A Little More Alive
A Little More Alive
#1A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 9:56am
Kansas Repertory Theatre is currently housing "A Little More Alive", a new pop musical written by Nick Blaemire, starring Lindsay Mendez, Van Hughes, Kayla Foster, Michael Tacconi and Daniel Jenkins. I haven't heard much about it, but the press clip looks very promising. Has anyone heard anything about it?
'A Little More Alive' Press Roll
#2A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 11:40am
I tweeted their official twitter account this morning asking if they had any plans to come to NYC after the Kansas run and their answer was: "We would love to have a future trajectory that includes an NYC premiere, yep!"
So, nothing set in stone obviously, but here's to hoping the KC Rep production will be well received.
ARTc3
Broadway Star Joined: 8/5/13
#2A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 7:08pm
Was just surfing and came across your thread. Clicked on the link and watched... Wow! That was pretty dreadful.
I too always wish great things to any collaborative effort to put art in front of an audience. So, I wish them luck, but those 4.5 minutes on YouTube were really pretty bad.
ARTc3 formerly ARTc. Actually been a poster since 2004. My name isn't Art. Drop the "3" and say the signature and you'll understand.
playbill-love
Featured Actor Joined: 7/30/13
#3A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 7:25pmI live in the area and am going on Wednesday; will report back if people are interested in hearing how it is.
#4A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 8:14pmI too thought the footage in that clip was almost unbearable.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
FishermanBob
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/9/12
#5A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 9:20pm
It almost feels like they are trying to do Next To Next To Normal.
But you've got Zach Galifianakis in the cast so that should help sell some tickets.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#6A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 10:01pm
I'm just a little concerned with the fact that those are the clips they wanted to promote the show with. Oof. Was anyone on key? Lindsey Mendez saved it for sure. But it still doesn't look very exciting or interesting.
My problem with this music is that he has good melodies but the subject matter and stuff are always so bland.
#7A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 10:17pm
If Lindsay is in it, I'd go. That's really all you need to know, heh.
As for the video, it is B-Roll, which is meant for newscasters to talk over while they pimp the show. I mean, sure, if you post it on YouTube, people can interpret it however they want, but that is the point of B-Roll, less interesting video to talk over. The A-roll is the stuff that should be played standalone without any VO, etc.
ARTc3
Broadway Star Joined: 8/5/13
#8A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 10:25pm
I don't wish to be rude and perhaps I shouldn't have left my comment or offer the one below...
It may be b-roll, but I am assuming that it is a part of the show, performed and if I was in the audience, I'd be asked to watch this. I hope that what precedes and follows these clips is more interesting.
ARTc3 formerly ARTc. Actually been a poster since 2004. My name isn't Art. Drop the "3" and say the signature and you'll understand.
#9A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 10:37pm
Well, it is the first time this show has been put on a stage, AFAIK. So, the videotape was probably one of the final rehearsals or before they started doing press and they needed to use something to help sell tickets.
Like most shows, it will change and morph into something that makes this footage look unrecognizable. That's why a bunch of NYC actors went to Kansas City, to put a show up and try and change it into something better.
So, let them have their process. If they wanted it to be torn apart in NYC, even online, they would have just staged it here. Lots of shows would look awful if we watched footage this early of them being worked on...
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#10A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/19/14 at 11:22pm
Hey girl. It's 2014. And we live in the digital age. This show looks terrible. The actors went to Kansas City for a paycheck and in hopes of the show transferring to NYC.
It was put online to help promote the show. It looks bad. So we're free to discuss it how we wish. Thanks :)
FlowerChild67
Stand-by Joined: 7/11/12
#11A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 2:00am
From Kansas City Rep's website:
"In this captivating new pop musical, two estranged brothers reunite at their mother’s funeral. An unexpected discovery upends every memory they have - and it becomes their mission to learn the truth about their family. But on the way, Nate and Jeremy find that no one is exempt from the grey area between right and wrong.
Acclaimed director Sheryl Kaller (Mothers and Sons, Next Fall) and a stellar cast ignite an energetic soundtrack of pulse-pounding grooves and lush ballads in this touching original story by one of America’s most exciting young playwrights."
It sounds interesting! I hope that they continue to develop, and hopefully improve, it.
#12A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 2:02am
"So we're free to discuss it how we wish."
Who's stopping you?
DeNada
Broadway Star Joined: 7/7/07
#13A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 6:48am
Goodness, there is something very odd going on in that opening number.
This reminds me a lot, unsurprisingly, of Glory Days in the way it's constructed musically. It feels like the melodies are interesting (although they do seem to stop and start a lot without constructing whole passages of music) but the orchestra feels like it's almost doing something completely different from the singers. Lyrically it's not quite so sophomoric but it's getting there; that last number about talking to the trees etc. isn't sung by an actual person, but by an idea based on hippie/counterculture cliches that have been around for years.
It's not dreadful or anything, but it's just not great.
As for not judging out of town material, if that didn't happen then nothing would bother with a try out. Yes, we're not actually there - but the whole point of such things is to get some kind of feedback on them.
#14A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 11:59am
"As for not judging out of town material, if that didn't happen then nothing would bother with a try out. Yes, we're not actually there - but the whole point of such things is to get some kind of feedback on them."
Oh, so we're helping them? 
I have to imagine Nick isn't reading this thread and adjusting it based on our feedback to a YouTube clip.
DeNada
Broadway Star Joined: 7/7/07
#15A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 12:06pm
Sometimes they do!
In all seriousness, though, you're right, no-one gives a toss about a tiny thread on this message board about an out of town tryout like this. What I meant, of course, that they wouldn't be staging this in the first place if not to get feedback from the audiences; and even if they're not paying attention to internet chatter, by putting this B-roll footage up in the first place for us to access that makes us, in some way, an audience too.
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#16A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 12:26pmGreat title. I heard it's much better than JUST A TAD BREATHING.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
ARTc3
Broadway Star Joined: 8/5/13
#17A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/20/14 at 1:52pm
"...Acclaimed director Sheryl Kaller (Mothers and Sons, Next Fall) and a stellar cast ignite an energetic soundtrack of pulse-pounding grooves and lush ballads in this touching original story by one of America’s most exciting young playwrights."
Where is the "soundtrack" police?! "Score", god damn it! :)
ARTc3 formerly ARTc. Actually been a poster since 2004. My name isn't Art. Drop the "3" and say the signature and you'll understand.
Updated On: 4/20/14 at 01:52 PM
playbill-love
Featured Actor Joined: 7/30/13
#18A Little More Alive
Posted: 4/23/14 at 10:37pmThis is quite a bit better than the footage looks, but IMO needs work before it could sustain a longer run at a bigger or more prestigious theatre. The performances are great, and Lindsay Mendez is the standout in the cast. The book is this show's biggest weakness. Tere are several big revelations to the audience - but not other characters - that leaves the emotional resolution at the end of te show feeling a little false. Kayla Foster's character, Molly, needs to be cut or seriously expanded. She has less than five minutes of stage time during which she flits around and sings (really, really well) a sort of forced song about escaping to the wilderness, and then disappears again. Kayla's performance is great, but I didn't really see the point of her character being included with so little growth, significance, or depth. The play is largely centered around see real stoners, but every time they're high it seems like a silly caricature. All the people are really good, and it really does have potential - the music is cool and catchy and performed very well, but it needs some serious reworking before moving forward. It's a two hour show with a 90 minute fest act and 25 minute second act. I enjoyed my night at the theatre, and seeing actors of a caliber we don't usually get in the Midwest. I would but a cast album and am going back next week because I got a $10 student ticket offer. It just needs work before it moves forward.
