BARE Reviews

LYLS3637 Profile Photo
LYLS3637
#2BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 4:20pm

Entertainment Weekly: B-

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20655341,00.html




"I shall stay until the wind changes."

eperkins Profile Photo
eperkins
#2BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 4:22pm

I haven't seen The New York Times yet...

defyingravity11 Profile Photo
defyingravity11
#5BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 5:04pm

I would say pass and watch the original online.


"In theater, the process of it is the experience. Everyone goes through the process, and everyone has the experience together. It doesn't last - only in people's memories and in their hearts. That's the beauty and sadness of it. But that's life - beauty and the sadness. And that is why theater is life." - Sherie Rene Scott

eperkins Profile Photo
eperkins
#6BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 5:34pm

There are a lot of better shows currently playing, so Bare is an easy miss on that score.

dramamama611 Profile Photo
dramamama611
#7BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 6:24pm

I didn't care for show and agree with much of what the reviews have said, but AMNY is HARSH.


If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

everythingtaboo Profile Photo
everythingtaboo
#8BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 8:08pm

go see it, tobiasragg. you can get a ticket for cheap, you can drink in your seat, and it's a night out. give it a shot!




"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#9BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 9:13pm

Michael Arden is getting great reviews.

LYLS3637 Profile Photo
LYLS3637
#10BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 9:16pm

AMNY is too hard on the cast. It is correct in some respects, especially...

"...The original production of "Bare," which featured an unforgettable performance by Michael Arden... Although still in a raw state, it was an extremely heartfelt and moving work with excellent songs. Eight years later, "Bare" has finally opened Off-Broadway... But this is not the same show... Much of Jon Hartmere and Damon Intrabartolo's original score has been replaced with inferior new material by Hartmere and Lynne Shankel. The few remaining original songs have been altered beyond recognition."


"I shall stay until the wind changes."

jdrye222 Profile Photo
jdrye222
#11BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 10:45pm

Another example of the overrated Stafford Arima taking any heart out of something.

I did not love BARE when it played in 2004, but it was still clearly in workshop mode at that time... Kristin Hanggi had yet to do ROCK OF AGES, and everyone in it seemed to be doing it for the heart of it.... Also, it was a different time (even though it was only 8 years ago).

THDavis Profile Photo
THDavis
#12BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/11/12 at 11:13pm

Yikes, AMNY's review was a bit rough. To say the truth hurts is an understatement.

Kad Profile Photo
Kad
#13BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/12/12 at 1:52am

Yikes, the Times didn't even deign to send one of their top-tier critics.


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

zerose
#14BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/12/12 at 2:00am

The NYTimes, of all things, praises the set??? The set where a wall swings out to poorly represent a church confessional, where two important scenes take place. The set where passing scenes of the lead characters' interactions take place on the second level but are partially obscured by the cutout windows because of varying sightlines in this wide theater. The set with the ugly, clunky moving platform, and the rolling staircase stolen from Next To Normal.

rochisny
#15BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/12/12 at 2:45pm

Here's Variety's
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117948900.html?cmpid=RSS|Reviews|LegitReviews

As someone who liked the show, I'm glad to see this!

uncageg Profile Photo
uncageg
#16BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/13/12 at 1:51pm

I think the reviewer for AMNY is one of those people who went in already upset over the changes and wasn't willing to give it a chance even before seeing it. After I read that he saw it several times, I knew how the review was going to go.


Just give the world Love.

CATSNYrevival Profile Photo
CATSNYrevival
#17BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/13/12 at 2:39pm

"Another example of the overrated Stafford Arima taking any heart out of something."

^This.

Although, I do think the text for Carrie was improved under his direction, but Bare didn't need such drastic changes.

eperkins Profile Photo
eperkins
#18BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/13/12 at 5:21pm

I agree that although Bare definitely needed some changes, they went overboard with this production, introducing brand new problems that didn't exist before.

CukorLover Profile Photo
CukorLover
#19BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/13/12 at 11:28pm

From VARIETY:
"Although "Bare" suffers from too-long a first half -- and the ho-hum MTV-style choreography from Travis Wall doesn't help ..."

I guess Arima's risk ( by taking on the overrated and inexperienced Travis Wall ) didn't payoff like he thought it would.

CurtainPullDowner Profile Photo
CurtainPullDowner
#20BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 1:03am

That VARIETY reviewer is so 1980,
MTV? Should be SYTYCD.

How is Stafford, my friend, over-rated?

newintown Profile Photo
newintown
#21BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 9:36am

"How is Stafford, my friend, over-rated?"

I agree, I don't think he's over-rated. No one actually thinks he's good, he's just the director you get when your first through fifth choices don't work out.

On another matter - 21 responses in a week for this thread is pretty good evidence that practically no one cares about Bare very much.


Updated On: 12/14/12 at 09:36 AM

LYLS3637 Profile Photo
LYLS3637
#22BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 9:58am

newintown- I think people still care about Bare. They may not care about this production, but how else would a show that ran for one month at the ATA back in 2004 develop such a vocal (albeit small) following?


"I shall stay until the wind changes."

newintown Profile Photo
newintown
#23BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 10:01am

Your use of the word "small" is correct; similar to my phrase "practically no one."

It's just one of many shows that needs to pass into well-deserved oblivion (like Yank); a handful of extremely vocal enthusiasts are just not enough to convince larger audiences that the work is actually good.

Updated On: 12/14/12 at 10:01 AM

eperkins Profile Photo
eperkins
#24BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 12:43pm

Are there people who actually like Yank? I couldn't believe it when I heard there was talk of moving it to Broadway. That would have rivaled Scandalous, IMHO. Yank is not only not ready for prime time, it probably should be given up on entirely. I think Bare is a far better show.

boggess Profile Photo
boggess
#25BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/14/12 at 9:45pm

Legitimate question- and I didn't want to start a new thread to ask- but why is Stafford in a lot of the promo/cast pictures? None of the other members of the creative team are in the pictures. He was in the No H8 campaign pics and is front and center in an NY Times pic, among others. Do other shows do this and I'm just completely missing it? Is there some reason why?

ksimone1120
#26BARE Reviews
Posted: 12/16/12 at 5:20pm

I would say pass and watch the original online.

OMG where can i watch it online?