I guess BARE is still happening in SF!

i have no clue

is Damon still in prison?

Alright I know this doesn't even make a little amount of sense, but keep in mind I'm almost never in New York as I live on the other side of the US Coast and Bare is one of my favorite shows. So since I first saw the news bulletin this morning, every time I look over and see that there is a presentation here in New York WHILE I'm here (the 24th), but it's Invite Only - I seriously get so angry.

I mean, there have been countless shows that I've missed by just a bit (SITPWG by a month, Equus by five days, Hair by the same amount, etc.) but this one really irks me. On the plus side, I will definitely be dragging all of my friends to see this in San Fran.

I've still never seen Bare, but I can honestly say based on the two audio recordings and one...other...recording, that it is the show that I relate to and that just effects me the most. I still get tears in my eyes every time "Absolution" plays on my iPhone (which is actually a lot, since that's alphabetically the first song that comes on when I forget to hit shuffle). Hmmm that could explain the mood swings. :) But yes - fury.

it's a representation of the SCORE not the SHOW..

Um.. that was the point of the CD. Hit the notes. They didn't do scene work. they worked with a musical director.. not a show director.. and most of the time they were isolated from the other singers.. at most, they were in pairs.. You saw the rare occasions where they were in the same space on the DVD.

Well aren't you friendly.

And every instance you names was recorded after weeks of rehearsals and scene work with the DIRECTOR and working toward that goal.

If you paid attention to the DVD that came with the bare CDs, you would have seen that about half the people on there were not actors.. granted, they were in the smaller roles, but still.. you will notice that for the most part, each person recorded predominately on their own without anyone there.. You can actual tell when people recorded together and when they didn't. Bare was ALSO recorded on a shoe string budget that didn't afford them the luxury of group rehearsals and weeks to develop it.. as you would have behind a broadway cast recording or soundtrack. Additionally, who comes off best on the recording? The ones who are vets of the show and had worked with the director.. SO!

YOU try giving a finely tuned performance having never worked with a director, and recording scenes one sided more often than not. You know what we call it when you play a scene one sided with someone behind a table who is feeding you lines after having had minimal chance to work on it? An AUDITION. NOT a performance. For that matter, try singing appropriate to a group.. that DOES NOT exist where you are and you have no way of knowing what the sound will be.


Now, go back to your corner and play with your blocks. Mommy wants the computer back.

I think he's trying to defend the actors/singers that were hired strictly to record the cd. Those actors....both male leads, I believe, never played the roles. They were hired to be vocalists. They weren't given any time to develop characters or motivation. They didn't work with a director. MANY of the singers had been involved with one of the productions and therefore had the work to back up the singing.

In all honesty, I think the Bare CD is Matt Doyle's best work. I think he acts better when singing then he does with lines. I did not care for either his Melchior or his Hanschen on bway. But he can sing in my ear any day he'd like to.

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I'm not saying they need to give a finely tuned performance or the definitive version of the song, I'm just asking for a little emotion. And a little "understanding" of what they're singing.

Im curious which actors everyone thinks were flat on the studio Cd or just all of the...I am very fond of Jenna Leigh Green's work on the studio CD, she does a wonderful job. I also think there are nice moments from many of the performers in several songs on the CD.

i have to agree with the fact that the majority of the studio recording is laughably bad as far as acting. The only two that didn't really bother me were Jenna Leigh and Matt Doyle (although he does have a few EEK moments).
Snyder was atrocious and the "Promise-Once Upon A Time-Cross" segment fails miserably on the recording whereas it should be one of the most powerful.

And to those that say they didn't have a director and other things as an excuse, it is a POP OPERA, therefore the majority of it is sung through. Emotion should be found within the context of the songs.
It's nice to hear a complete recording, but i listen to the N.Y live recordings and the N.J live recording far more than the studio one.

Updated On: 2/16/09 at 08:50 PM

there are parts of the NJ bootleg that are not so great. But compared to every other regional/community/college production that has audios or videos, i think the NJ cast did the best job at capturing the passion and emotion of the show.

Does anyone else think of Spring Awakening and BARE as sort of similar style of shows?

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Updated On: 2/16/09 at 09:23 PM