Bare Synopsis

[mikelg80]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:05pm

Does anyone know where i can find a complete detailed synopsis for Bare?

Any info would be much appreciated.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:06pm

Let me post the synopsis with spoilers here, be right back!

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:09pm

SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS!

BARE

Setting: St. Cecilia’s, a Catholic co-ed boarding school; the present.

ACT I
Peter is a sensitive gay senior who is closeted and trying to reconcile his faith with his sexuality. During mass, he is outed and condemned by his friends and the Church, but wakes up and realizes it was all a dream (EPIPHANY). Later in the school hallways, he bumps into Jason, his roommate and secret boyfriend. Jason is the most popular guy in school but is also closeted, and the two lovers find it hard hiding their relationship within the public space of the school (YOU & I). Peter convinces Jason to try out for the school play, Romeo & Juliet. After Jason leaves, Peter sings about his inner turmoil, having to keep their love secret and wondering about their future together (ROLE OF A LIFETIME).

At the AUDITIONS for the play, directed by the dynamic Sister Chantelle, Jason wins the role of Romeo. Peter gets the role of Mercutio, their friend Matt is Tibalt, and Ivy, the most popular girl in school, gets the role of Juliet. After receiving a package from their father, Nadia – Jason’s chubby sister and Ivy’s roommate – laughs with her brother over their distant parents’ lack of parenting (LOVE, DAD).

Later that night, the group of friends – Jason, Peter, Ivy, Matt and their classmate and drug dealer, Lucas – decide to go to WONDERLAND, a rave. Lucas supplies them with a powerful new drug that could be lethal if taken in large doses. Uninterested in the rave, Nadia decides to stay home (A QUIET NIGHT AT HOME).

At the rave, Peter and Jason dance together. Peter tries to kiss him, but Jason backs away, and the two run out and quarrel over their relationship. Peter wants to come out and tell the world about them, but Jason wants to keep their love secret (BEST KEPT SECRET). Peter tells Jason he loves him. The two kiss, not knowing that Matt sees them. Meanwhile, Ivy suffers an overdose in the club and is taken away.

The next day, the students of St. Cecilia’s begrudgingly go to CONFESSION, calling it a “poor man’s therapy session.” Peter and Matt go into their confession booths and they each ask the Priest what they should do. Ivy, having returned shaken but not harmed by her drug incident, receives sketches of her Juliet costume and reminisces about her image (PORTRAIT OF A GIRL). Matt, in love with Ivy, watches her from afar.

On her birthday, Ivy is brought drunk to her surprise birthday party and everyone serenades her with a crass tribute (BIRTHDAY, BITCH!). Peter accidentally eats some pot brownies and leaves the party after Jason intentionally ignores him. In a drunken stupor, Ivy turns away a lovelorn Matt and tries to seduce Jason (ONE KISS). Having left the party, Peter and Matt express their frustration over the insensitivity of their beloveds (ARE YOU THERE?). Drunk and high, Peter tells Matt his secret and Matt leaves. Peter then has a vision of the Virgin Mary who, looking remarkably like a Motown-singing Sister Chapelle, urges Peter to call his mother and tell her he’s gay (911! EMERGENCY).

Peter tells Jason that they should come out to their parents, but Jason refuses because his future is on the line (REPUTATION STAIN’D). As their argument builds, Jason pushes Peter down. Peter, hurt and in disbelief, wonders if this is the boy he thought he’d “always follow,” and how they ever lost their future together (EVER AFTER). He leaves, but Jason tells him not to tell anyone about them. As SPRING approaches, the students get ready to go home for the break. After Peter leaves, Ivy visits Jason and tells him about her feelings for him. Confused between what he wants in life, he gives in to her sexual advances as a last attempt to be “fit in” (ONE).


ACT II
In another dream, an ecstatic Peter and Jason are getting married…in Massachusetts, with go-go boys dancing and Sister Chappelle presiding (WEDDING BELLS). Unfortunately, the wedding is interrupted by another bride, Ivy, and Peter is barred from the ceremony. He wakes up from the nightmare scared and alone. Spring break is now over, and IN THE HALLWAY of St. Cecilia’s, Peter runs into Jason. The two try to talk but are interrupted by Ivy. After Peter leaves, Ivy confesses to Jason her love (TOUCH MY SOUL), but Jason rejects her, saying their night together was a mistake, and that he’s not interested.

Peter, no longer able to live in the closet, calls home and desperately tries to come out to his mother, who is unwilling to listen (SEE ME). After the phonecall, she wonders when she ever went wrong, and if she ever knew her son at all (WARNING). At the play rehearsals, Ivy is missing. They try to continue with her inept understudy, but instead Peter steps forward and eloquently acts as Juliet to Jason’s Romeo, and the two have noticeable chemistry together (PILGRIM’S HANDS). After rehearsals, Sister Chantelle makes Peter stay behind. Saying that “it ain’t a rainbow without the pink” and that “there’s a black woman inside the soul of every gay man,” she also tells him that GOD DON’T MAKE NO TRASH – which is exactly what Peter needs to hear.

Ivy discovers she is pregnant (ALL GROWN UP) and tries to find Jason. She meets him before the next rehearsals, and he is taken aback by the news. Matt walks in, and as the cast members arrive – Peter, Nadia, and the other students – Matt angrily reveals all. Sickened and appalled, Peter storms out. Ivy slaps Matt and also leaves. Left alone, afraid and aware of the mess he has caused, Jason goes to confession to seek help; however, while Jason grows in desperation, the Priest just tells him to suppress his feelings and focus on other things (CROSS).

On the night of the performance, the cast does final preparations (TWO HOUSEHOLDS). Jason arrives and asks Peter if they could run away together and forget everything, but Peter tells him that he’s tired of hiding. The performance begins, and Jason takes a fatal dose of the drug that Lucas gave him. As the night progresses, Peter notices that Jason is getting more and more disoriented (QUEEN MAB), and takes him backstage. There, Jason finally confesses to Peter that he is sorry, and that he has always loved him (BARE). As they are hurried back out into the spotlight, Jason stumbles and falls onstage. He is carried away and dies.

Peter, in mourning (A GLOOMING PEACE), goes to the confession booth to speak with the Priest. Peter tells him that Jason had looked to the Priest and the Church for guidance in a time of need, but that they failed him. Peter tells the Priest that he and Jason were in love, and that when Jason loved him, he never felt so close to God (ABSOLUTION). “I’m sorry, Peter,” says the Priest, to which Peter replies, “And I forgive you, Father.”

At graduation, each of character – Nadia, Ivy, Matt – tries to cope with their loss. Peter, reconciled with his mother, finally says good-bye to Jason. As he and the others graduate from St. Cecilia’s, Peter tosses up his hat in one final release (NO VOICE).

-Synopsis by BlueWizard Updated On: 8/27/04 at 07:09 PM

[mikelg80]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:16pm

WOW! Thanks so much for taking the time.

I have only just discovered Bare and am loving the 11 song samples. Sounds an amazing show, I'm thinking of planning a trip to America just so I can get to see it.

For the first time in my life I have experienced love at first sight - Michael Arden

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:18pm

No problem, I give all credit to BlueWizard though, he typed that up and posted it on an older thread.

YAY for more BARE fans!!!

Michael Arden is truly amazing, but I'm definitely in love as well as many others, so be prepared to fight

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:19pm

BARE rocks my socks like only a few musicals can (RENT, POTO, TTB, TABOO, and one or two others). LOVE IT!!

[mikelg80]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:24pm

So when does the show open in New York? Do you think it will run for a while? When's there going to be a full cast recording?

(sorry for the lame questions. I'm so suprised news of this show isn't seeping the UK yet)

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:25pm

No problem, I give all credit to BlueWizard though, he typed that up and posted it on an older thread.

Do I hear my name? (Or alias?)

Glad my uber-long synopsis is being used to promote the show and spread the Bare-lovin'. The producers should really pay me for writing it (or give me a free autographed window card, hint hint). It's been posted at least half a dozen times on various boards.

Feel free to distribute, but please put "- Synopsis by BlueWizard (contact at [e-mail])" at the end, so I can keep track of it. Thanks!

Updated On: 8/27/04 at 07:25 PM

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:26pm

Opens October 13th at the Dodger Stages. It will run for a while IMO, it has a good word of mouth/promotion thing going. It's an amazing show after all. They're recording a full cast recording as we speak.

It's fairly new and unknown for the USA, so I'm not surprised that it hasn't reached anywhere else.

[mikelg80]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:27pm

Thanks, OK one last question I promise - is there anywhere i can get lyrics for the show online?

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:28pm

On the official fan site, www.thebarees.com, you can join and go to the message board where they have lyrics.

[mikelg80]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:31pm

Thanks for all your help aspiringuy, its much appreciated.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:32pm

No problem!!!

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:42pm

Ooooo. When does the cast recording come out? Is all the original cast (on the sample music) in it? This just made my day.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:45pm

No release date yet, courtesy of BG2 they've just laid down the instrumental tracks and are bringing in the cast soon. It's the cast on the sampler, minus Romelda T. Benjamin (Sister Chantelle) and Sasha Allen (Ensemble,) they've left.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:45pm

I love Sasha Allen. Do you know what she is doing now?

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:47pm

Now that's a question I cannot answer lol.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:49pm

What help are you then? Just joking. You are awesome, Aspiring.....don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. After I finish listening to TABOO for the billionth time, I am going to pop in BARE and listen to that for the 800 billioneth time.

[2day4u9704301]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:50pm

C'mon AG....you're supposed to be the Bare Question expert! LOL jk jk

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:52pm

I know, I'm slipping guys...it's getting bad :-P

I love BARE, I'm listening to it now. I've only been listening to "Taboo" and "BARE." The occasional "Songs for a New World" is always good too.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 7:54pm

Add RENT in there and you have the blessed foursome.

[2day4u9704301]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 10:20pm

I have to get my hands on SFANW....

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/27/04 at 10:24pm

great recording

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 2:37am

Just a small note about the upcoming cast recording (a most exciting small note!): there have been talk for months, coming from Damon himself, that Stephen Trask (the musical genius of Hedwig) was going to produce the BARE cast recording. Damon and Stephen Trask are good friends.

Yet the rumour that Trask will produce the OCR hasn't been confirmed since June, so plans may have changed.

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 8/28/04 at 2:42am

Can I hear these samples online?