer until one day he professes his love for her (“Perfect For You") and they kiss for the first time. Diana witnesses this.

A few weeks later, Dan looks forward to dinner with his family ("It's Gonna Be Good"), but when Diana emerges with a cake singing "Happy Birthday" to her son, Dan and Natalie are devastated. In her room, Natalie vents her anger to Henry and then refuses Diana's apology as her brother watches and taunts her.

("Superboy and the Invisible Girl").A few days later, Diana starts working with Doctor Madden. Dan and Natalie doubt the sessions are helping.

Act II
While Diana receives a series of ECT treatments, Natalie explores clubs and drugs ("Wish I Were Here"). At school, Henry comforts Natalie about her avoiding him, and invites her to the spring formal dance ("Hey #1"). Dan gathers the family to try to bring back Diana's memory after she partially lost it ("Better Than Before"), with minor success, but when Natalie pulls the music box from a pile of keepsakes, Dan whisks it away, leaving Diana puzzled.

When Henry arrives looking for Natalie. Unnerved, Henry hurries up to Natalie's bedroom, to convince her to join him at the dance the next night ("Hey #2").

Henry arrives to pick up Natalie, who has dressed for the dance, just in time for both of them to witness an agitated Dan grab the music box from Diana's hands and smash it to pieces on the floor.

Diana confronts Dan, wondering why he perseveres after how much trouble she's given, while upstairs, Natalie asks Henry much the same question ("Why Stay?"). Dan answers, echoed by Henry, both vowing to stay steadfast ("A Promise"). As both couples embrace, Diana and Dan's son reappears ("I'm Alive" [Reprise]) which sends Diana running to Doctor Madden.

Natalie, waiting outside, is distressed to learn her mother has stopped the treatment. Diana explains herself ("Maybe [Next to Normal]"), opening up to her daughter for the first time. She urges Natalie on to the school dance, where Henry awaits to comfort and embrace her ("Hey #3" / "Perfect for You" [Reprise]).

Natalie comes home to find her father sitting alone in the dark, in tears, after Diana left them. She comforts him and turns on the lights in the room, before assuming him the two of them will figure things out ("Wight"). Henry arrives to study. Natalie him Diana has gone to stay with her own parents.

Songs
Solos

Everything Else - Act 1

Superboy and the Invisible Girl - Act 1

Growing Up Unstable (Act II Opener for Off-Broadway- Later replaced with "Wish I Were Here")

Perfect (Act 1 song before being replaced by Everything Else)

Solos (In a duet)

Perfect for You (Act I) - Henry and Natalie

Wish I Were Here (Act II)

Hey #1 (Act II) - Henry and Natalie

Hey #2 (Act II) - Henry and Natalie

Hey #3 (Act II) - Henry and Natalie

Maybe/Next to Normal (Act II) - Diana and Natalie

Solos (In a group number)

Just Another Day (Act I) - Company

Right (Act II) - Company