I saw it tonight and thought it was pretty bad. I will start off with something good though: The cast tries their hardest and for the most part are giving nice performances given the material they are asked to perform.
Taylor Trensch, who plays Peter, had a nice characterization, but he hit way too many sour notes. Like so many that I was cringing. Sometimes he would be fine for a phrase or two, and then would just lose his pitch. When he wasn't singing I actually enjoyed his performance more than the others so I feel really mixed about him.
Jason Hite (Jason) was a much better singer, but his acting was sort of bland. He doesn't have much of a character to work with- more like a cliche that never develops.
The two female leads fair better. Alex Wyse and Alice Lee have supporting roles that are minorly developed in act one, but then don't utter a line in act two. If you're not going to keep their characters going just cut their material in act one. The show is too long as it is.
The show/production sort of sucks. It's so derivative of Rent, Spring Awakening and the Carrie revival. The opening number is staged JUST like "In." The actor playing Ivy looks like Molly Ranson too, so I kept expecting her to belt out, "That's not my naaaaaaaame!" Everyone is angsty and edgy. Yawn.
The score stops the show dead in its tracks at nearly every turn. The first act was 80 minutes and NOTHING happened!!! So this gay couple is in "love" but can't tell the world about their feelings. Maybe if they sing a song about (or two or three or four or five) it will get better. The songs for the two males just repeat themselves over and over. It's so boring.
Ivy's big solo at the top of act two was boring and obvious. The actress tried her damnedest to sell it, but it barely got applause. The teacher sings a song to Peter in act two about how she is always there for him, but we already knew that. She has been established scene after scene as the teacher who cares, so by the time she tells us that in song it's beyond redundant.
SPOILER**************
When Jason dies he falls into Peter's arms and I so wanted Peter to yell out "Don't you touch him! How many bullets are left in this gun?!"
END SPOILER***************
By the time the plot actually kicks into gear in the middle of the second act I had completely stopped caring about any of the characters.
The worst character was Matt, who basically stalks this girl who's not into him and we're supposed to feel some kind of pity for him? He had this lingering subplot that received no resolution and just and to the pointless nature of the show.
I guess you're supposed to get choked up at the end, but after you see a gay-themed play like the brilliant Normal Heart revival, it's hard to find something so trite and cliched moving. The Normal Heart is much older than Bare, but it felt like it was written yesterday. Bare feels very dated.
Lastly special notice must be paid to the song "Easy Girls." All the mean jocks, who get to say faggot (gasp!) a lot, are streaming cam4 type videos and singing about internet porn. Talk about making "We've Got Girls By the Balls" look good! It was painful and embarrassing.
Overall I feel for the cast because they are doing their best and many of them show promise as actors, but asking them to rise above this material is more than anyone should be expected to do.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
