Bare: A Pop Opera- Page 6

[mll85]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:10am

For those who are trying to chase the show, I believe I saw something about a production in San Fran on Playbill....

Yup, a SF production is being planned for next year.
http://bare-sf.com/

[toanythingtaboo 2]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 7:47am

Bare is close to my heart, but to appeal to mainstream it needs improving.

The staging needs that 'wow' factor, it should be an incredibly slick and state of the art set...mixed in with the original concept of a rock concert. Set pieces should slide in and off effortlessly on stage tracks. There should be a lot more focus on lighting and effects to add to the atmosphere. The 'rave' could be done SO WELL. Imagine the stage gathering up smoke...laser and strobe lighting progressively increasing.

I think sometimes the show seems a little confused with its identity, the music is beautiful...then we have the 911 Emergency! number which I imagine was put in for comic relief, but actually it cheapens the score. Broadway loves camp, but thats kind of too 'in your face'. The song could still be reworked and included, it can still be upbeat but just not in a 'drag queen on a night out' kind of way.

I'm sure I'll think of more soon enough haha, but yeah. There's an element of, we've seen and heard the original for a while now...so why not revamp it for the revival, because clearly the original format didn't work as well as we hoped. If it's broke, fix it...don't kick your heals in at the sight of change.

Plus, that way we effectively get TWO shows in one!


P.s I feel a production could open in the West End also. It could be adapted to taking place in a Boarding School in England quite easily.

[snl89]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:34am

^I COMPLETELY agree with pretty much everything. The show can be SO GOOD, but it definitely needs re-working in spots. And in most cases it's not so much the book. I think the way the book was off-Broadway was pretty darn tight. But I 100% agree with 911!Emergency. That song annoys me a great deal, mostly because in a sea of some WONDERFUL music, that song is just so... not good. It's a generic "oh, we need to add some soul/funk to the score so let's whip out this quick silly song to add some comic relief while we're at it" and it's just all together not nearly up to par with the other songs. It's a perfectly good IDEA, and obviously an important scene for the plot, but it just needs to be made better and..cooler.

And yeah, most of what else needs to be improved is the staging. The production quality in terms of the staging and set just didn't seem like it was up to Broadway standards. I agree with the idea of keeping it simple and more intimate, but it just needs SOMETHING more. Look at Spring Awakening- it's very simple, but GORGEOUS, with the set and the lighting! It needs to be upped like that


I really, really wish they would continue working on it though. Because it WOULD be SOOO good on Broadway if they fixed some of the kinks. It's such a beautiful, emotional show. It's too good just to live on in a few regional productions every once in a while!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:40am

lyk omg i dont no if teh shw wud wrk out uv contxet with wut y no abt tehe castt chnges on a sarturday afternini wiht lyk AMAZZZZZING shots of michael arden makking out wtih jonh hill. i jst thnk tht teh way thinsdg wre frm the UNBELEIVABBBBBBBBLE begining was INCREDIBLLLLLLLLLE the way it was. i mean, wut do u thnk?!

[oohshizz146]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:47am

Shut UP, Foster.

[snl89]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 11:44am

ahem...ANYWAY... :P

No actually though, Foster reminded me of another thing:
As much as I really did LOVE Michael, John, and Jenna in the show, if they were going to do another production I'd love to see them cast it younger. As much as you really can't beat the performances that Michael and John gave, it was just a little bit hard to actually see them as high school students. Granted Michael was only like 23 I think when he did it, so he was hardly OLD, but he just reads older for some reason I think. And John, as wonderful as he is, DEF cannot realistically pass for a high school student. I just think there would be something very endearing in seeing actual high school aged students do the roles.

[bonjourdevoe]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 12:44pm

hey everyone! I'm glad everyone shares such a love for this great show. I'm from the baltimore cast! We are opening pretty soon (August 8!) and it will be the Baltimore Premiere! The cast is truly amazing, and I really look forward to seeing what this group of people do every night in rehearsals! If any of you all are close enough, we'd love to see you there!
bare in Baltimore!

[toanythingtaboo 2]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:42pm

I get the impression that upon writing the character of Sister Chantelle, they had just watched Sister Act 1/2 and thought that something similar would work.

Which, to be fair, it does to an extent. But it also dates the show just enough to make it old fashioned.

For a show to work, I feel it needs to either be timeless or have a specific time setting...an iconic era, which the 90's weren't/aren't yet.

With a show like Bare it gets frustrating because there's so much potential, but until the reigns are loosened on the show...I don't see how its going to work.

Slash, with the possibility of the film...will they keep it a more Indie film, just release it straight to DVD, show it on TV, what?

I don't see how it would be a mainstream success, but a cult film...perhaps.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 8:20am

re: BARE in San Francisco

The show is planned to begin next year. Right now, the production is looking for investors. For the next few weeks, there will be private sing-thrus for potential backers.

James Snyder is flying-out from NY to sing/perform as Jason in these backer-auditions. And Stafford Arima, who directed Altar Boyz Off-Broadway in 2005, is also involved. The role of Nadia is being sung at the backer-auditions by my friend and alumn, Sarah Farrell.

[NY_Broadway2]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 8:41am

I think as much as people would like to see this on Broadway, I just can't imagine it ever happening. I think it's more of an off-Broadway/regional show. It just seems so intimate that I couldn't imagine it on a big Broadway stage but that doesn't stop shows from going to Broadway. I mean, look at [Title of Show]. I wish it would get produced more often though.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/21/08 at 9:11am

Last I heard the movie was dead in the water. Damon wanted to keep TOTAL artistic control and would not budge an inch on changes they wanted to make. The way the story goes he was QUITE unhappy with the changes that the NY production made (which is why they went back to the original lyrics for the cd recording.)

And while I like MANY, MANY aspects of the show, there are definite flaws to it. I also think (like Spring Awakening and [TOS]) will only have a limited audience appeal.

I think it would still have a great run if it came back to OFF B'way...and may have MUCH success around the country.

[pizzy]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 9:49pm

Does anyone know where one could find a copy of the DVD?

Alternately (though, I suppose it might not be totally kosher , does anyone if there are bootleg videos of the performance? After listening to the soundtrack obsessively, I'd like to see the performance, in case I can't make it to the San Francisco show

[PastorErnst]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:48pm

DVD of... the show? One was never released. The DVD that came with the cast recording didn't have the show on it. It had interviews with the shows creators and cast, clips of the recording sessions and other mini features.

As for the bootleg, there's bootlegs of any and every show you could imagine. There's even bootlegs of Lestat... and I'm pretty sure Glory Days too. It's just a matter of finding it.

BTW, I didn't realize the San Francisco production of BARE was still happening. I thought it died off after lack-of-interest by investors.

[geniuswithADD]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 12:09am

I'm in love with this show. I can't get over it. I have the recording of where it isn't Michael, but I don't know who it is. But I youtube-watched the entire show with Michael Arden and fell completely in love.

[frapperia]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 7:43am

I believe that Wild Oats, who recently did a lovely production of Zanna, Don't here in London, are planning to put on Bare in earlyish 2010 as their next project, though I don't know any more details.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 7:46am

Genius -- if you have the official recording (not a bootleg) you are listening to Matt Doyle (Spring Awakening, the upcoming Bye Bye Birdie) as Peter and James Snyder (CryBaby) as Jason. They were hired JUST to do the recording.


Does ANYONE know if the SF production IS happening? I had forgotten all about it!

[geniuswithADD]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 8:53am

Yeah, it's the official recording. Thank you so much!

[philcrosby]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 10:09am

My theater company will be producing this in Richmond VA in January 2011.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 10:14am

This is one of my favorite musicals, although I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the Studio Cast Recording, just because they made some changes to lyrics that I did not like, some lines that I felt were deep, were removed. I'm sure some of you know which ones I'm talking about. I also just much preferred Michael Arden in particular, and John Hill in the two leads. Don't get me wrong, I still like the recording, because I love the show.. But I was kinda disappointed. I saw the show in NY several times, and LOVED it. I was really disappointed when its transfer didn't happen, and the hopes that the Cast Recording be made from that cast had vanished

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 2:52pm

BARE opened in Toronto last Friday (July 17) and it is very well cast and staged. Opening night was marred by some annoying sound glitches - it was their first performance with an audience, and Hart House Theatre was built 100 years ago for plays and concerts and isn't the best for amplified sound. Nevertheless it is a an exciting Canadian premiere for the show and the crowd on opening night was incredibly enthusiastic.


BARE - Toronto production

[americanboy99]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 3:41pm

I hate that "Plain Jane Fat Ass" was replaced. It's definitely one of the most clever songs on the recording.

I adore the music though. It's haunting at times and pretty much uniformly melodic and memorable.

[SINGASIMPLESONG]

Posted: 7/20/09 at 4:27pm

best. show. ever.

the LA production at the Hudson Theater was pure magic.

...and once again...reprise our roles...

[jennafan]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 12:52am

I know it neither saved nor ruined the show, but to me it seems like BARE gained quite a following from the (ahemVIDEOahem). I mean people all over are fans of the show.

I doubt it would have gotten off the ground (after it was off-Broadway at all or performed at local theatres without the video.

I also don't think there would have been a full studio recording.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 12:58am

Actually the 'changes' on the recording were a REVERT to the original writing. The NY production made changes...some that were better and some not so much. Damon HATED the changes (I've heard he has some major control issues) that were made and promptly changed them back for the recording.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 1:46am

I predict Bare will be made into a movie around the same time that Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin both win Tonys for starring in a RENT revival as Mimi and Roger, respectively.

I would gladly eat my hat if a film were made, but I don't see that *ever* happening. They haven't even found a way to get enough interest in the show to bring it to Broadway. How the hell are they going to get people to invest several million dollars to produce a film?