"Do you know - well, of course you do - what it's like to stand outside? To watch the world and wish you didn't hurt so much you cried?" (bare: a pop opera, Jon Hartmere & Damon Intrabartolo)
Although Mr. Hartmere's striking lyricism is likely relatable to many, it stands most strongly in its original context of "bare: a pop opera". As mirrored by the scene in which this song ("Are You There?") appears in the musical, many people outside of the LGBT community share struggles with those inside who face unwarranted subjugation in their everyday lives. In the production, main character Peter Simmonds is found wandering outside a party, singing about how his boyfriend-in-secret, Jason McConnell, refuses to acknowledge their relationship outside the privacy of their shared room at boarding school. Meanwhile, Peter's best friend, Matt Lloyd, is nearby, professing a musical soliloquy in regards to Ivy Robinson, his love interest, who is both enamored with Jason and oblivious to his withstanding relationship with Peter.
Because this scene develops the plot changes that occur throughout the rest of the show, the content within is naturally integral to the central message of the production. At the end of the scene, Peter reveals his secret relationship with Jason to Matt, who later uses it against them by revealing the truth to Ivy in a fit of jealousy, generated in response her fawning over Jason. As their classmates begin to discover the truth and Jason fears his parents will find out and subsequently assumes that his future will be marred, he overdoses on GHB and gracefully falls into Peter's arms as he dies in the midst of their school's production of "Romeo and Juliet" ("Queen Mab").
Anyone could generalize this story alongside others that are seen as "messy" or "trying too hard," but the truth is that the storyline is very real. Criticizing works that expose the truth about humanity will always be easier than acknowledging the issues they have expertly outlined, something that is frequently done in surprising detail. With that being said, the small audience that has discovered this musical masterpiece have yet to give it the full recognition it deserves. It correctly portrays how teenagers interact and the struggles faced by those inside and out of the societally restrictive label of homosexuality, and although that truth is sad, this musical tastefully depicts the damaging web of consequences that results from such ignorance.
There is no doubt that these weighty topics are those which society attempts to keep taboo, shoved into closets alongside the marginalized children who often experience them, left never to be spoken about. "But what I feel - these things are real - I wish I felt you there and if I did I'd ask you 'How come life is so unfair?'" ("Are You There?") Despite the roots of their causes, people inside and outside of the LGBT community share multiple struggles. Why, then, does it follow, that the only recurring attention queer people receive is a barrage of chastisements for constantly calling attention to the fact that they fail to receive the same consideration they deserve?
Yes, there are people in the world who do show compassion to non-heterosexual people. Yes, some people in GSM (gender and sexual minorities) do find their way through life relatively unscathed by interactions in response to their sexuality. However, these small victories do not change the fact that an unnervingly large number of them are sought out because of one small aspect of life that is outside of their control and outside others' business.
At the end of the day, nobody knows exactly what the purpose of life is, and it is nobody's responsibility to make sure that others have a good life. Ultimately, each person can only have concrete faith in themselves, and finding others to trust is exactly that - a matter of trust. In the final analysis, a potential solution for both sides lies in another of Jon Hartmere's expertly crafted lyrics from the show closer, "No Voice" - "In a world that's quick to judge, I will try to understand it's so hard to find your way when you have no voice to guide you on."
