BARE, A POP OPERA

(Southwest Premiere)
Book, Lyrics, and Music by Jon Hartmere Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo
 

Uptown Players

Directed by Cheryl Denson
Musical Direction by Adam C. Wright
Choreographed by Vicki Squires
Scenic Design by Andy Redmon
Lighting Design by Jason Foster
Costume Design by Suzi Cranford
 

 

 

 

CAST:
RORY DOLANS......................Beth Albright
TANYA GARRETT....................Charnell R. Bratton
IVY ROBINSON.....................Kayla Carlyle
ZACH HOOVER......................Tyler Donahue
JASON MCCONNELL..................Joshua Doss
LUCAS CARTER.....................Clayton Shane Farris
DIANE LEE........................Amber Nicole Guest
KYRA JOHNSON.....................Hannah Guillory
PETER SIMONS.....................Sean Patrick Henry
SISTER CHANTALLE.................Natalie King
PRIEST...........................Jeff Kinman
MATT LLOYD.......................Darius Anthony Robinson
CLAIRE SIMONS....................Sara Shelby Martin
ALAN BENWAY......................Clayton Younkin
NADIA MCCONNELL..................Liz Woodcock

 

__________________ BARE, A POP OPERA __________________

Raging hormones, peer pressure, trying to get into the right college,
the popular crowd verses the geeks, experimentation with illegal
substances, underage drinking, religion, parents who demand so much
from-no matter the price. Oh and again-hormones overtaking your body
like invasion of the body snatchers.

Yea, High School was a piece of cake.

All the above are the elements that make up the pop opera BARE-A POP
OPERA, now receiving its Southwest premiere at Uptown Players.

As it states in its title, this is completely sung through. There have
been other "sung through" musicals within the canons its history. Past
title that immediately comes to mind is JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Recent
examples are RENT & SPRING AWAKENING. But what separates these from
BARE is that they had heart pounding, head bouncing, pulsating,
muscular music layered in grinding guitar licks, electrifying beats,
and songs that you remember forever. Alas, the same cannot be said of
BARE.

Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Harmere Jr.'s score lacks solid, sure fire,
memorable songs. From a staggering list of 36 songs, only a handful
rise to the surface for repeat hearings. The melodies at time stay
stuck in neutral, you can hear the music struggle to find its voice,
but somehow stay confined, while its wheels rotate at furious speed,
but going nowhere.

Push my head into the lockers, but I like my musicals to have big
crescendos of soaring vocals and robust orchestrations that reaches up
to the heavens in a loud combination of voice and music. For BARE,
less than three songs end that way.  I am not saying that every song
in a musical has to end with a loud bang-but let's be honest here-
when does the audience not love a big ole number end in a voice
hitting the back of the theater while the music fills the room? While
many of the songs in BARE are not "hits" per se, there are some that
are quite lovely, soothing, and memorable.

The book meanwhile is workable, if not a tad predictable. You could
tell within the lyrics and the plot itself that you could see where
some subplots were heading towards. I mean the kids put on ROMEO &
JULIET, talk about a dead giveaway. There are loose ends that are left
without clear answers, only adding to the frustration towards the
book. But there are some baffling questions within the book that I
wish had been explained.

For example, how on earth did the kid with the drugs know to give one
of the leads "poison"? Wouldn't that have been a red flare for all to
see? If the party drug was fatal the whole time-why didn't others die
(some get sick at a rave-but not die-then why not?).  The writers also
lose a wonderful dramatic scene, which would have been a confrontation
between father and son. Think of the possibilities there. Just another
example of the book's weakness.

Visually Uptown once again brings a trio of outstanding designers to
create a sumptuous production. Andy Redmon's scenic design is a
mixture of mini geometric platforms, ramps, and metal skeletal framing
the back. What I particularly liked was Redmon's use of metal material

that serves as coverings underneath the platforms. But then to allow
light to shine through-that really looks terrific from the audience.
However, it reminded me of the tiny screen window in a confession
booth that you talk through to the priest (yes-I'm Catholic). When
was the last time you found subtext in a scenic design?

Jason Foster's lighting is gorgeous, glowing, and dazzling. Gobos and
special lighting units splatter the stage in rich colors. But that
exquisite gobo of a lavender stain glass window of a church is
sublime. I particularly liked the use of using harsh reds bathing the
students when they were confessing. Ah, more subtext.

Cheryl Denson's direction is glorious to say the least. The characters
could have so easily been played with "stock characterization" auras,
but thankfully Denson steers her cast far away from those traps. The
combination of design elements and staging created scenes that truly
looked like scenes from a film. Denson's blocking serves purpose,
understanding, and great subtext throughout the show. I can't even
remember the last time that blocking was so layered in subtext that
helped override the uneven score.

The BARE cast contains not one weak performance-not one. Every single
performer is perfectly cast. It is one of the best unified casts I
have observed. Denson has achieved a rare feat as a director-she found
and cast the best company for a musical, no matter the size of the
role.

Each ensemble member works as hard as the principals, and it shows in
abundance on stage. This unique and gifted group includes Beth
Albright (who I did not even recognize for a good twenty minutes
because of her Goth make-up-now that's character commitment); Charnell
R. Bratton, Tyler Donahue, Clayton Shane Farris, Amber Nicole Guest,
Hannah Guillory, and Clayton Younkin. Remember those names because
they are all terrific performers and work like a solid, well oiled
machine.

Kayla Carlyle portrays "Ivy", a hot blonde bombshell with overtones
of Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan (in their early days-not the wacko
ones that we see in the tabloids now). It would have been too easy for
Carlyle to fall into the obvious character cutout that makes up the
role-but Ms. Carlyle completely avoids it. Yes, she's hot, but she is
girl whose love is not returned. Her crush is the Jock who avoids her,
until one drunken night after a rave. But then she is faced with a
very adult situation. So watch her confusion, anger, and pain
displayed in naked realism with her solo "All Grown Up". The girl
devours the lyrics with gut wrenching honesty that left the audience
speechless.

Natalie King is the only comic relief within the show, and thank god
for that. With all the angst and pain on stage, it's nice to have some
laughs within the dramatic elements. She has two great songs to
display that radiant talent, "911 Emergency" and "God Don't Make No
Trash". She will leave you in stitches!

Jeff Kinman glows as the Priest (his best work appears in the numbers
"Cross" and "Absolution"); while Darius Anthony Robinson delivers a
deeply moving performance as "Matt", whose affections are rejected.

If there was one song that had the audience sniffling and reaching
for the Kleenex, it is the one sung by powerhouse Sara Shelby Martin
as "Claire" titled "Warning". The lyrics are perfection here, but Ms.
Martin's gripping performance is what makes the song so difficult to
observe. To see a mother explain her pain, loss, and devastation of a
son coming out hit many in the audience.

Ms. Martin shows new, undiscovered depth within her talent. Usually
she is cast in those bigger than life roles, but here she displays a
quiet, loving, and heartbreaking character that hits so close to home.
I was not seeing Ms. Martin, but an honest to god mother exposing her
raw, honest pain of having a gay son. She truly delivers the best
performance of her life in this production of BARE. I was constantly
wiping tears from my face because of her resplendent performance, as
were many others in the house.

Another terrific performance that hit a little too close to home was
provided by Liz Woodcock as "Nadia", the heavyset student who despises
the thin blonde beauty Ivy. I was a fat kid all through elementary
and high school. So watching Nadia go through what she went through,
well I had a massive lump in my throat from not crying like a baby.
Ms. Woodcock has some of the best numbers of the show, such as "Plain
Jane Fat A**"; the exquisite "A Quiet Night at Home"; and "Spring". A
beautiful girl with expressive eyes wears her anger and seething
hatred like scars from a war that she was hell bent on winning.

Sean Patrick Henry portrays "Peter", the shy kid who is completely in
love with the Jock, "Jason". Henry's vocals shower the audience like
soft cotton. Mr. Henry understands respect in regards of not "Stereo
-typing" the character. He gives the role great strength, compassion,
and truth. Henry possesses a marvelous Tenor voice that glides
through the score beautifully. His characterization is engrossing
through and through, never once subsiding into false pretense. He is
simply exceptional in this production.

If there is one element in reviewing theater that I enjoy the most-it
is watching an actor I've seen before create a performance that I had
never seen before within themselves. That he or she is so brilliant,
that I completely forgot who they are backstage, but instead believing
completely into the character-well that's talent. Pure talent. And
that is what Joshua Doss does in his magnificent portrayal of
"Jason". It is his performance that stays with you way beyond the
curtain call.

Doss currently is a double nominee in this year's COLUMN Awards (one
for Best Actor in TICK TICK BOOM, and another for portraying "Jigger"
in CAROUSEL). I saw both productions and thoroughly enjoyed his work
in both them, but I was not prepared at all to see such a brutal,
extraordinary, complex, heartbreaking performance from this talented
thespian. His detail to the naked raw emotions and complexity that
frame "Jason" is jaw dropping amazing.

"Jason" easily could have lost the audience's respect because he is
such a jerk and blowhard towards both Ivy and Peter, but thanks to
Doss's work here, he instead wins the audience's compassion. The best
number of the night is provided by Doss titled "Once Upon A Time". As
he exposes his pain, loss of love, and confusion, his eyes reflect so
much heartache as tears roll down his face. He begs God to help him.
There were many in the audience constantly wiping their eyes during
this song.

But then when Jason goes to confess and plead to the priest for help
and understanding in the song "Cross", it was powerful and graphically
honest to watch. Doss's voice cracks as he tries to put in words his
pain, tears pouring from his eyes. My god, who has not been there
before in their own lives? I'll admit it; I was an emotional wreck in
my seat. It was this song and Doss's work that showed us this was no
longer a musical, but reality hitting home like slap in the face with
a granite hand. Not once did I think of this being an actor playing a
role, but instead a real life "Jason" ripping his heart out exposing
his pain to God. Doss delivers a splendid performance.

The chemistry between Henry and Doss is vivid, honest, sensual, and a
bit erotic if I say so myself. There was not a hint from either actor
that they were uncomfortable with the physical affections for each
other. That's commitment to the role. I tell you what; these two had
more intense chemistry than some other couples in past musicals that
I have seen.

Both tenors blend sublime vocals to fashion lavish singing. Examples
of this include "Bare" and "Ever After" (another favorite song of the
night).

BARE does lack (for the most part) a score that does not serve well
its book. There are some glowing numbers sprinkled here and there,
but just isn't up to par to past Rock/Pop scores.

Nonetheless, it is the powerful performances from its cast that make
BARE such a riveting, engrossing, and impressive production. BARE can
be added to Uptown Players' long line of fantastic hits. It is a gut
wrenching, difficult, emotionally dynamic production that will have
you wiping tears off your face as the lights come up. You will regret
it if you miss BARE.

But one strong warning: There will be scenes and moments within the
musical that will bring you back to some of the most difficult times
of your life. This is art bringing some tough, personal moments to
emotionally graphic reality. But for me, that is one of the things
that I love so much about theater-it recreates life, both good and
bad-and when it's done with such dignity and truth-it is so worth the
tears. BARE is such a production.



GRADE: A



_________________________________________________________________


Through March 16, 2008. Shows are 8pm on Thursday through Saturday
and at 2pm on Sundays, There is an added performance on Wed March 12
at 8pm. All shows take place at the KD Studio Theatre located at 2600
Stemmons Freeway. Tickets are $25-30 and can be purchased online at
www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at 214-219-2718.

John F. Garcia, Jr.
Executive Director/Producer, THE COLUMN Theatre Awards
Editor & Founder of THE COLUMN
Texas Regional Theater Critic for talkinbroadway.com