Is there life after high school the musical

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 11:46pm

Anyone ever heard of this musical? i have the sheet music to one of the songs and i was wondering if anyone had seen it/heard of it. all i know about it is that it opened may 1982 and had a run of 12 performances

[apdarcey]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 11:48pm

i've heard of it... can't help you more than that though!

[Broadway_Bound_Star]

Posted: 7/16/05 at 11:56pm

http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/2862


Found some stuff! whoo

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 12:48am

I saw the world premiere at the Hartford Stage.

[LoudIrishGirl]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 2:04am

What's the plot etc.?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 3:02am

Its just about a bunch of ppl at a high school reunion, right? I have the CD, its pretty good. Not great, not horrible. I like Craig Carnelia. It's got a few good songs.

EDIT: Only 12 performances? Did it get horrible reviews? I can't imagine its that expensive to perform. Updated On: 7/17/05 at 03:02 AM

Posted: 7/17/05 at 6:55am

As I recall it got good reviews- I think it ran Off-off for a long time and transferred? I might be crazy-- I don't recall the run, only when the CD was issues in early 90's. Remember a lot of good press. Barry Manilow covered a song on his Broadway album. Whatever happened to Craig? He is talented!
Updated On: 7/17/05 at 06:55 AM

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 8:51am

I did the show. It's a mess. Some of the monologues are charming but most of it is just a sequence of scenes that don't hold together or say much of worth about the high school experience, held together by a dreadful score full of songs that never take off. It all feels like a bad collegiate project of some sort.

It's a cute distraction but, really, nothing worth digging around for too much.

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 10:20am

I love "The Kid Inside", "The Things I Learned in High School", "Fran and Janie" and "I'm So Glad You Didn't Know Me". I don't consider the score to be dreadful, not if the material is well performed.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 7/17/05 at 10:21am

My camp did this musical three years ago. I had a friend in it.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 1:12pm

I've done this show before and I really loved the score. Some of the scene work is weak but it isn't horrid by any means. It should have stayed Off-Broadway and never transferred and it would have done very, very well indeed. I wish the show were done a lot more but alas, most people (obviously) aren't familiar with it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 1:54pm

I remember loving the song, Beer. But then again, that was a long time ago. Now I love actual beer.

Also, Scott Bakula was a swing. Now I would like to swing with Scott Bakula.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 1:56pm

I love the cast recording to this show, while it is not the best out there it is very enjoyable!

[Jon]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 1:58pm

Craig Carnelia wrote the lyrics for SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS.

[dano]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 3:55pm

I saw a community theatre production of this about 10 years ago. It was so good (both the show and the production) that I went back to see it a second time, and brought some friends.

"The Kid Inside" still gets to me, every time I hear it. "Diary of a Homecoming Queen" is also wonderful.

It doesn't really have a plot, more along the lines of a concept musical. Just various scenes and songs about people reminiscing about High School. I was about 15 years out of H.S. when I saw it, so I could really appreciate it. If you're still in H.S., it might not have the same appeal. Much of it deals with things like cliques, peer pressure, relationships, chances we didn't take (and will never have the chance to take again). I'd love to see it again!

Updated On: 7/18/05 at 03:55 PM

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 4:16pm

I too really liked the music from this show though I can't say much for the book.

There are some songs that really touch that part of you that you thought you forgot...the geeky kid who tried hard to fit in and wondered what would ever become of them after they graduated or the one who thought that high school was the big pond and the rest of their life would be just like that.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 5:36pm

"I remember loving the song, Beer. But then again, that was a long time ago. Now I love actual beer."

That was my favorite song in the show to perform. Fun. Fun. Fun!

[artsamore]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 5:57pm

I was one of the leads in the show eight years ago and it was one of the best shows I have ever been in. I describe it as a somewhat lesser version of "Merrily We Roll Along". The show is quite dated, with its music and structure, but it still packs an emotional punch. It is one of those shows that won't sell itself, you have to have a dynamite cast.

The score is really wonderful though with some of my favorites being:

"The Things I learned in High School"

"The Night Nothing Really Happended"

"Second Thoughts"

[Craig]

Posted: 7/18/05 at 6:54pm

I like "the kid inside" as well. Of similar vain, and a show I enjoy more, is "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?"

[RexManPa2]

Posted: 8/26/05 at 10:12pm

hey!

What song do you have from Is There Life After High School??? I have been looking for sheet music for over a year to sing at my graduation but can not find it. Would you be willing to send me a copy of it? I am looking for the song The Things I Learned in High School, but will take just about anything from that show!

Thank you so much,
Johnny

[RexManPa2]

Posted: 8/26/05 at 10:14pm

Hey,

I am new on the Broadway post sites. Anyway i'll re-post my last post.

Does anyone have sheet music for The Things I Learned in High School they would be willing to send me a copy of??? e-mail me at [e-mail] if willing to send me a copy!

Thank you,
Johnny

[chrisyk]

Posted: 8/30/13 at 2:57pm

Were you ever able to find the sheet music for Fran and Janie? A young lady I know is looking to perform it at her performing arts high school. She's been unable to find anything so far. Trying all options we can to locate it for her.
Thank you!

[thommg]

Posted: 8/30/13 at 3:06pm

I saw the original Broadway production many times because Paramount was a producer and they gave free tickets to SAG members if they showed their membership card at the box office before showtime. I do not believe it ever played off Broadway before the Broadway production.

The show is just a series of monologues and scenes and songs that come out of a high school reunion. It was NOT big on plot. It is really about the acting of the pieces. There were many things to enjoy in this show but it was slight. I always liked the score but a musician friend of mine pointed out the many repetitious musical phrases in each melody which he didn't care for. The performances were terrific - David Patrick Kelly, Harry Groener, Alma Cuervo, Sandy Faison, and a few more I can't remember right now.

There was a version done at Musicals In Mufti a few years back with a revised book. It was horrible. I much preferred the original book which had a couple of emotional monologues in it. There are some good songs in it that should be performed - I used to do Nothing Really Ever Happened in a cabaret and it works for a guy. Really just some fun and some gentle music that makes for a nice evening.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/31/13 at 3:48am

I never heard of this musical. At first I was avoiding this thread because I thought you were asking us is there life after High School Musical (the Disney movie).

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/31/13 at 4:07am

You avoided it since 05!