Review: The Full Mony National Tour

"And they'll go for nothing less than The Full Monty…" Truer words have never been spoken, when referring to the national non-equity tour of The Full Monty. I had the pleasure of seeing this revealing musical at the Lexington Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky. I have been accustomed to seeing musicals where the show was carried by amazing vocal performances from the female cast which carried the men along, at least for the most part, but in this show it's a man's world. The songs that are sung are funny, yet touching. They are manly enough to tackle sports great Michael Jordan, yet still profess the love and devotion that men have for their children and their wives. I have had some bad experiences with the caliber of non-equity casts before, but not with this cast. These guys were Broadway caliber and could hold their own with the best of them.

The show starts off with a dazzling performance from "Keno" the professional stripper who has the women of Buffalo drooling at his every hip thrust. He moves and shakes and taunts the audience with his every movement. Just when you think you are about to see it all; he rips off his tiny little g-string revealing an even smaller black g-string. From this we see the end of a union meeting where the song Scrap begins, in which the characters and their situation is clearly illustrated. We meet our main characters who are led by Jerry Lukowski played by Jeremiah Zinger. They are laid off, doing nothing with their lives, and feel as though they are nobody. Their frustration and desperation is clear, and the reasons behind the desperation begin to show themselves when we meet Jerry's son, Nathan. Jerry and his best friend David see Nathan off and notice the male review at a local nightclub; in which their wives are inside paying absurd amounts of money to see some "fantasy" guys shake it. Thus Jerry's plan is born, as a joke at first, but then proceeds to be a real plan for Jerry, Dave and four other men to make themselves some money and to regain their feeling of masculinity.

The Full Monty was full of some very memorable comedic moments like the reverse psychological suicide song, "Big-Ass Rock" In which Jerry and Dave help Malcolm think of ways to kill himself. While most of the songs in the show are funny and very masculine, there are a few very touching numbers from the men. My personal favorite was "You Walk With Me." This song is from a very touching moment in which Malcolm, played by Steve DeBruyne, sings about his fear of being all alone after his over-protective mother has passed away and the hope of finding someone to fill the void in his life. The emotion felt in this song is enough to make chills run down your spine. Another touching moment in the show is when Jerry sings to his sleeping son in "Breeze Off The River." While this song is more subdued than most songs that feature Jeremiah Zinger's character, his vocal talent still shines. His amazing range is featured very well as he hits some wonderful notes in this sweet number. Perhaps the most refreshing song of the whole show is "The Goods." This song showcases the sexist treatment of women by men and how quickly it can be turned around on the men. This harsh realization is highlighted by the chorus which is repeated by the women, "He's fat, he's old, he's skinny, he's bald, he's short, he's got pimples on his ass…" This sudden revelation is horrifying to the men about to face bearing it all to their friends and neighbors.

This cast has brought their own sense of humor and emotion to this endearing tale of six friends who are willing to let it all hang out to help each other reclaim their sense of masculinity. I encourage everyone to go see this show as it makes its way across the country and to get ready for the closing moments to catch a glimpse of "The Full Monty."