Get Out Alive had a sold out run in Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series in early 2020. It was adapted into a film in 2021. And now, in July of 2022, it finally returns to the stage at the Den Theatre.
Nikki Lynette has created this autobiographical musical about her struggle with depression. It is a deeply personal story about her struggle involving abuse, grief, and suicidal thoughts It details her difficult relationships with her mother and her past boyfriends.
It has a great balance of hip hop songs and dialog to piece the songs together. The dancers, Keeley B. Morris and Jacinda Ratcliffe, do a fantastic job expressing the emotions of the piece. DJ P1 is solid in his supporting roles as well. It also includes videos of interviews with people discussing their depression that are very powerful.
On the technical side, the room needs to be deadened. The walls have too much reverb which makes it hard to understand the lyrics. Adding foam panels to the walls could fix this issue. Also, the stage is set up as a walkway with the seats right next to it. This works for a fashion show, but for a musical it results in half the audience usually looking at her back and further struggling to hear. The piece runs over 105 minutes. It could really use an intermission, especially with such a heavy topic.
Even with these technical issues, it is still an impressive piece that will only get better in future iterations.
Cost of a ticket: $36
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Get tickets now for Get Out Alive through August 6th!
Quinn Delaney
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