Andy Mientus, Curt Hansen, Gerard Canonico, Lewis Cleale Explore Rock Musical bare in NYC Reading Oct. 31-Nov. 1 | Playbill

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News Andy Mientus, Curt Hansen, Gerard Canonico, Lewis Cleale Explore Rock Musical bare in NYC Reading Oct. 31-Nov. 1 In the age of "Glee," has the time come, at last, for a commercial New York life for bare, the rock musical about repressed teens in a Catholic high school? Producers are hoping so. Recent rehearsals for a Manhattan reading of the show lead to private industry presentations Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

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Curt Hansen

The musical has earned a cult following since its award-winning 2000 Los Angeles staging and its subsequent sold-out, five-week Off-Broadway run in 2004. Plans for a wider New York City life fell through at that time, but a studio recording was later made, attracting fresh international fans.

With book and music by Damon Intrabartolo and book and lyrics by Jon Hartmere, bare has played regional productions in the past few years, including a 2009 run in Toronto. The writers have revised the script and score over the years.

This latest New York City exploration is directed by Olivier Award nominee Stafford Arima (London's Ragtime, Off-Broadway's Altar Boyz), with musical direction by Lynne Shankel (Cry-Baby). Arima (who'll helm MCC Theater's upcoming revisal of Carrie) also directed a 2010 reading of bare.

 

Andy Mientus
Bare centers on the relationship between high school seniors Jason and Peter and the difficulties they face as they attempt to hide their love for one another against a backdrop of faith and family. The musical also delves into the issues faced by many teens, including body image, alcohol and drug abuse, pregnancy and suicide. The cast for the current New York City reading includes Curt Hansen (Jason), Andy Mientus (Peter), Ana Nogueira (Ivy), Gerard Canonico (Matt), Katrina Dideriksen (Nadia), Lewis Cleale (Father Mike), Missi Pyle (Sister Joan), Jake Boyd (Zack), Noah Galvin (Alan) Sara Kapner (Madison), Elizabeth Judd (Vanessa), Bryan Langlitz (Lucas), Alice Lee (Diane) and Cary Tedder (Nick).

Producing team shepherding the show includes Paul Boskind, Gregory Rae, Randy Taradash and Carl White.

Fans have embraced the sung-through rock score as a kind of sister show to Rent and Spring Awakening. With gay teen suicides making headlines now more than ever, the show might be seen as more relevant than in its earlier incarnations.

Bare received its world-premiere staging at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, in 2000 and was produced Off-Broadway in 2004. In L.A., it won the 2001 LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Musical Score, and the LA Weekly Award for Best Original Score & Best Musical.

The 2007 release of "bare the album," a studio recording of the entire show, was made available through www.barethealbum.com and then went wide on iTunes.

 
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