SacBee Reviewer Bruce Dancis Liked "bare"

Even though, as he put it:

As a fervent expression of faith by Intrabartolo and Hartmere, "bare" at times comes off as too religious for this agnostic critic.

Well, that's how it goes with religious schools and all! But I'm glad he put in a good word for all us agnostics squirming in our seats.

Still, the show itself, Dancis liked:

A sung-through musical with a pop-rock score, "bare," directed by Kevin Caravalho, relies on a talented cast of 18 to tell its story. Big ensemble production numbers, particularly a scene at a rave ("Wonderland") and fantasies by Peter ("Epiphany," in which he has a nightmare about being outed, and "Wedding Bells," where he dreams about getting married to Jason), are choreographed adeptly by Gino Platina and danced and sung with exuberance and flair.

The students at St. Cecilia are putting on "Romeo and Juliet," which, of course, offers many points of resonance in a play about teenage troubles.

While the focus is primarily on the star-crossed lovers Peter and Jason, who in the lovely song "Best Kept Secret" show that Peter wants to reveal their relationship to the world, while Jason remains uncertain, "bare" also looks sympathetically at the struggles faced by other classmates.

These include Ivy (Kelly Daniells, in a strong performance), a flirtatious, pretty girl who seems confident as she lusts after Jason but reveals her inner anxieties in songs such as "Portrait of a Girl" and "All Grown Up," and Nadia (an excellent Joelle Wirth), Jason's punky younger sister and an outcast at St. Cecilia's who sings about her own problems in the sardonically funny "Plain Jane Fat Ass" and the plaintive "A Quiet Night at Home."

Among the few grown-ups in the cast, Natasha Greer is outstanding as Sister Chantelle, a teacher/nun who is directing "Romeo and Juliet" and provides a sympathetic ear to Peter. Her singing in the Motown- and gospel-infused "911 Emergency!" and "God Don't Make No Trash," respectively, were among the show's highlights. And Maggie Hollinbeck (the company's artistic director) delivers a very sympathetic performance as Peter's mother, who in "Warning" honestly expresses her fears about her son's sexual orientation.