Cockpit Does 'The Full Monty'

You may have seen the 1997 British film "The Full Monty", the 2000 Broadway musical that garnered 10 Tony nominations, the touring production that played the Mechanic in 2003, but the experience in the tiny Cockpit in Court Essex Theatre is very different! This intimate setting is perfect for this kind of a show.

I would love to have been in the room when the Cockpit Board of Directors was selecting their 34^th annual summer season schedule. Will someone come forward to say who was the brave one to suggest doing "The Full Monty"? Who'd have thunk   BALTIMORE (remember the Maryland Censor Board?) would take the plunge?

And lucky for us!! I love this show. The script is by the great American playwright, Terrence McNally. McNally does his magic with much humor, pathos with topics like unemployment, divorce, parenting, and friendship.

This was David Yazbek's (both lyrics and music) first attempt at a Broadway musical and he provides a score that includes a couple of very moving ballads, some stunning harmonies, and a lot of hilarious lyrics. You can see more of his current work in the Tony nominated "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" still packing them in on Broadway and coming to Baltimore's Hippodrome (Nov. 21 to Dec. 3).He is no Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim. His music can be quite different, from the jazzy overture to his rock influence, jazzy orchestrations, and wonderful ballads. It is reason enough to see this show, JUST for the music. And special mention should be made to the orchestra pit led by R. Christopher Rose (keyboards) and Lisa Wood on drums, Troy Hernandez on bass, Joe Napolillo on guitar, Laura Weatherington on reeds, and to a superb brass section, Peter Lander on trumpet and Dan Weyandt on trombone.Get the CD either before or after you see it.

Yazbek has described his musical style as "eclectic, pop, rock with a tip of the hat to Broadway's Frank Loesser and the British band XTC", his favorite band.Go to Yazbek's web site to learn more (he did some lyrics for "Bombay Dreams" and wrote for David Letterman) and listen to his latest CD entitled "Damascus". www.davidyazbek.com.

Now to what happens ON the stage. The story involves six laid-off Buffalo steelworkers desperate for cash and after noticing how popular a Chippendales-style strip shows does in their community, decide to do it themselves. The ring-leader, Jerry (played by a talented Stephen Antonsen who can play the lead in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" when it plays Cockpit) is a 32 year-old divorced father, behind in his support payments, andhas too much pride to get a job at Wal-Mart for $9.50 an hour.Jerry's irritable wife is played by Tatiana Hodziewich and their son is played by Casey Kolb.

Jerry's best friend is Dave Bukatinsky (played by a delightful John W. Ford) who (like most Americans) may be overweight but due to his relationship with Jerry, attempts the unthinkable, to join the strippers.John Ford…you've got moxie!!! What a stirring, sympathetic job he does. Liz Boyer Hunnicutt plays Dave's understanding wife.

The former foreman of the factory is Harold (Jeff Burch) and he is recruited to be the Dance Captain. Aaron Androh has the plum role of Horse who gets to sing the hysterical number "Big Black Man". Rounding out the group are the shy and struggling Malcom (Dan Johnson) and the exuberant and mentally challenged character of Ethan (wonderfully portrayed by Alex Cecchetti) who tries unsuccessfully to mimic Donald O'Connor by dancing up the side of walls continuously. Cecchetti probably has the bruises to show it. The two of them sing a very moving duet following the death of Malcolm's mother "You Walk With Me", one of the highlights of the evening.

Strippers need music and that is provided by the piano-playing Jeanette (Harriette Bush Clark).Clark is superb in a terrifically written role and almost steals the show!

The ensemble could have been larger but Michelle Harmon, Claire Bowerman (remember her great role as Lucille in "Parade"?), Deborah Hicks, and Chris Homberg make up the ensemble.

Director and Choreographer James Hunnicutt does a nice job of coordinating the mayhem. A major complaint deals with the sound. I'm not sure if it is the acoustics of the theater or the system used. But, hopefully, this can be rectified.

The opening night audience LOVED this production. Give it a chance. You may too.

Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. and a Thursday night performance on June 29 at 8 p.m. The run ends on July 2. For reservations call 410-780-6369 or www.ccbcmd.edu/cockpit.

 

For comments, cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photo by Amy Jones

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