Million Miles From Heaven

“Crowding out my vision, I am drowning in religion and I’m still a million miles from heaven.” This line from the opening song from the off-Broadway revival of Bare rings true in my head as sit in front of laptop and will my fingers to type. Now its final week of performances leading up to a very premature closing Bare could not have come at a better time for me. With the revival of Rent recently ending and my other go to favorite Dogfight having completed its limited engagement run over the summer I was yearning for a show to fill that empty void and then along came Bare. I had heard nothing but praise about the past professional New York productions and the same can be said about this one.

There have been very few shows that I can confidently say have really moved and changed me, Bare being the most recent. It started at the beginning and as Peter began with his opening monologue saying: “I was asked to say a few words. I thought I should begin by telling you who I am. You know how when you see a group picture you try to find yourself in it? I never do that. I’m always surprised I’m there.” I knew that I was witnessing something so special and precious. Throughout the duration of the performance I laughed, cried and came to realizations. I grew up with a mother who is a devout Catholic (she almost became a nun) and a father who is the complete opposite. I went to Catholic high school, Sunday school as a kid the whole nine yards so I can relate on that level. But whether you are religious or not I feel that everyone needs to see and experience the phenomenon that is Bare. Bare is very literal about the issues that young people face from Peter and Jason’s’ romance, teen pregnancy, scandals and drug use all set in a Catholic boarding school.

While it is amazing in and of itself on paper it takes a special group of people to bring these characters and this very important story to life. I cannot even begin to say how wonderful this company and creative team is that it can’t be summed up in a 140 character post-show tweet. It was them that really completed my emotional journey that night and made me look at their characters as people not a piece of fiction. Taylor Trensch gives a truly stunning and emotional portrayal of Peter that broke my heart as mine broke for his as you see him deal with Jason’s death and short-lived romance turned pregnancy with Ivy. Jason Hite as Jason beautifully showed everyone that not we are not all black and white. He illustrated that while we are all different, we all are still people who love but that unnecessary stereotypes and social stigmas can cause more than just hurt feelings. Elizabeth Judd’s captivating performance as the hurt and damaged Ivy shows us that we have to move on after a terrible incident and make the absolute best of the next chapter but some kindness and acceptance from others can make all the difference.  Barret Wilbert Weed’s standout performance as Jason’s’ troubled sister Nadia makes us realize that like no person is perfect so is no family and as messed up as they may seem they mean the world to you even if you realize it once its too late. The wonderful Missi Pyle as the kind and understanding Sister Joan proved that all it takes is some compassion and willingness to listen can mean all the world to someone who is struggling. These actors made me really feel their pain as my heart broke for Peter, Ivy and Nadia at Jason’s death, I felt the hurt and confusion that Ivy is faced with now having to raise a child on her own as a teen with the father now dead and when they all started to sing “Dear Jason” I was toast. That is what made the show so effective.

After the final curtain I was left reeling, both moved to tears and thinking “this message is so important, everyone needs to see this show and take something from it.” A few days later I went to see the show again and I got something totally different out of it as these characters have so many different layers that, while still an emotional wreck I took something different with me that time, the same with my third performance a week later. Bare built upon what Rent and Dogfight taught me which is love and acceptance something that seems to be lost in the younger generation. None of us are perfect; I’m far from it as the song states, “I’m still a million miles from heaven.” We all need to be more loving and understanding like Sister Joan is in the show, which is a theme that desperately needs to be heard. While I’m devastated to see this beautiful piece of theatre end this chapter of its life I know its not the end but I will be there on Sunday to hear this masterpiece be told one last time and to celebrate the important message that this story tells.