Best Kept Secret - Bare: A Pop Opera

How come I had never heard of Bare: A Pop Opera before this summer when I noticed Spring Awakening cast member Matt Doyle was about to leave temporarily to do the Cast Album?

Bare: The Album comes out today and the 2 CD's + 1 DVD package can be only ordered online (starting at Noon PST) from what I can determine.

So, this is what I know. It's a "Pop Opera" or a musical, essentially a love story between two gay catholic high school boys. It was produced in LA in 2000 and ran Off-Broadway in 2004 (above) with Michael Arden (soon to be seen on The Return of Jezebel James with Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose) as one of the leads. It seems there has never been an official cast recording of the show until now? It seems to be described as a stepping stone between Rent and Spring Awakening which is a way to say it deals with horny young people and is "edgy" for the musical theatre world. Either way, from what I've heard of Bare, it's not as good as Spring Awakening but it's pretty good still. Plus, hot catholic school boys in love. You know this will enrage the red states. What's not to love? I've been slightly addicted to a few of the songs over the last 3 weeks (I've been listening on youtube. Clips below).

The new cast album also has James Snyder (so funny in She's The Man) playing against Matt Doyle.

Here's one of the songs from the show:
"Best Kept Secret" - Bare: A Pop Opera - New York Off-Broadway Production with Michael Arden and John Hill.



Making of the Bare Album video clips, and someone put clips of the NY Off-Broadway production of Bare with 12 of the songs and some narrative explanations preluding each sequence, all can be viewed after the jump:



Here's a clip of an interview with Damon Intrabartolo, Kristin Hanggi, Michael Arden and some more clips:



And if you really liked it, you can sing along with these clips that include Lyrics:



Here's 2 promo clips made for the album. Listen to Matt Doyle sing. He's AMAZING:



The Bare Album includes all the following tracks:

Act One

Epiphany (Company)
You & I ( Jason, Peter & Students)
Role of a Lifetime (Peter)
Auditions (Sister Chantelle & Students)
Plain Jane Fat Ass (Nadia & Jason)
Wonderland (Lucas, Nadia, Ivy, Jason, Peter, Matt & Tanya)
A Quiet Night at Home (Nadia)
Rolling
Best Kept Secret (Peter & Jason)
Confession (Students & Priest)
Portrait of a Girl (Ivy & Matt)
Birthday, Bitch! (Students)
One Kiss (Ivy & Jason)
Are You There? (Peter & Matt)
911! Emergency! (Virgin Mary & Cherubs)
Reputation Stain'd (Matt, Jason, Ivy, Nadia, Peter)
Ever After (Peter & Jason)
Spring (Nadia)
One (Ivy, Jason, Nadia, Matt, Peter)

Act Two

Wedding Bells (Company)
Touch My Soul (Ivy & Jason)
See Me (Peter & Claire)
Warning (Claire)
Pilgrim's Hands (Jason & Peter)
God Don't Make No Trash (Sister Chantelle)
All Grown Up (Ivy)
Promise (Jason, Ivy, Matt, Peter, Nadia)
Once Upon a Time (Jason)
Cross (Priest & Jason)
Two Households (Sister Chantelle & Students)
Bare (Jason & Peter)
Queen Mab (Jason & Peter)
A Glooming Peace (Students)
Absolution (Peter & Priest)
No Voice (Company)