The cast of the clunkily staged “Bare” suffers with a hollow script that borrows plot elements from “Romeo and Juliet.” (Chad Batka)
The action in the rock musical “Bare” revolves around a Catholic high school production of “Romeo and Juliet.” But here, the star-crossed lovers are two gay teens whose illicit romance has tragic consequences. It’s one of the many heavy-handed plot elements in this oppressive “Spring Awakening” wannabe that quickly wears out its welcome.
Featuring enough teen angst to fuel a dozen special episodes of “Glee,” the show by Damon Intrabartolo (music) and Jon Hartmere (book and lyrics) is set at St. Cecilia’s boarding school, whose students’ stereotypical aspects are aptly summed up by one of the characters: “I’m the angry outcast. You’re the slutty new girl. Those are our roles.”
School jock Jason (Jason Hite) and artsy type Peter (Taylor Trensch) are in love, but their relationship is kept secret by the deeply fearful Jason. Things become even more complicated when sexy new girl Ivy (Elizabeth Judd) sets her sights on Jason after they land the title roles in the school’s production of Shakespeare’s classic.
Meanwhile, “emo puppy dog” Matt (Gerard Canonico), who’s been unceremoniously dumped by Ivy, and Nadia (Barrett Wilbert Weed), the school bad girl who secretly has the hots for him, dismaying observers from the sidelines.
Overseeing the students are the no-nonsense Father Mike (Jerold E. Solomon) and the liberal-minded drama teacher, Sister Joan (Missi Pyle), who shows up in a fantasy-sequence musical number as a sexy Virgin Mary who counsels the troubled Peter.
“Peter, I may be a virgin but I have been to Christopher Street,” she tells him.
The show, clunkily staged by Stafford Arima (who has some experience with this sort of material thanks to last season’s revival of the similarly themed musical “Carrie”), is fun for a while, but soon gives way to wearisome melodrama. The derivative, unmemorable pop-rock score and generic music video-style choreography don’t help matters.
The mostly youthful ensemble deliver energetic, committed performances — Weed is amusing as the acerbic Nadia, offering put-downs like “She’s the living manifestation of my period.” And Pyle is terrific as the free-spirited nun. But the actors are unable to overcome their stereotypical roles.
In the end, the show’s title reflects not so much its troubled characters baring their souls as the material’s essential hollowness.