Arts & Entertainment
Review: 'bare: A Pop Opera' at The Brookfield Theatre of the Arts
Loretta Fedrick of Naugatuck plays the sassy Sister Chantelle in this unique sung-through musical with a young cast of talented performers.
Photos by Stephen Cihanek
"'bare' can very easily hold its own against 'RENT' and 'Spring Awakening'. While it doesn't share the commercial success and notoriety, it definitely soars regarding storyline, music, universal themes and relatable characters. It takes a snapshot of the trials and tribulations of adolescent life." - Todd Santa Maria, Director of 'bare: A Pop Opera'
So ‘bare: A Pop Opera’ is a show that I knew nothing about, but I was intrigued with the pop opera tagline. I have enjoyed the previous productions I have seen at The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, but this one will stay with me for a long time for many reasons.
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At the senior citizen final dress rehearsal, the role of the sassy sister, as in nun, was played with plenty of attitude by Loretta Fedrick in her TBTA debut. The character of Sister Chantelle definitely had some of the most memorable (and funny) lines, but also did her share of nurturing. Mrs. Fedrick, who shares the role with Renee Sutherland, brought some needed comic relief and rocked her “911 Emergency” solo with her back up singing angels played by Ms. Rojas and Ms. Harding. The only other adult members in the cast included Stephen Dickson as the priest and Shannon Denihan in the role of Peter’s mother, Claire. Ms. Gabriel, who also served as fight choreographer for the show, will step out of her producer role to cover the latter role for one performance. By day she is a Theatre/English teacher at Newtown HS and she gets to work with some former students in this production.
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‘Bare’ is presented with one fifteen minute intermission. The site for tickets warns: “Not intended for young audiences - minimum suggested age 16. Note for parents: Younger audiences members are welcome. Please know that "BARE" includes sensuous dancing, coarse humor, and depictions of alcohol & drug use. With the growing number of opiate deaths in Connecticut, we feel these are important topics for community discussion. Please decide if you are ready to discuss these topics with your student.”
