BWW Reviews: THE FULL MONTY with Sally Struthers is a Crowd Pleaser at Riverside Center

Beefcake, in all shapes and sizes, is front and center in the musical romp The Full Monty. As produced by Riverside Dinner Theatre in Fredericksburg, the show is a crowd-pleaser. A bit naughty, yes, so leave the kids at home. Otherwise, featured player Sally Struthers and company give the audience a rollicking good time.

The show is about members of the 99 percent taking matters into their own hands. Out of work steel workers could get jobs working security at Wal-Mart, but why be conventional when they can sign up for an impromptu amateur night at a local club.

Fans of the 1997 British film and the Broadway musical adaptation from 2000-2001 know that the club in question features male exotic dancers, a la Chippendales. These down-and-out laborers are not the kind of physical specimens usually grinding and gyrating to the delight of horny housewives.

As displayed in the Americanized musical by composer-lyricist David Yazbek and book-writer Terrence McNally, the six regular guys range from slim and awkward and reasonably fit to middle-aged and overweight. Yep, they are the underdogs and they are desperate for money to make ends meet, pay overdue child support and keep a roof over their heads.

Riverside's talented associate artistic director and Broadway veteran Patrick A'Hearn understands how a musical like The Full Monty works: keep things moving and let the show take care of the rest. A'Hearn has a keen eye for casting and his performers color within the lines, as it were, bringing to life the fairly standard issue characters

Jerry Lukowski (played by Jeremiah Zinger) is a good-looking, divorced father who tries hard to be a dad to his son Nathan (a charming Giuseppe Inserra), but he can barely make ends meet. Ex-wife Pam (Emily Powers) stays on his case to keep the payments coming, while she is making due with her new fiancé Teddy (James Shimo).

Jerry's best friend is Dave Bukatinsky (an effusive Ian Lane) is a stay-at-home husband who doesn't miss a meal. We know this because he and Jerry constantly talk about how overweight he is, even though the audience gets it. (A minor quibble with McNally's script.)

Jerry gets the bright idea to organize an amateur night at the club that features the male dancers. The club packs in the ladies each night, including all the wives and ex-wives of the guys. Dave and Jerry recruit more hapless chumps to strip for cash. Harold (Devon Clark) is an out of work plant supervisor who has kept his unemployed status secret from his wife Vicki (Vilma Gil) who has expensive tastes. Malcolm (James Bock), who still lives at home with his ailing mother (Carol Hagy), is also recruited after Jerry and Dave save him from killing himself. Rounding out the group are Ethan (Tommy McNeal) and the elderly Noah (triple-threat Jerrial Young). Noah, happens to be black and has earned the nickname 'Horse.' The other men assume the nickname was earned for the very reason you are thinking of right now. Such is the humor found in the show.

Another huge dose of humor in The Full Monty comes from television and the stage's own Miss Sally Struthers. Struthers appeared at Riverside in the very popular Hello, Dolly! two seasons ago and she returns here to tinkle the ivories and every funny bone in sight as Jeanette, the piano-playing, wise-cracker who ends up serving as a den mother to the six would-be male strippers.

Struthers clearly loves the audience and keeps the crowd roaring with her reactions, one-liners and naughty banter.

The score is good, but I doubt you will go out humming any of the tunes. The band, however, kicks butt - naked or otherwise - and really rocks out the songs throughout the show. My hat is off to the musical department lead by Jason J. Michael and the band conducted by Scott Richards. The settings for The Full Monty could be at home on Broadway and are cleverly designed by Brian C. Barker.

When Riverside first announced they would produce The Full Monty, I was skeptical that the typical audiences (think church bus groups) for many of their musicals would not be pleased at such a naughty and - let's face it - adult-oriented show. Color me, wrong.

The night I attended, the house was packed, the audience ranged from mid-20s to patrons of undetermined age and all of them had a roaring good time.

And did they get to see the six guys go all the way to the famous "full monty" at the end?

You have two weeks to find out.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Riverside Center

THE FULL MONTY - by David Yazbek and Terrence McNally. Directed by Patrick A'Hearn and featuring Sally Struthers as Jeanette.

Performances: Wed. matinee, 1:30 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. Seating for meal begins approximately 90 minutes earlier Box office: 540.370.4300. Riverside Center - 95 Riverside Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22406

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