OPERA HOUSE PLAYERS INC.
present
The Connecticut Premiere of
bare
September 10 - 26, 2010
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM
Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM
Broad Brook Opera House
107 Main St.
Broad Brook,CT
For reservations call the Box Office at 860 292-6068
Go to our website: www.operahouseplayers.org
or www.click4tix.com for on line tickets
Recommended for Mature Audiences
Reviewed by Donna Bailey-Thompson
In the "President's Corner" of the Broad Brook Opera House program, Bill Stepansky writes: “There is talk that bare will make its Broadway debut next year.” According to Playbill.com, bare “will possibly be coming to Broadway during the 2010-2011 season...” If these hedged bets come to pass, one can only hope that the Broadway cast is charged with as much skill and emotion as those now singing up a storm while spilling their guts in the Connecticut premiere at Broad Brook.
Originally known as “bare, a Pop Musical,” this cauldron of teen angst and libido made its debut in Los Angeles where it ran from October 2000 until February 2001. Its Off Broadway debut ran from April to May 2004. Since then, bare has been produced throughout the USA and has become available to be licensed for productions around the world.
Most of the action takes place at St. Cecilia’s, a private Catholic school. During the opening moments – a charged scene in a Catholic church – I thought I’d been dropped into the middle of Tommy. The cult-like demands of the faithful, the passion of the chorus, the edginess of the score, plunged abruptly into the marrow of the story: the anguish of Peter (Christopher deJongh) and Jason (Tom Knightlee), friends “forever” and closeted lovers throughout high school. Now, their senior year is racing towards graduation. Peter wants to come out, to let their relationship be known, but Jason is fearful of his father’s disapproval. The longing for one another, the painful clash of their differing agenda is embodied by de Jongh and Knightlee. The pain of all-consuming love faced with obstacles of huge ramifications seres its victims regardless of age or gender
Thank heavens for two sources of refreshing outspokenness: Jason’s twin sister Nadia played to perfection by the wonderfully human Nicole Giguere; and the take charge of Melissa Paul as the no-nonsense Sister Chantelle whose body language in a flaming red dress in a dream sequence gives the audience plenty to hoot and holler about; and later when she reminds Peter what he’s been taught applies to everyone – no exceptions – in a dogmatic rendition of God Don’t Make No Trash.
Ivy, a girl looking for love in all the wrong arms, is played with brazenness and ultimately sympathy by a porcelain Erica Lindblad. The rote compassion exemplified by the priest (Joseph J. Martin) in the confessional is enough to sour the milk of human kindness, thus compounding the stress on Peter and Jason. Heartbreaking.
Throughout this absorbing contemporary opera, fine, well-trained voices soar. Bravo to Director Philip D. Vetro and Choreographer Todd Santa Maria, who fulfilled their responsibilities so well that their well-trained cast (many with impressive resumes) carried them through a number of technical glitches that could otherwise have sabotaged the production before it got rolling.
The premise of bare will be timely for who knows how long.
Director Philip D. Vetro
Musical Director Angela Klimaytis
Choreographer Todd SantaMaria
Featuring the talents of: Chris deJongh, Tom Knightlee, Nicole Giguere, Erica Lindblad, Dallas Hosmer, Melissa Paul, Ty Pearsons, Kathi Such, JJ Martin, Maria Grove, Stephen Jewell, David Addis, Amanda Marschall, Stephanie Layne, Gia Wright, Leah Rosen, Michael Hornig, Aslynn Brown.
_______________________________________________