A recently sold-out musical is making its way to the city of Detroit — virtually. Written and directed by independent musician Nikki Lynette, “Get Out Alive” tells the story of survival, and overcoming abuse and depression.
With a rich background in music and songs featured on Netflix, Hulu, MTV and FOX, the recording artist and mental health advocate is taking the stage to shine a light on mental health. The autobiographical musical showcases a personal account of the artist’s journey with mental illness. Using music, technology and art, the show presents a real-world approach to coping while breaking stereotypes of music for healing.
“Music that deals with mental health doesn’t have to be sad or corny. If these are issues we navigate every day, then it should be the soundtrack to people’s real lives,” Lynette said. “When I went into the psyche ward after a suicide attempt, I met all these people with the same issues as me, and they felt alone, too. I told them when I got out, I would use my platform to tell our stories — and I’m keeping my word.”
Taking the form of a hip-hop concert, the stage play turned 90-minute musical adaptation, features original songs first performed during an opening act show for a punk rock group in 2018. With no prior experience in musical theater, storytelling through music was no foreign concept.
“I began writing the play in 2018. It took just over a year to complete. It was a process because I’ve never wrote a play before,” Lynette shares. “I was encouraged to write it by my mentor.”
Songs, as well as the full piece from the stage play were also a part of a developmental reading with the American Music Theater Project at Northwestern University in 2019. This accomplishment made Lynette the first Black women to have her work developed and produced by the American Music Theater Project.
The stage show, originally appearing as a part of the 2020 Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Lookout Series, has been readapted for film and reimagined for the internet. Adapting to film began in the summer of the same year.
“We started adapting to film this summer during the pandemic. When we decided to turn the musical into a film, we didn’t do it to keep the play alive. We did it because we were in the middle of a pandemic and people want to feel good,” Lynette says. “We can reach people at a time when they want to be reached.”
Now adding playwright and filmmaker to the list of accomplishments, the artist takes clips from documentary footage, visual media and will feature new content filmed during the summer in Chicago. Lynette and her team completed the project with no additional funding.
“We’re completely independent,” Lynette says. “We’re just doing this by ourselves. Its supporting independent theater when you buy a ticket.”
With the goal of bringing awareness to the serious topic, Lynette wants to encourage and educate the community on mental illness and advocate for those who still struggle with the effects of mental health. An ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lynette wants to give a voice to those who may feel lost.
“I live with mental illness everyday without medication. It will be okay. You are not crazy. It means nothing about your character,” Lynette says. “There are numbers you can call. You don’t have to wait until you’re suicidal or things get worse.”
The show is set to debut virtually across the country on January 30 and is set to feature four episodes as a part of the full series. Tickets are available online.
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