Romeo and Juliet for the Instagram Generation. Such would seem to be the aspirations of "Bare the Musical" (a show which is, for the record, markedly different from its predecessor, "bare: a pop opera"), which transplants the famous story of repressed love to a Catholic boarding school.

"Bare" follows the trials and tribulations of Peter (Taylor Trensch) and Jason (Jason Hite). Jason is a closeted athlete, afraid to be anything that isn't "normal," while Peter, who loves Jason and senses that his feelings are reciprocated, wants Jason to be his boyfriend. Further complicating matters are the fact that Ivy (Elizabeth Judd) has feelings for Jason, but is kind of dating Matt (Gerard Canonico)—for whom Jason's sister, Nadia (Barrett Wilbert Weed) has feelings.

And so the tangled web of relationships is woven between the parochial students of Bare. In many ways, the book (by Jon Hartmere) captures life as a millennial well, showcasing how everyone (except for Alice Lee's delightful and naïve Diane) is plagued by insecurity and self-loathing in an age where everything is permanent, because everything can be captured digitally and stored forever.

However, the show, as directed by Stafford Arima, moves in fits and starts. While Hite and Weed have consistent and powerful performances as Jason and Nadia, the other leads, Trensch and Judd, as Peter and Ivy, are more uneven (though Judd's "All Grown Up," a second act cri de cœur, showcases Ivy as a force to be reckoned with). The show also seems too long, as if it could benefit from some trimming down, particularly in the second act. The music, by Damon Intrabartolo, with contributions by Lynne Shankel, is strong, though definitely cut from the same cloth as most contemporary musical theater songs.

The creative team has made good use of the show's space at New World Stages. Donyale Werle's scenic design, while not exactly subtle with its usage of crucifix imagery, works to tell the show's story, as does Howell Binkley's lighting design. The two elements work together particularly well in the more religious scenes, as certain Instagram pictures (which are plastered over the entire set) and crosses on the set are illuminated to look more like stained glass and clearly outlined crucifixes.

One can't help but feel that the show, especially in its newly revised form, is aspiring to some of the success "American Idiot" and "Spring Awakening" achieved (indeed, about a quarter of the cast appeared in some incarnation of the original production of "Spring Awakening"). Travis Wall's choreography particularly reflects this, often seeming like an imitation of Steven Hoggett and Bill T. Jones' work on the aforementioned shows, without the deeply-connected need that those expressed.

"Bare" is a show that aspires to greatness, and it has its moments of approaching something very powerful. However, the show seems to hamper its own progress, though that's not entirely unexpected, as it seems to be in a period of transition (much like a teenager, in fact) between what it was in the 2000s and what it hopes to be in the future. Hopefully, the show, which is enjoyable, will refine itself as it progresses into its future.

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"Bare" is playing at New World Stages (340 W 50 St, New York, NY 10019). Tickets are $89.75. More information can be found at BareMusicalNYC.com.