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blus-hing · 19 days

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omg this post is so helpful, i’ve literally known abt bare for like 6 years yet i somehow missed most of the info from the 1st act?? 😭😭

Sió what the FUCK is bare a pop opera ?

*grabby hands* infodump ?

XEN!!! I'm so glad you asked [villainous chuckle with the hand-thingy]

Being brief, Bare: a Pop Opera, or Bare a Rock Musical is a tragic tale the follows 5 main seniors at a Catholic school in their final year as they put on Romeo and Juliet. We follow Peter, a closeted gay man who openly wants to better their relationship with their boyfriend Jason, which the plot kinda centers around. Since Jason's kinda an ass but also deserves better. We also meet Jason's twin sister Nadia, and their popular roommate Ivy that's constantly being followed by a guy named Matt (who has the hugest unrequited love).

Bare originally published in Oct. 2000, and kinda gained a small following. I found it by accident late night on Youtube by watching cutetanuki-chan's animatics, then watching the 2 hrs of free production on Youtube as well. It's very emotional but the music is so good :))

This is for mainly the spoilers if you want to watch it or something like that.

We start out at mass in the beginning number epiphany detailing Peter's conflict with his long-time relationship with Jason and God; not to mention what his mother and others could see him as. I love epiphany because it's also the overture for the whole show and foreshadows future events.

After he stops daydreaming the next song You and I formally introduce us [audience] to Jason and how he infantilizes Peter against what we see as his "dirty love" with how he preys on Peter and the certain words he uses to try and flirt. We also get introduced to the fact that Jason is so unbelievably popular no one leaves him alone, not women nor men. Peter suggests they both auditioned for Romeo and Juliet, to bond and spend more time together but Jason blows him off as Peter tries to get him to join. They drop it as they begin to fight, Jason yet again describing how he loves Peter and the secrecy that comes with it.

In Role of a Lifetime, Peter reflects how Jason doesn't want to be openly gay, and how he might still yearn for a "normal" life that pushed on him from his father and a hetero society. Peter wishes that he could know what part he plays in his life because he loves Jason. He's scared and tries to ask God, with no response.

Next we see the auditions for Romeo and Juliet, Peter ready to be Romeo as Ivy and Nadia fight for Juliet's role. Nadia is constantly casted as the Nurse, and she sees it as unfair because she isn't as thin or as beautiful as Ivy. Halfway through rehearsal though, Jason comes in and swoops Romeo's role from Matt, whose trying to get with Ivy. While Peter isn't mad, he is a bit confuzzled on how Jason can just change his mind in an instant.

After auditions, the twins [Jason and Nadia] hang back as Nadia sings Plain Jane Fat Ass, lamenting on her acting and her physique influenced such a decision. They also see their father's birthday package that congratulated Jason while neglecting Nadia. They pull in for a sibling hug and it's just mwah**

Next is Wonderland, the main song for the coolest dude Lucas, mainly because he has a neat rap song about different enhancers for ecstasy. Essentially the seniors are planning to plan Ivy a surprise birthday party while also planning to sneak out and go to a rave. Lucas during his rap highlights the importance of being careful about your dosage and to not overdose.

Nadia decides to stay home and not go to the rave as A Quiet Night At Home plays, because 1) Nadia couldn't find something to wear as she stole something from Ivy's closet and threw it in the trash and 2) Nadia is interested in Matt, but because Matt openly acknowledges Ivy and her attractiveness Nadia decides not to go. Nadia throughout the song hates being alone, trying to constantly distract herself as her low self-esteem and the fact that she pushes everyone away slaps her in the face. This also highlights even more so how she's jealous that Ivy is able to sin often in the form of sex cuz she's sexually attractive and sleeps around, while Nadia knows nobody thinks of her that way because she isn't sexually attractive.

Anyways, at the rave in Rolling Peter dances with Jason and Matt dances with Ivy, but Ivy soon collapses while dancing so Matt takes her outside. Peter tries to kiss Jason on the dancefloor, but Jason refuses and instead pulls him outside and looks around before kissing Peter. They sing Best Kept Secret as Peter tries to tell Jason they can't be a secret forever as Jason tries to shut Peter down. Peter tells Jason that he loves him, and Jason kisses Peter as Matt watches.

Confession, Peter and Matt try to understand and decide what to do about their respective dilemmas; Matt seeing Peter and Jason kiss and Peter regarding their relationship with Peter. Father Flynn essentially says that while the church can be wrong, it's kinda fruitless to question it.

In Portrait of a Girl, we see Ivy having a knack for art as she helps with promo for Romeo and Juliet but gets sad when Nadia does yet another joke relating to her promiscuous lifestyle. The songs really beautiful as you see all the layers underneath Ivy's psyche. We also see Matt join in, trying to reach the inner most part of Ivy instead of seeing her act.

Next is Birthday Bitch! in which it's Ivy's birthday party. Ivy shows up to the party completely out of it. Peter unknowingly eats a lot of pot brownies before openly talking to Jason about his wants in the relationship, to be open. Jason tells him no and is led away from Peter by Ivy, as much as Peter tries to protest.

In One Kiss Ivy tries to convince Jason to kiss her as her birthday present, and possibly more. She blows off Matt and flirts heavily with Jason until she succeeds and pulls him on top of her.

Next in Are You There? Matt and Peter try to talk to God to get their answers before getting drunk together and even having a moment of drunken fun waltzing before Peter tells Matt something and Matt abruptly leaves. Peter then sees Mother Mary (who is also sister chantelle that's the director of Romeo and Juliet) who tells Peter to tell his mother and to come out in 911 Emergency!

In Reputation Stain'd Jason lies to Peter about what he did with Ivy as they get ready for rehearsal, in which Jason and Matt fight. During their fighting, Matt calls Jason a french cigarette and Jason and Peter talk. Peter explains how he was approached by Mother Mary and how he needs to come out to his mother during spring break and wants Jason to be with him, but Jason adamantly refuses because he knows exactly what that means for him. This tumbles into Ever After as Peter and Jason break up, with Jason asking Peter not to say anything.

Spring plays as Nadia sings it while playing the cello, on stage Peter ignores Jason before leaving with his mother. Ivy tries to talk with Jason but is almost stopped by Matt, who doesn't say anything.

One deals with Jason and Nadia connecting before spring break while Nadia waits for Jason, Matt sits alone, and Peter calls Jason on the phone with no answer. We then skip to Wedding Bells for a grand gay wedding with Peter and Jason, before Ivy joins in a wedding dress and tries to convince Jason to marry him instead, but it's just his nightmare.

In the Hallway, takes place after Spring Break as everyone briefly meets before Jason and Ivy talk in Touch my Soul. Ivy professes their love to Jason and specifically describes Jason as their tomorrow in the same way Peter did earlier in the show. Jason realizes that he loved Peter and tells Ivy that he can't return her feelings.

Peter calls his mother and tries to tell her that he's gay, but his mother picks up what Peter is trying to do and keeps deflecting the topic in See Me. Then, in Warning, Peter's mother laments in Peter's growing up and if she could even be there for him.

Back at rehearsals, Pilgrims Hands, Lucas makes a brief drug deadline to make your order before Sister Chantelle decided to run Pilgrims Hands, only Ivy hasn't been coming to rehearsal and since the understudy didn't learn the lines Peter steps in as Juliet and shares a moment with Jason. After rehearsals, Jason gets confronted with Ivy with a "we need to talk" and so Jason says to talk to him later in the next rehearsal block at like, 6. Peter and Sister Chantelle sit down as Sister Chantelle tells Peter it's okay to love who you love in God Don't Make No Trash.

We cut to Ivy in All Grown Up as we learn that she's pregnant from Jason. If I added more I think I'd pull from the emotional intensity. In Promise everyone joins in for the 6'o clock rehearsal and shit hits the fan as Jason learns Ivy's pregnant, Peter learns Jason slept with Ivy, Ivy and Nadia learn that Peter and Jason were lovers and Matt was the main instigator.

Jason has his moment in Once Upon a Time where he reminisce about the beginning with Peter and asks God (and Peter) whether he could love him again, or watch him bleed out. In Cross Jason tries to confide in Father Flynn, who knows he's struggling. Father Flynn tries to stifle Jason in the way Father has done before with himself and this ends up being the catalyst for what's to come.

In Two Households, Lucas gives everyone who ordered what they wanted (including Jason) as the show is about to start. He tries to convince Peter to run away from everything, but Peter only says that it's over between them. Jason swallows the whole vial, Matt apologises, and right as Peter walks out Jason stops him.

Bare: Jason confesses his undying love for Peter, something so beautiful and heartbreaking.

Queen's Mab: Jason is in the middle of the show and hallucinating greatly before the dancing number that lands him cradled in Peter's arms onstage.

A Glooming Peace: Jason dies.

Absolution: Peter talks to Father Flynn and forgives him for not being there for Jason when he came for salvation.

No Voice: The graduation comes in full force, the students trying to fill in Jason's shoes (he was valedictorian) in a solemn number.

And that's Bare A Pop Opera, and it's so weird to think it's been like- 3 years!

#bare a pop opera #musicals #musical theatre

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