Bare: The Musical announced its off-Broadway closing date a couple weeks ago and I knew I needed try to get back to the show one more time before its departure. Luckily I figured out my schedule quickly because tickets for the closing weekend moved quickly.
It’s been nearly two months since I last saw Bare and the show has only gotten stronger as the cast keeps finding nuances in their characters. Yesterday afternoon was particularly a treat since I got to see Alex Wyse as Peter. I loved his voice, particularly how it blended with Jason Hite’s Jason. Their version of the title song is one of the best I’ve heard anywhere. (Alex has been with the show since it opened, but he’s been in the role of Alan when I’ve seen it. Yesterday he was on for Peter, which he understudies and has played a few times during the run.)
The other principals that have been there all along showed how much more powerful they’ve gotten in their roles. Hite, who I’ve raved about since my first visit to the show, continues to be heartbreaking as Jason. Elizabeth Judd gave me goosebumps with Ivy’s second act revelation “All Grown Up.” Gerard Canonico played the jilted Matt to perfection and nailed “Are You There?” with an amazing intensity. Missi Pyle delivered a beautiful and emotional version of “You’re Not Alone,” which actually seemed to take Wyse (who was having his final performance as Peter) an extra beat to recover from.
All in all, it was a perfect afternoon at a favorite show. I’m sad to see it closing after such a short run (21 previews and 65 regular performances). There’s talk of a cast recording and I hope that comes to pass so I can add it to my collection of Bare recordings.
Here’s one final montage of the show, set to the opening number “Million Miles from Heaven.”
