The Full Monty is Great Fun...and that's the naked truth!

The Full Monty

Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek                                          Book by Terrence McNally                                                  Director and Choreographer, Devanand Janki; Music Director, Fred Frabotta; Scenic Designer, Jenna McFarland; Costume Designer, Nicole Watson; Lighting Designer, Jeff Adelberg; Sound Designer, Nathan Leigh

CAST (in order of appearance):

Anika Larsen as Georgie Bukatinsky, James Moye as Jerry Lukowski, Freddy Geils as Dave Bukatinsky, Steve Debruyne as Malcolm MacGregor, Tommy Labanaris as Ethan Girard, Nicholas Silverio as Nathan Lukowski, Mary Ellen Ashley as Jeanette Burmeister, Whitney Cohen as Pam Lukowski, Gilbert Brady as Teddy Slaughter and Tony Giordano, Peter S. Adams as Harold Nichols, Gretchen Goldsworthy as Vicki Nichols, Calvin Smith as Noah (Horse) T. Simmons

Performances now through June 4 at Foothills Theatre Company

Box Office: 508-754-4018 www.foothillstheatre.com

If Terrence McNally's name is attached to the book, I'm thinking it ought to be a pretty good show. His credits include The Rink, Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and one of the 20^th century's great American musicals, Ragtime. Add music and lyrics by David Yazbek, currently represented on Broadway with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the likeability prospects skyrocket. Director/choreographer Devanand Janki, Music Director Fred Frabotta, and an amazing cast take us to the moon and back with the Foothills Theatre Company production of The Full Monty.

The story opens at a rock 'n' roll strip club where it is "Girls' Night Out." The excitement is palpable as Buddy (Keno) Walsh appears center stage in a flattering suit, wraparound dark glasses, and carrying a briefcase to look the part of a businessman. He strikes a typical male model pose with one hand casually in his pocket, remaining still until the heavy beat of the music starts up. He struts forward, all swagger and high cheekbones, and begins to rip off his clothing with gusto. Dave August obviously has a ball with this routine and his sculpted body and great dance moves transport the audience right into the Buffalo, New York nightclub.

While the wives and girlfriends are having their frivolous night out, the men are introduced at a meeting at the steelworkers union hall, picking up their meager unemployment checks and generally feeling really badly about themselves ("Scrap").  They may have low self-esteem, but the voices in this ensemble number convey all the sadness, anger, confusion, and self-pity of the men. When Jerry and Dave sing "Man" they raise the main question that the play hopes to answer: What's a real man?

Jerry is divorced and deep in arrears on his child support, but cares more about his son Nathan than life itself. After seeing the wild reception the women give the male strippers, he devises a plan to make a pile of money and take back some personal power.  All he has to do is convince Dave and find four other guys who are willing to put their faith in him and put their bodies on display. Most of the first act is dedicated to this search and the auditions for the other dancers are alternately hilarious and poignant. Somewhere along the way, a crusty old show business broad and her piano become part of the team. As the only professional among them, Jeannette commands a modicum of respect and lets them know just how badly things are going. They start to come together when Jerry relates their dancing to basketball plays. Some of the inventive original choreography by Jerry Mitchell is showcased in "Michael Jordan's Ball" as they move around the stage like the Celtics during warm-ups.

Each of the six buddies has his own story and foibles. Jerry's best friend Dave has a body that could best be described as Pillsbury Doughboy. Combined with his frustrations about not working, his big belly ("You Rule My World") causes him to shy away from his wife and the prospect of baring it all on stage. Harold was one of the bosses the men disliked at the plant, but he knows how to dance. They recruit him by threatening to tell his wife that he was laid off, a secret that Harold has kept for six months for fear that the high-living Vicki will be crushed by the news (Peter S. Adams adds his lovely voice to "You Rule My World").

Jerry and Dave discover Malcolm, a sweet young man who lives with his crotchety, elderly mother, in his car as he attempts suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. They befriend him ("Big-Ass Rock") by telling him all the better ways they would use to kill him. Lonely and desperate for friends, he becomes part of the troupe. Ethan has no particular talent, although he is obsessed with trying to run up the wall like Donald O'Connor in "Singing in the Rain." It is an ongoing sight gag as Ethan runs full-tilt across the stage, from one wing to the other, followed by an off-stage crash. He gets chosen at the audition for another physical, er, attribute after he willingly drops trou.  The final member of the sextet is "Horse," a person of color who slowly makes his way onto the dance floor as if his nickname should be preceded by "Charlie." However, once he warms up and lubricates his joints, he has the moves of James Brown and a gigantic ... personality. 

We go to see The Full Monty filled with anticipation for the climactic final scene and get swept away by the touching human stories that are told in McNally's earthy book and Yazbek's memorable songs. If someone tried to sell this play by listing some of its themes (unemployment, divorce, child support, weight problem, sexual identity issues), it might not sound like a fun evening of musical comedy. But woven together with the messages of the importance of parenthood, friendship, and discovering one's own worth, it was a hit on Broadway and nominated for nine 2001 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

This production should be a big hit on Front Street in Worcester. As good as the acting is, the voices are even better. Whether as an ensemble, solo, or duo, every song is delivered with the appropriate emotion. Georgie (Anika Larsen) and the Girls belt out the anthemic "It's A Woman's World" while strutting their stuff at the strip club. Jerry's (James Moye) rendering of "Breeze Off The River" as a bedtime ballad to his son drips with the emotions of an insecure father. Steve DeBruyne's Malcolm offers a crystal clear farewell hymn at his mother's funeral, joined by Ethan (Tommy Labanaris) as they hold hands for "You Walk With Me." In Act Two, there's a little less humor and a little more pathos, but it is sung beautifully.

In the end, we get what we came for, but we also get a lot more. The Full Monty is full of talent, full of spirit, and full of fun. You'll be full of regrets if you miss it!

 

 

 

 

 

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