BARE cast- Page 229

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/21/04 at 1:50pm

I spoke briefly with him last night and he seems as excited as ever about JCS. I can't wait to see it for myself on January 8th!

I heard from him yesterday and he's back in Texas with the tour already. I was hoping to see him at Easter Rising tonight.

*nudges MoG into getting tickets*

I know! It's coordinating with SCB that's the problem!

Happy Easter Rising Day!

YAY! I am so excited!!

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 12/21/04 at 1:52pm

I am, too, though I have NO idea what to expect.

MoG, do you guys have dinner reservations? Can they be added to?

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 12/21/04 at 3:54pm

Have fun at Easter Rising tonight for me guys.

Thank god I didn't make plans to go tonight, or to go see Cary Shields on as Gordon in Rent with a friend. I went to the post office for my mother around 1:30, car sounded a little funny, but got better as I drove it, but when I was like 2 minutes away from the post office, she completely died on me. I had to call my mother and have her pick me up, and the car's now sitting on Nassau St in Islip Terrace, waiting to be towed. I'm currently carless and crying over it.

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 12:24am

OK, first of all a HUGE thank you to failes_place for the extra ticket....

Just came home from seeing Michael Arden's "Easter Rising" twice tonight. (All the cool BARE kids were staying, and I was so shell-shocked from the 7pm show that staying wasn't a hard decision).

"Easter Rising" is a musical (that runs just under 100 minutes) about four people in a moment of desparation. Caleb (Stephen Pasquale) has recently found out that he's dying of cancer, and has just a few weeks to live. His first reaction is not to tell his fiancee, April (the divine Kerry Butler), but to writea letter to his ex-boyfriend, Andrew (RENT's Colin Hanlon) that simply states, "I'm dying."

The thing is, Caleb's been writing unanswered letters to Andrew for twenty years, in which time the latter has spent several years married to a woman, and produced a son, John, now seventeen. Nevertheless, this letter, Andrew answers, forcing his son (Michael Alden himself!) to spend his senior Spring Break drive from Ohio to Caleb's home in Plano, Texas, intent on creating some sort of relationship with the dying man. Long story short, April isn't particularly surprised by the visit, but is devastated by the news of Caleb's illness. April's not stupid; she's perfectly fine with "the boyfriend", as long as she gets a child out of the relationship. She lives and breathes for the chance to be loved, unconditionally. It doesn't happen here.

Intent on having his death his own way, Caleb forces the foresome into the pickup truck, bound for the Gulf of Mexico, where Caleb and Andrew once spent time together. April's never seen the ocean, and John just wants to get the hell out of there. "They keep having their chatharses in front of me," he deadpans. Predictably, the car blows a flat tire, forcing some unpredictable combinations of characters to deal with one another.

"Easter Rising" is about four people who are running out of time. The plot is deceptively simple, and upon second viewing, prompts more questions than it answers. Why did Andrew leave, twenty years ago? Why did both men choose to be with women? Why the sixty-seven unanswered letters? How strong is love? The audience is put in the place of the seventeen-year old boy, catching snippets of the past, learning the lessons of life along with the characters. But it isn't all DRAMA.

Arden, as the young man, is hilarious. A HUGE change from the seventeen year old Peter in BARE, John is both hyper and witty, in part due to the Celexa he's taking for "depression". Smart and endearing, Arden's John is the cranky prisoner of his "gay dad", played with both humor and compassion. "The Driving Lesson", "Easter Rising"'s introduction to the father-son team, is comedy of truly master proportions, mostly due to Arden's quick timing and innate sense of fun and self. Equally poignant is Arden's ability to listen as a character, as expressed in Caleb's "This is Your Life" towards the end of the show.

Colin Hanlon, as Andrew, is both likeable and a little "****ed up", as his son points out. You desperately want to like the man who laughs off even the most serious of situations, and yet, Hanlon expertly expresses the fact that this man hasn't particularly done his job in the past, as a father, lover or friend. Andrew's breakthrough number, "Not Afraid", comes earlier than you'd expect, and so there's a little trouble on the follow through, as he's got to uphold this character change for over half the show. Hanlon's a good study, though, and make some incredible choices in tone intention.

Kerry Butler was born to play a woman like April. Many of April's "book lines" have the danger of being read with over-sincerity, but Butler does a fine job in keeping April real, and completely likeable. Her introduction song, "Filling Out A Form" is sung with such profound humanity that I believed her right away, even if I had trouble with her being so totally "okay" with her fiance's gay relationship a few numbers later. Butler was visibly moved in both shows by her co-stars, which was endearing, rather than distracting. There are many reasons to doubt April; she lets you know that she longs just for a baby, rather than her fiance's love, for one, but the strength of the character in April was really enhanced by Butler's vulnerable reading.

Finally, Stephen Pasquale does a nice job as Andrew, a man facing a very defined set of time. Almost unlikeable at the opening of the show, Pasquale REALLY sells "Coming Home", his "back with you" duet with Hanlon's Andrew, and SHINES in "This is Your Life", his fatherly advice to John. Pasquale's got a beautiful, solid voice that blended beautifully with both Butler and Hanlon in duet.

The book: Good to very good. Written by Fordham College senior Isaac Oliver, the father-son stuff is GREAT, especially the material delivered by Arden. Quick, witty, and touching, there are a few cliche scenes, but nothing to worry and fuss over.

The music: I'm so happy that I got the chance to talk to Michael Arden tonight, so that I can tell my kids that "I knew him when." This guy is going to be HUGE, as a composer, as an actor, as a man who hears music and creates music. Not a weak song in the whole bunch. If they're not immediately singable (and some ARE, including the penultimate "Take Me Back"), they demonstrate a level of complexity rarely seen in the theatre, let alone from a 22-year old. Many of the melodies are just gorgeous, and span a range from the very staccato "Driving Lesson" to the enlongated, plush "When You Fly". Versatile and powerful music.

All in all, an INCREDIBLE evenin.

[WhatDoINeedWithLove?]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 12:48am

Wow. I wish I could articulate myself that well in a review.

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 2:52am

Amy, that was a great review and I agree with you wholeheartedly about everything.

Before I get into the show though, I just had to say how cool it was to meet up with so many board members. Oh my God, it was so surreal! :P APgal, Mesmerized, Jess, Faile, TheGaisSilent, SCBWannabe, Triskymccloy and all of the other people we met tonight - you rock!

And a SPECIAL shout out to my future lovah, AndyF who is the cutest cute to ever cute in cuteville! :)

Easter Rising is nothing short of brilliant. The music, the book, the lyrics, the cast, the direction - all perfect. Michael should be sooo proud of himself right now, he really should.

Kristin has to be commended as well. Brilliant staging as always. And she's a hot babe! :)

And Damon - I love this man for too many reasons to mention! :)

As for the after party, to quote a wise man named Scott Allgauer, "What happens at the Fez, stays at the Fez." :P

Next BARE event - Scott in JCS! :)

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 02:52 AM

[andyf]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 3:20am

Blah blah cheap lesbian joke...OK! I'm inside the box!!

Michael Arden is very talented, especially for only being 15. He's definitely got a future ahead of himself no matter how many times backers pull funding and ruin his potentially huge starring turns. He is a great actor even though I couldn't see him because the stands were in the way because I had to sit on the floor, but if I don't say this, Gina will harm me.

In all seriousness the music was very impressive, even more so considering the fact that he's only 13.


OK for seriously, he's really talented. Now get out of my life forever, you stupid, stupid skank.





See you in 2 weeks.

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 4:54am

*loves*

Here is a list of things I currently love (in a non-sexual, am just grateful their presence has touched my life in some way, kind of way) in no particular order:

1) Michael Arden
2) Damon Intrabartolo
3) MadeofGold
4) SCBWannabe
5) The Mez/APGal/TheGaisSilent/Jess type folks of the world.
6) Easter Rising
7) Screwdrivers at Joe's Pub
The very nice gentleman who just helped me at my cellphone company thanks to my drunken ass leaving my cellphone in the back of a cab.
9) My mother for giving birth to me to start with and making tonight possible.
10) Kristin Hanggi
11) Michael Arden
12) Michael Arden
13) Michael Arden
14) Damon Intrabartolo
15) Damon Intrabartolo
16) Damon Intrabartolo
17) MadeofGold

Anything I'm leaving out is simply because I am still not sober enough to remember.

Easter Rising, quick review, moving, intelligent, funny, beautiful music and spectacularly performed. Needs some work? The book, but not in a Brooklyn type unsalvageable way, in a Bare type way where it's gorgeous as is but could stand to be tweaked. It seems Michael (and his book writer whom I'm too lazy to look up at the moment) has changed around a lot of the story and music, dropping some songs, changing lyrics and seemingly characters and a bit of story arc (but perhaps it's because I was confused before). I'd get into specifics of what I'd change but that's not for me to decide since I'm not writing it. (Though I'd kill to take a crack at it.)

The important thing is that it's a solid, intelligent piece with a lot of heart and direction and no place else to go but up and the music is unbelievable. Just a great night of simple theater at its best, capped off by an oh so entertaining after party wherein I may have fell slightly in lust/love/adoration with Damon, 'cause I'm easy like that!

[SCBWannabe]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:00am

*nudges MoG into getting tickets*

I know! It's coordinating with SCB that's the problem!

Nice to hand off MOG lol. Had a blast with everyone last night....even if my head disagreed. It is a wonder it didn't blow off my shoulders. Definitely worth it though to hang with you guys. Wish I had stayed at the after party longer, but that would have resulted in me spending the night with one of you guys

Easter Rising was awesome. I am not good at doing reviews. Every one of the performers did an excellent job. I must also say how amazingly talented Matt Richardson is. He does a beautiful job playing.

Off to work!!

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:21am

Was it me, or was the 9 o'clock audience a hell of a lot louder? My ears were ringing by the end of the night (or was that the rum and cokes?)

I seriously need an icon of Kerry saying to Michael, "Me too asshole, me too!"

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 2:50pm

Here is a list of things I currently love (in a non-sexual, am just grateful their presence has touched my life in some way, kind of way) in no particular order:

My list is very similar to yours except replace my name with yours! :)

*loves back*

because the stands were in the way because I had to sit on the floor, but if I don't say this, Gina will harm me.

Oh, AndyF, you know you loved the Arden - don't even front, yo.

Nice to hand off MOG lol. Had a blast with everyone last night....even if my head disagreed. It is a wonder it didn't blow off my shoulders

My poor baby! I'm glad you're feeling better today and yes, that was me passing the proverbial buck. We're going to order tickets NOW!

Was it me, or was the 9 o'clock audience a hell of a lot louder?

Much, much louder but that's because we were probably all liquored up and good! LOL

And I just wanted to add that AG and WhatDoIneed, you were both sorely missed last night. I was hoping to get to meet both of you finally in person.

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 02:50 PM

[Jess1483]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 6:14pm

Finally home, after a looong plane ride (haha).

So great to meet you all last night. I had an amazing night! And I finally got a picture w/Michael (i'll put it in the LJ when I get a chance)!

Okay, I have to go do that whole unpacking thing, but yay for Easter Rising. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:58pm

Thanks to Trisky, I was just informed that John Hill has been added to the January 17th Scott Alan Duplex show! Umm...Jack, Janet, guess where we'll be?!

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:58 PM

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:58pm

Reposting my review from LJ of the actual show itself and not just the antics surrounding it!

What can I say about Easter Rising? It's a small show with just four cast members and three people in the band (and a narrator). It really is a lovely piece of work. For 22 years old Michael is a prodigiously talented composer and musician. He shows a maturity in his work that people twice his age don't have the capacity for. The music is beautiful managing to paint a picture in verses and choruses. I think this is what I like most about Michael's compositions is that they invoke such a strong mental image of the story they're trying to tell. "The Letter" (though I think it used to be called First Letter, no, was it changed because the story changed?) remains my favorite song from the entire piece and just listening to it brings up so many strong emotions and such a painful vivid moment.

The piece is far from being finished, in fact I'd go so far as to say it still needs a lot of work, but this is the writer in me speaking. From a strictly imaginative place without analyzation or overthinking things, it's a coherent work whose tone is set by the music (which is complicated and involving) and better than a number of things I've seen on Broadway and off. The problem with the show really starts and ends with the book. It seems to me that Michael has changed a lot of the story around, maybe in response to things I've heard about it in the past, that it was kind of depressing and the music a bit on the slow side. I'm not sure that all of his changes were for the best. He took out a great number called "The Road" which has now become "Breakfast" and is sung by the female character April. I love the music to the song, which he's kept but changed the lyrics around entirely. I kept waiting for "The Road" to start when the music started and it never came. He also needs to clarify some things like whether two of the main characters are married or not married. Since he decided to sort of muddle that idea by having the character of John be flippant about the relationship he's also changed around a lot of lyrics to the song "Just Now" that April sings, so it was odd to hear this version.

This is the problem with hearing unfinished works, you grow attached to certain songs and lyrics and then they get changed and it's hard to give them up. It has to be difficult to be a composer and be willing to give up songs or phrases that you love for the betterment of the work. Remembering some of the comments Michael has made about the piece in the past I'm taking a stab in the dark when I say I think it may have been moodier in the past. I remember his description of Caleb sitting alone in an airport bar writing and thinking what a lonely image, this book has him just sitting somewhere unknown writing a letter. Hate to say it but I think "When You Fly" should have remained the last song, it's much more emotionally involving than "Take Me Back" and much more hopeful.

The other main problem with story is that they need to up the ante for the main relationship of Caleb/Andrew. I need to understand their history more to understand their relationship now and to understand why they're the loves of each others lives. He also needs to decide what John represents in the show, a living embodiment of life going on as messed up as it may be, a mistake when he started out, but a gift in the end, an extension of the younger Caleb/Andrew and their angst or what (and he could take out the entire John/April quasi-attraction which undermines April's love for Caleb). There are some other quibbles but unless you've seen it it's probably hard to explain them.

I know it sounds more negative than positive but it's really not. I think it's just because we saw the show back to back. The first time I was totally enraptured, the second time I was three sheets to the wind and got to sit and think about it some more and started rewriting in my head which is my own fault. This kind of show just points out what dribble something like Brooklyn is.

But the music is breathtaking, there's a lot of genuine humor and it makes me think and ultimately that's what matters most to me. All of the performers were in great vocal shape. Stephen Pasquale was a bit forgettable in the acting department, but Colin Hanlon and Kerry Butler took me by genuine surprise at how well they did. And Michael, of course Michael who can't help himself, he just stands heads and tails above everyone else and is quite hysterically funny as an actor.

All in all it's a great piece with a lot of room to grow and I'm sure that it's only going to get better with revisions.

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:58 PM

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:25pm

Great review Tracee as always. I guess speaking as a non-writer, I'm much more forgiving of the shortcomings of the book. I also think we have to remember that this is such a work in progress and that what we saw up on that stage was incredibly raw. There's a magic to something that's still fresh and unpolished. I'm just glad that we've been able to see this work from it's inception and hopefully we'll be able to follow it through to it's completion!

[fishergirl819]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:29pm

Thanks to Trisky, I was just informed that John Hill has been added to the January 17th Scott Alan Duplex show! Umm...Jack, Janet, guess where we'll be?!

*cries*

How is this fair? I can't afford that. I'm going in on the 14th to see Ave. Q, and my friend Brian's playing a show at CBGBs on the 18th that I'm trying to go to (*pokes MoG and Trisky*)...I can't afford it...waaaah!

When it John's last date in Hairspray? I know Seth said on Sunday night it was another four weeks, but I iz stoopid and need an actual date. Because I would love to go in one weekend later on in January and doing the lotto and hopefully getting in to see him before he's gone...

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:33pm

Great review Tracee as always. I guess speaking as a non-writer, I'm much more forgiving of the shortcomings of the book. I also think we have to remember that this is such a work in progress and that what we saw up on that stage was incredibly raw.

I know, it's totally my fault for overanalyzing things! I think this is a show Michael should be proud of and something which I'm sure is very close to him. I have no doubts that he'll work on it some more and eventually get it to an even more poignant place than it already is. That's the hard part about drafting, the editing process is painful and sometimes difficult to see without an outside perspective. But that's what these readings are for, so he can see what works and what doesn't and make it even better than it is!

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 1:41pm

First things first: Apgal and I really enjoyed getting to meet everyone on tuesday, It is true though that it seems so odd to feel like you know people so well and never met them!

Seriously the snow here is crazy deep we left a beautiful day in NY to come back to 6 inches of snow and what should of been a 45 minute drive home from the airport became a two hour extravaganza!!! Not to mention someone had the great idea to not go to bed after little women since our plane left at 6 am sooo needless to say we are exhausted but had to check and make sure everyone got home saftley!

Tracee sorry about all your trama getting home but it was all worth it right?

The show was great and we will post about the rest of the trip (hairspray lottery, john, and little women) and Micael pics on LJ later. But it was amazing!

[MadeofGold]

Posted: 12/25/04 at 5:55pm

Merry Christmas to all of the BARE cast, crew and posters on this thread! Hope you've all had a great day. :)

*hugs*

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 12:29pm

Oh Scott (Alan) why must you be making John sing on the day of Michael's show at Irving Plaza (assuming he's still doing it)?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=1861

*frowns*

We really need to have these shows vary up when they're dark so that everything doesn't fall on a Monday! Because, as always, it's all about me.

[Mimi Imfurst]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 4:25pm

I feel like an ass for missing Easter Rising.

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 4:30pm

I feel like an ass for missing Easter Rising.

I was wondering where you were! We need to plan something you actually attend, like say Irving Plaza...

[Mimi Imfurst]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 4:50pm

whats happening at irving plaza? sooooooooo cryptic!

[Trisky]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:18pm

You can find the info on the Irving Plaza gig here:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/89869.html

It's a few weeks old but I'm assuming the news is still the same.

[Mimi Imfurst]

Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:26pm

hmm looks like tix are still available. maybe ill try to get tix and go. i hate being so broke. how come u2 can afford to go to everything!? we should do dinner or something one night.