Bare: A Pop Opera — Page 3

A friend of mine has the CD. I'm gonna ask him to burn it for me. I don't have my own credit card, my Dad won't buy it from the website, and after all the bull that everyone went through with the first pressing, I don't blame him.

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I saw the Chicago premiere. It was a touching show with few weak links in terms of performances though I thought the girl who played Ivy had a weak voice and her acting could have been stronger. I really enjoyed it and hope it continues to have a good regional life.

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Updated On: 2/1/08 at 03:06 PM

I saw the Chicago production as well. I have to say I thought the guy who played Matt was out of this world. Ivy was OK but definately lacked the sex appeal she was supposed to have.

there's more to ivy then just the sex appeal... i didn't really like the ivy in chicago I didn't feel any emotion in touch my soul which is a very amazing song. This girl is putting her emotions out there knowing that she may well be rejected, it's a difficult thing and i dunno i just wasn't feeling it from her. I loved peter though he did some really weird things with eyes, but besides that he was amazing. sister chantelle was def. the best in the cast in chicago she was better then stephanie and Romelda .. and i disagree with who didn't like nadia, i loved her!!

I saw closing night in Chicago. I actually like the girl playing Ivy, except that I think that was the problem. Not that I think you're ultimately supposed to hate her, but I think this production missed the aspect of Ivy that makes Nadia so appealing--otherwise she came off as way too jealous in a way that's not legitimate (no idea if that made sense.) She seemed almost innocent. I knew when I got the recorded version I didn't like the lyric (and tempo!) changes, but I think some of the changes really hurt the momentum of the show. I also had some troubles with the Chicago productions of the "kids" acting over-the-top.

I did enjoy the production though--just biased toward the NY version.

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so I just came across this survey on a Bare livejournal group, and I like it, so.. yeah. I wanted to fill it out for fun :P :
(I apologize in advance for the major rambling)

Part One: General Stuff
1. How did you first get into Bare?
-It was actually just a couple weeks ago. I stumbled upon the "Monday With Michael Arden" video on youtube (hehe), and thought to myself "hey, Michael Arden is rather adorable. I think I should continue youtubing him a bit". Sooo, basically I ended up finding.. certain Bare videos on youtube (the first of which, I believe, was "Are You There"), and I instantly loved the music and wanted to find out more. So I found the website for the recording that had the whole synopsis, and yeah, I've been obsessed ever since!
2. Which incarnation of Bare were you first introduced to? (LA, NYC casts)
-NYC cast :)
3. What exactly attracted you to Bare--the storyline, the fantabulous score, the idea of Michael Arden and John Hill making out, or something entirely different?
-um, all of the above? :P No, originally it was the music really, but then once I read the synopsis it was very much the storyline too. I just think it's such an incredibly important topic to adress, and the WAY that it adresses the whole "homosexuality in regards to religion" issue is so well done. I mean, "Absolution" is honestly the best argument I think I've ever heard for the claim that being gay goes against the Catholic religion. So yeah, it was the storyline, the writing, AND the music, all combined that did it for me. But Michael Arden and John Hill making out is certainly a nice little side perk

Part Two: Fandomy
1. Favorite/least favorite character and why?
Favorite: Peter! (and that's regardless of my Arden obsession lol). I just think that... for someone in that situation to be as confident and sure of themselves as Peter is, that's a pretty incredible thing. I would kill to have half the courage Peter as a character has.
Least favorite: the Father. He basically symbolizes the corruptness of the Church, and everything I dislike about organized religion in general
2. Favorite/least favorite pairing (canon or fanon) and why?
Favorite: Peter and Jason, duh
Least favorite: um... maybe Jason and Ivy, just because, well, obvious reasons
3. Favorite/least favorite song and why?
Favorite: hmm.. Are You There. But there's lots of close seconds. I LOVE the music
Least favorite: 911!Emergency. I understand why it's there, but as I've mentioned before, I just don't like the song much. haha (though it might be way better live)
4. Do you read/write Bare fanfiction?
-haha, nah, I'm not into the whole fanfiction thing
5. Do you draw Bare fanart?
-nope, but.. I kind of want to now, actually :P
6. The NYC cast--perfection? Or do you have a different dream cast?
-This is kind of hard. Because yes, essentially, NYC cast= major perfection. I think they ALL had AMAZING chemistry, they all worked and sounded SO good together, and they were all freakishly good actors. I DO sometimes think a younger cast might be good, but at the same time I worry that if it were a younger cast the vocals and acting wouldn't be as strong. Mainly, I'm very very attached to Michael!Peter. Although.. John was friggin amazing as Jason too, but I really like James Snyder's voice, and I'd be really interested in seeing him do it live. If James were to do Jason live, I'd want Lea Michelle to do Ivy. I think she'd be amazing. But then the problem is that Michael, despite the fact that he has a baby face, wouldn't so much fit with such a younger cast. If it were going to be younger, I guess I'd have to say Matt Doyle because he's adorable and I do love his voice :) But yeah, in general, NYC cast was perfection.

Part Three: Miscellaneous
1. What are your other favorite shows, as you are undoubtedly a Broadway nut?
hehe, 'course I am, and: (cliche though the first two may be) RENT, Spring Awakening, pretty much any show written by Jason Robert Brown, Next To Normal(/Feeling Electic), Aida, Wedding Singer (it was my happy drug of choice). Yeah, I'm a fan of more modern Broadway. I enjoy the classics, but I just don't have the same attachment to them as I do to modern shows.
2. Outside of the realm of theater, what are your other fandoms?
Hanson (hush, I have been a fan for ten years, and still going very strong. They're amazing, I swear, and YES they're still around! *g*), Grey's Anatomy, Pushing Daisies, American Idol, and I used to be majorly obsessed with Harry Potter. Still kind of am, but not quite to the same extent.
3. Any last words?
um.. I think that Michael Arden needs to get his butt back on Broadway, pronto, whether it be acting or composing :P



Not that ANYONE other than myself probably cares about any of that hahaha, but hey, it was fun :) If anyone else feels like doing it, feel free! lol

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3. Any last words?
Bare should take over rent's theatre...

AGREED. :)

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>>3. Any last words?
>>Bare should take over rent's theatre...
>>
>>AGREED. :)

SO THERE!

^That's a REALLY cool picture, actually. I like!


OH and I'd just like to mention that after recent... discoveris (*cough*youtube*cough*), I am now as much a fan of John Hill as I am of Michael Arden. Holy shiiiiiz his "Once Upon a Time" into "Cross". I don't think I've ever even KNOWN of anything so emotiontastic before. It's truly, truly insane. I don't even get how he could have possibly pulled out that kind of emotion 8 times a week- and twice a DAY sometimes.

Really though, there was not a SINGLE weak link in the NYC cast. Had it moved to Broadway, they would have ALL deserved Tonys (though technically I'm not sure that would have been possible, as Michael and John would have had to be in the same catagory probably, but still). All amazing vocals aside, it was some of the most intense, brilliant acting ever.

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I'm ordering the cast recording today! YAY!

I've only heard some things on the internet, but I really love "You and I" and "One" is absolutely chillingly phenomenal.

ahem. Sorry. Just had to post that, because seriously, why are they so adorable? <33

(I want a Michael Arden!! *tries to control fangirling*)

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Obviously so many people love this musical and want it to come back. Are the chances of Bare ever coming back to broadway or off-broadway really all that slim? It's shame if it never does. I think it's clear that over the past few years, Bare has gained more and more fans even after it closed. Here we are still talking about it and wondering what's next for the show...or if anything will happen for the show at all. I certainly want to see it come back.

I don't think it will ever be revived but I could be wrong. I think now it will live on through community and regional productions which is good because that can give more people the chance to see it.

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