BARE cast- Page 2

[AmandaK]

Posted: 6/1/04 at 6:01pm

Oh, look...bwaysinger has had an extreme makeover. He has become "The Pug"

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 6/1/04 at 9:51pm

when i spoke to the house manager last time the day after they announced they would re-open, she said they may lose Michael Arden because he has become something of a hot commodity and is actively auditioning for multiple films and plays. it would be awesome if he stayed though, I thought he totally carried the show with his amazing voice and nonstop intensity. other than he an Jenna, I wouldn't mind seeing some replacements.

John was fine, but I felt he sometimes was slightly disconnected from the scene, relying a bit too much on being handsome. Aaron does one of the best acting jobs but he does look too old and could work on the voice.

Hopefully they'll keep the adult cast members too (Claire, Priest, Sister). All 3 I thought were perfectly cast and performed.

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 6/2/04 at 8:15am

If anyone needs to work on their voice it's Jenna -when I saw the show her voice was a little too thin for my liking. I feel Natalie blew Jenna away !!!! Now Natalie has a voice and a 1/2. How can you say Aaron needs to work on his voice??? Listen to - Are You There.

[That Groovy Guy]

Posted: 6/2/04 at 9:48am

"ONe major shift is changing Sister Chantelle into an actual nun this time. They're also creating entirely new songs for her."

Umm...what's an "actual nun"? You mean in a habit? What would that accomplish? I think that would only further distance her from the students which would be contradictory to her character. Also, I wouldn't change the songs she had OR add more songs...I think there was just a right amount of Sister Chantelle...any more would distract from the main focus of the play...Peter and Jason.

~Patrick

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 6/2/04 at 9:57am

I think I found the replacement...



Could> I be wrong?

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 6/2/04 at 11:40am

LOL, that would be completely different kind of show!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/2/04 at 2:50pm

LOL> Yes, the Aaron was scary.

Okay.. onto the Arden factor.....

~ I spoke with numerous people at the show both times I saw it. It was stated that he was PLANNING on staying.. yes.. that was said. BUT, as it has also been stated here, he IS in demend now.. this show has given hima GREAT platform. yes, things CAN change between workshop and full show... but he may also decide to go with lestat should the contract be good enough and there ARE people after him for other stuff.... things come up duringa four month layoff.... not just between workshop and full staging!

[oneluckygirl]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 2:18pm

If anyone needs to work on their voice it's Jenna -when I saw the show her voice was a little too thin for my liking.

I must say that I have to politely disagree with your evalutation of Jenna's voice. She is an amazing talent. I was lucky enough to see both LA and NY versions of this show and I feel she is simply amazing as Ivy.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 3:33pm

I echo that oneluckygirl.

Jenna had me BAWLING!!!!! And I was actually surprised at how strong her voice was.. especially that long belted note in "All Grown Up". Natalie Joy Johnson, who I must say was WONDERFUL as Nadia, had the weaker voice of the two. I mean really.. listen to the songs on the sampler.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 3:46pm

I think they're BOTH great! It's hard to compare the two actresses' voices, since they play two different roles and I think their vocals reflect that very well. Jenna has the sweetness in her voice to be the school slut, while Natalie has just the right dryness to convey a balance between bitter, sarcastic teenager and vulnerable, lonely girl.

My complaint is, did they have to put all 3 of Ivy's songs on the CD sampler?? I would have preferred to hear some of the other songs, like the ensemble numbers or another of Peter and Jason's duets.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 3:49pm

I was dissapointed that they did not include "Wonderland (ADAM!!!!!!!!!), Best Kept Secret (John and Mikey Arden), and God Don't Make No Trash (Romelda can BELT!!). Spring would have been another good one......

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 3:52pm

God Don't Make No Trash was awesome. She really belted that out.

[magruder]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 4:03pm

Wow! Give you all a free 11-song sampler, and you still have issues.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 4:04pm

LO>> NO, I don't have issues. And you are right. Beggars can't be choosers. I LOVE my sampler CD.

I only wish I had those other songs preserved somehow...

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 4:08pm

I ruv my sampler CD!

(I would ruv it even more if it had Best Kept Secret.)

broadwayguy2, I love how you're now calling Michael Arden "Mikey"....he's just that cute, eh? =-)

Oh man we're obsessed.

Updated On: 6/3/04 at 04:08 PM

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 4:09pm

Mine hasn't come yet, I'm very upset. I hope it's coming.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 4:11pm

Don't worry Joizey. i have not recieved the one I signed up for at the theatre yet. And neither have anyone I know..

Mine was sent to me by someone else (THANKS DT) who had it signed for me and sent it first class.

I am SOOOO happy I will have 2. LOL

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 6:06pm

On the Jenna's voice issue, I've also been a bit conflicted on how it occurs to me. When I saw the L.A. production, she really stood out because she had by far the best voice in that early production. Easy to see why she was the only cast member they kept for NY. But I do agree that her voice can be a bit too "poppy" which works in Bare, but I can't picture her in too many other roles. Her acting is excellent however. Also wish they hadn't cut Nadia's other song. She had a number called "Plain Jane Fat-Ass" which made her character a lot edgier and angrier. Ah well, the show is long enough!

[citylights]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 6:08pm

I love my sampler CD...I can't stop listening to Are You There...I agree that Aaron Lohr does look a little old, but it's just suspension of disbelief. There are others in the cast (John) who don't exactly look high school age either. He's great, and I hope he stays with this for September- along with Michael. I really enjoyed the whole cast.

Do you think this might run for a while when it reopens? I know it's gotten mixed reactions, people left during intermission, but others loved it.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 6:13pm

Well I do know that the new theatre is in Dodger's new performance complex, and should have close to 500 seats. So this will be a true test of how well the show can do with a larger house. Who knows, it might even transfer well to Broadway? And you know what they say- the bigger the house, the less age-appropriate the actors need to be! Maybe get some Barrowman action in there.

[mikeonbroadway]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 6:23pm

"Not to start a rumor, but I dont think Sister Chantelle is staying. She may or may not, but I heard she wasnt and was looking for some other work. "

Erm...well a week before the show closed I talked to her (Romelda T. Benjamin) about who was staying and who was going and she said she was staying/almost the whole cast was staying. She also said that they weren't making too drastic of changes to the show...

Not trying to say you're wrong, just facts I got from her.

I have a feeling the change from ATA Bare to DodgerStages Bare will be about as drastic as the change from final LA Bare to NY Bare (if you use the wayback machine you can look at the LA Bare lyrics online)

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 6:53pm

Yeah, I heard that "Plain Jane Fat-Ass" was a really amazing song. Can't Nadia get BOTH that and "Quiet Night at Home"?

I'm in love with the show, but I really don't think it could play on Broadway. Part of why the show works for me is its intimacy, as if you're really in the school hallways, dorm rooms and confessional as the show unfolds. I know the argument that some Broadway theatres are still intimate, but even the smallest Broadway auditorium is cavernous compared to the tiny ATA. I think a 300-500 seat venue is as large as it should go, before some of the magic is lost.

Of course, I'm still wondering how, or even if, the show made money in the ATA, considering the large cast and cheap tickets. How does theatre economics work in an off-Broadway production? (But maybe that's another thread to start...)

[macbeth]

Posted: 6/3/04 at 7:25pm

I wouldn't write Jenna off as having a pop-y voice. If you look at her credits she's done lots of other parts back in LA like Maria in West Side Story that certainly require more than pop-singing. She was one of my favorites in Bare, and I hope to see more of her in NY, in Bare again next naturally.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 6/4/04 at 3:06am

The CD is great. It will be VERY interesting to hear who the replacements will be. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Updated On: 6/4/04 at 03:06 AM

[Jack42]

Posted: 6/4/04 at 11:38am

I saw JLG both here and in LA. She kicks vocal ass on her songs and I have no doubt that she will be on the boards for years to come.