BARE preview

[shrekster224]

No desire to see it, and Trensch singing this score is close to unbearable. Or unBAREable, rather.

[boggess]

I quite liked the set in the original. The stained glass artwork above them seemed so ominous. Looking at the new set, it's not so much anymore. The number in the video reminded me too a lot of Carrie.

[EricMontreal22]

"(I definitely thought of Skins). "

The video commercial definitely seems like a poorer copy of the Skins (UK version) opening sequences.

[MichaelDendy]

I had not even made the connection with Skins but it literally does look just like the intro for the show. The more and more I see the more and more I hate.

Yes it is still set in the catholic school and yes nothing indicates such a thing. They said it in the interview.

I would just like to get a running list of the songs that we know are cut or will be cut... What I have found so far are: "Epiphany", "See Me", "Warning", "Plain Jane Fat Ass", "911! Emergency", "God Don't Make No Trash" - Probably "A Quiet Night At Home", "Wedding Bells", "Rolling" (Needs to be cut).

Also, depending on if the stick with "Romeo and Juliet" or not that could change "Auditions", "Queen Mab" and "Two Households" (I'm blanking on if anything else references that aspect)

Things that have been changed - "Are You There", "Role of a Lifetime", "Best Kept Secret"

This is NOT "Bare" anymore. This is some f-ed up creation of Stafford Arima. I hate that "Bare" and the ones that love and find solitude in this are going to be let down.

[Marlothom]

I didn't get it then (and I saw it in 2004) and I don't get it now.

[EricMontreal22]

"I had not even made the connection with Skins but it literally does look just like the intro for the show. The more and more I see the more and more I hate. "

It's really pretty shameless--were they just too lazy for their own concept? Did they hope teens would confuse the two shows and think this is Skins on stage? Did they hope their target audience would be clueless about the obvious reference?

[Dave516]

I'm relieved that I am not the only one thinking that this production is a nightmare. Trensch should not be allowed anywhere near this score and the somewhat problematic but ultimately fulfilling and beautiful show that I once connected with is just gone. I don't understand how they are allowed to use the same title. This is most definitely NOT the Bare that I love. Notice how Damon is nowhere to be seen in this clip. I'm not exactly sure how some other woman was allowed to come in and re-write the show, but it appears as if Damon wants no part of this bastardization of his work.

[Scarywarhol]

Flat and obvious staging, an after-school special tone, boring production values, and hilariously unconvincing teenagers.

Yep, it's a Stafford production all right!

[CurtainPullDowner]

For me, no one could sing Peter like Michael Arden, but listening to Trensch sing it makes me wish Andy Mientus had not gotten SMASH and done BARE as planned. That would have been a small compensation, to what looks like a disaster, from these clips.

[EricMontreal22]

I agree with both of those comments. I think I have more trouble with the show than most people on here (the previous version, I mean). I do find some of it pretty embarassing and poorly done--and yet, I have huge affection for the piece despite that. I always find it kinda funny when people proclaim that some new version is stealing the heart of a show--but in this case, I get where the thought is coming from. It just seems like every change, the more and more we are shown, was misguided--not working on or fixing the parts that don't work, and gutting the parts that most of the fans of the show most liked.

I think Newintown's comments were spot on--and I know he's not a fan of the show, which puts them in a sharper perspective. I really can't see this new version gaining critical respect and new audiences that might not have liked the previous version--and i seems to be alienating the existing fans. Stafford's Carrie did this too, I know, but I got more where the revisions were coming from in that case as, misguided or not, they seemed to genuinely be trying to work on what didn't work in the original.

[orangeskittles]

The promo videos look like Rent: Remixed and the set design reminds me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6szE_qmzavQ


Still upset that we never got a studio recording of Michael Arden and John Hill singing the title song

[crushgroove]

Cutting Claire from the show...that's it for me. "See Me" is by far one of the most heart wrenching songs of the piece and the fact that it gone along with a lot of the best numbers in the show. I am never seeing this production and I'm actually angry that they are even allowed to call this BARE. While I know the show needed cuts. They went at this poor show with a chainsaw.

[Kad]

I'm really baffled as to why Stafford Arima continues to get work. He's proven himself to be a pedestrian-at-best director.He hasn't even shown flashes of brilliance that make me think he has real potential greatness.

[newintown]

There are many people in commercial theatre (directors, writers, performers) who have never been particularly successful, but who continue to be hired. My guess is that those with the cash decide whom to hire mostly based on merely having heard the name before.

[Bettyboy72]

The promos have the kids looking like back up dancers for Color Me Badd. Wretched costumes and design.

[songanddanceman2]

wow such outrage to a preview video, over reaction much?

[newintown]

What would we all do without songanddanceman2 telling us what we should think or say, particularly about the more witless shows?

[Kad]

The fact that the preview materials are provoking such a reaction ain't really a good sign for this production.

[EricMontreal22]

Exactly. These aren't bootlegs, badly filmed. This is material being released with the idea of this is how their show should be sold and represented (and not even with a disclaimer that the end product will be greatly different). I think for those of us who know the show well, or, frankly, don't know the show at all, it's more than fair to judge the show *at this point* from these videos.

Was Arima hired before Carrie or after? I almost wonder if some producer heard he was doing a more "realistic" version of Carrie and decided then and there he'd be ideal for this.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Correct Eric, The producers put this (very long) promo out there so people WILL talk about the show and to judge if they want to see it. Getting negitive feedback is part of the territory.
As for Stafford, he is a sweet man who talks the talk, getting BARE and CARRIE up, I believe were mainly championed by him, but unfortunely his productions don't measure up to his dreams.

[Idiot]

"I'm really baffled as to why Stafford Arima continues to get work. He's proven himself to be a pedestrian-at-best director.He hasn't even shown flashes of brilliance that make me think he has real potential greatness."

My guess is that he makes creators feel warm and fuzzy with all sorts of pretentious psychobabble about the importance of their work.

[newintown]

And he probably comes pretty cheap.

[EricMontreal22]

I'm sure this has been discussed--I haven't read all the Bare threads, but why did Lynne Shankel write the music for the new songs and not Damon Intrabartolo? Is he the one who had some sort of criminal offence? Is he too busy orchestrating film scores or whatever he seems to usually be doing? Much of the priase for Bare originally was for the music, and these new songs (aside from having vague, and cliche ridden lyrics that make some of the cliched lyrics of the original material sound great in comparison), also seem to have very cliched music--almost the kind of thing where you hear the first couple of lines of a song and know exactly where the melody will go.

[uncageg]

From what I understand, he has decided to let the show go.

[EricMontreal22]

I guess that was gracious on his part, but they did lose a huge chunk of the appeal. Is there any word if the previous version will remain available for performance?

[TBFL]

With regards to the set - it looks like it is made up of stills from youtube videos - possibly from the 'It Gets Better' campaign, which would make sense given the themes of the show.