I absolutely HATE Shakespeare. I find his work to be entirely overrated and boring.
Despite this, I think BARE is an incredibly moving piece of theater despite it's trite Romeo and Juliet-type plot. In fact, it's a story that resonated with me intensely when I fell for my freshman roommate in college. I also feel that a lot of the issues Bare dares to tread upon are prevalent for many teenagers, not just gay ones--the inability to cope with difficult parents and school pressures, peer pressure in relation to drugs, and suicide. All of which I have dealt with. It's incredibly realistic despite the love triangle it presents.
Some others:
Emma Hunton completely stole the show from Alice Ripley during the tour of Next to Normal. I love how realistic and non-mechanical her interpretation of Natalie is. Plus, she's a rockstar. Her voice is so incredible.
Shoshana Bean needs to stop screaming during her concerts and start using that incredible mix again. Her range is nowhere near as large as it used to be, and her voice is absolutely gorgeous when she's not screaming at everyone.
Natalie Weiss needs a starring role on Broadway. And a cast recording. Not only is her voice phenomenal, but I don't think anyone knows how incredible of an actress she is, as well. And completely unrelated, she's one of the most gracious performers I've ever met. And I've met some a*sholes.
And finally, I know Caissie Levy received some crap for her short time with Wicked in Los Angeles, but her performance was the best performance I've ever seen on stage. Moving, nuanced, and grounded, she saved that show from the awful predecessor, Eden Espinosa, whom by the end of her run did nothing but riff her way through the score and yell whenever that wasn't possible. I'm appalled at the way Levy as treated because she was awe-inspiring and rekindled my desire to perform.
I know, right?
Updated On: 7/26/11 at 05:38 PM
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