BWW Q&A: Creg Sclavi on THE FULL MONTY at Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre is kicking off their 13th Broadway Series season with the perfect show for the times, The Full Monty, playing August 21-October 6! Layoffs, outsourcing, and a changing world cannot stop these guys from tackling their issues around identity and masculinity--and baring their souls to one another.

Dave, Jerry and friends take you on their healing journey in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good musical. They keep the dance moves coming and their family guessing as they put together one show that they hope will salvage their egos and change everything! A 10-time Tony award nominee, The Full Monty is a working-class musical that works for tips.

Get your tickets today to be there when these hardworking steelworkers demonstrate their skills on and off the job. Open captioning show on Oct. 2 at 7 PM and American Sign Language interpretation on Oct. 4 at 8 PM.

Meet the guys of The Full Monty: Jerry Lukowski (played by Ben Mayne), Dave Bukatinsky (played by Jared David Michael Grant), Harold Nichols (Jackson Evans), Malcolm MacGregor (Adam Fane), Ethan Girard (Diego Vazquez Gomez), and Noah “Horse” T. Simmons (Bernard Dotson)

CREG SCLAVI he/him (Associate Director) is thrilled to work alongside Jim Corti again, as Associate Director of The Full Monty. Para­mount credits include Million Dollar Quartet - Co-Director (Stolp Island Theatre) and Next to Normal - Associate Director (Copley). He was also the Stolp Island Theatre Project Manager, overseeing building and opening the new space. Other credits: Murder... Orient Express - Assistant Director (Maltz Jupiter), Dead Man’s Cell Phone - Assistant Director (FSU/Asolo). BFA-Musical Theatre (UW-Stevens Point). MFA-Acting (FSU/Asolo Conservatory).

You're associate director for the show, but you've directed other works for Paramount Theatre. Is there anything that has surprised you about working with this particular Production Team and cast?

I have been blessed to work with fantastic casts and production teams here at Paramount. Paramount does a great job of bringing together the right artists for the right project. One thing that stood out to me about this cast was their diligence in asking for what they needed in the process. The Full Monty has a wide array of physical and emotional demands, and this group was never afraid to ask for what they needed in the moment. I couldn’t have been happier for this, because this allowed the creative and production teams to fully support the performers in their work, and the storytelling coming from this cast has been impeccable because of it.

At its heart, what is The Full Monty really about?

The Full Monty is about reevaluating and redefining yourself, taking risks, and how friends, family, and community can be touchstones for growth and positive change.

The steel working men of Buffalo have had the rug pulled out from under them. Previously defining themselves by their jobs, and now having been out of work for 18 months, they are forced to reevaluate their views on what it means to be a man, friend, husband, and father.

Through their different relationships in the show, our characters broaden their views on manhood and masculinity. They share personal, intimate moments with each other, bringing them together as friends and allowing them to let go of who they were, growing into better people with stronger relationships with everyone in their lives.

This is a musical comedy, but it has some serious themes. How does your cast manage to pull it off?

The cast is wonderfully detail oriented, which has allowed us to safely delve into the heavier aspects of the story. We are able to have the necessary conversations in regard to the serious themes, while also building hysterical comedic moments. The cast are all so open and joyous in their work – giving us the chance to be specific in our storytelling – allowing them to ride the wave of comedy and drama that this piece requires.

Is there a line or a scene that sticks with you in this show or that helps the audience really connect with the characters and story?

There is a moment in Act 1 where Reg Willoughby (skillfully played by Matt Thinnes) is auditioning to be a part of Jerry’s amateur strip group. After stopping in the middle of his audition he says, “Three boys to feed and I can’t even take my clothes off properly.” On the surface, this is a funny moment of a man awkwardly trying to strip. Underneath is a level of desperation that resonates with all of the out of work men in this story, as well as with audiences. Here we see a man who has decided to attempt something he is uncomfortable with out of the need to feed his family. Yet even that is not enough for him to continue. After the Covid-19 pandemic, I think many of us can relate to being lost when our livelihoods were pulled out from under us, having to consider desperate measures in order to keep roofs over our heads and food in our stomachs. That desperation is at the heart of this show, driving these men not only to put on an amateur strip show for a quick cash grab, but to redefine who they are as people – letting go of what was so they can step into what is next.

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