In the summer of 2009, I was
lucky enough to direct an amazing production of the “pop opera” bare, written by Damon Intrabartolo and
Jon Hartmere at the Hart House Theatre. Previously, the show had been produced
professionally only in LA and New York and both versions were very different
from each other. The 2009 Toronto staging was based on the concept album that
was released a few years after the off-Broadway production and was yet another
incarnation of the same show. In a letter from the writers, it was stated that
through all the changes that had been made to the show, this was the definitive version.
 |
| Wade Muir and Graham Parkhurst in the 2009 Toronto production of "bare." |
Though the Canadian premiere
featured some truly amazing performances from a young cast and was very well
received by audiences and critics alike, there was a centralized negative
criticism that focused on the writing. I have to add a disclaimer here; most of
the other criticisms included problems with our sound design, which was mostly
a budget issue (a problem that can account for many of the shows weaker
points). Jon Kaplan from NOW Magazine said, “[The] young cast works hard under
Brian Gregory-Waters’ direction, their singing sometimes more impressive than
their acting. This is partly a script problem…the second act stretches the
narrative too thin and some characters are merely sketched in.” Mark Andrew
Lawrence of BroadwayWorld.com wrote, “…the book occasionally dips to the level
of TV soap operas and the music sometimes lacks variety, the performances carry
this production.”
Let’s fast forward to 2012 and Bare: The Musical opens in New York City
at the New World Stages. I was lucky enough to be in the audience during the
very brief run (previews began in November and the closing date is set for this
Sunday) and I was in absolute awe of what I saw. When I first entered the theatre and was
affronted by the set, my first thought was, “wow…it’s way uglier than the Toronto set” (at Hart House it consisted of a
simple black riser and some steps but was crowned by four gorgeous stain glass
murals designed and illustrated by Miles Pasik). The set at the New World
Stages was essentially the same, however it was completely decoupaged with
thousands of tiny photographs. Perhaps I was sitting way too close to
appreciate the visual impact that it had, but I found it slightly jarring and
it reminded me of a lamp my mother tried really hard to make happen during her
foray into decoupage. However, the mom-craftiness of its appearance aside, it
was very well used and probably one of the most functional static sets I’ve
ever seen.
The next thing that struck me was
that this show, which was once a completely sung-through “opera,” started off
with a very simple monologue from Peter, the show’s protagonist (played
beautifully by Taylor Trensch), which reveals right off the top that someone
dies. With such a small cast, it isn’t much of a mystery that the other
protagonist, Jason (played by Jason Hite) is going to bite it. This is followed
by the brand new opening number “Million Miles from Heaven” which replaces the
uber-dramatic dream sequence “Epiphany” in the original score. The new number
is fantastic and the energetic cast delivers a full-out song and dance number
that brings us back to the beginning of the story when Peter and Jason are
secretly hiding out (half-naked, might I add) in Jason’s bedroom.
Taylor Trensch completely
re-invents the character of Peter with the help of a brand new script written
for this production. In the previous version, Peter is suffering right from the
top of the show because of his secret relationship with Jason and the strictures
of the Catholic Church. His songs are mainly sad ballads about confusion and
love. In the new version, Peter doesn’t seem to really care about the church’s
view and is mainly concerned with helping Jason come to terms with his
sexuality. Trensch plays up the comedy and awkwardness and the audience falls
in love with his charm within minutes.
 |
| Taylor Trensch and Jason Hite in the current New York production. |
It is Jason who bares the brunt
of the burdens in this show. He is struggling to come to terms with his
sexuality, keeping his relationship with Peter a secret from his jock friends
who talk in homophobic slurs and bully the other students, and his sister,
Nadia (Barrett Wilbert Weed), an ironic drug-dealer. He is still the golden boy
of the school who tries to overcome his deviant sexuality by sleeping with Ivy
(Elizabeth Judd). That is basically it in terms of plot in the new version, but
it is absolutely enough. The storyline of Nadia dealing with her weight and
self-esteem has been cut, along with the scenes with Peter’s mother and his
coming out. The story focuses primarily on Jason’s journey and the supporting
characters are simply that, serving only the purpose of advancing the plot.
The most noticeable change was
the role of the nun. In previous productions, including the Toronto production,
the role of “Sister Chantelle” is played by a sassy, black woman with a
powerhouse voice that brings down the house. In Toronto, the role was played by
Nichola Lawrence, who literally stopped the show every night with her Gospel
number “God Don’t Make No Trash.” In the new production, the nun’s name is
“Sister Joan” and was played by film actress Missi Pyle, a slender, blonde,
white woman. It was a huge risk, but “Trash” was completely cut from the score
and replaced by a quieter, more sincere song called “You Are Not Alone.” The story ends the same way it
always has, Jason is unable to come to terms with his sexuality and cannot deal
with all the people he has hurt in his attempt at leading the perfect life, not
to mention being told by the priest that his life is sinful, and so he
overdoses on some drugs, dying in Peter’s arms.
This show was a completely
different experience than the one I have come to know so closely. For a time, bare was my entire life. I am still
being introduced in the theatre community as “the guy who directed bare” and I still have recurring
nightmares dealing with the show itself. The production I saw in New York was not
the bare that I have come to know,
but at the same time, it was a purer, simpler and more honest bare and because of that, it was a great
deal more effective in relaying the message of hope that was always at the
heart of the story.
I hope that there never is a
“definitive version” of bare. I hope
that it continues to always change and stays current. There is no more rave
scene in the show (which was written in 2000, when raves were cool[?]) but
there is bullying, and social media now plays a huge part in Jason’s outing.
Maybe one day bare will end with
Jason and Peter surviving because teen suicide, bullying and intolerance will
be things of the past and will no longer be relevant.
 |
| Director Bri[an Gregory] Waters, being adorable. |
