"The full monty" was once a fairly
common British slang expression meaning "the whole amount."
But thanks to the 1997 film and the 2000 Broadway musical-comedy
based on the film, "the full monty" now means complete,
frontal male nudity.
Now, for the first time since its exposure on Broadway, "The
Full Monty" is back in town at the Gallery Players, and
it’s EVERYTHING one would expect.
"The Full Monty," with a book by Terrence McNally and
music and lyrics by David Yazbek, follows six jobless Buffalo
steel-workers who decide to develop a burlesque act so they can
cash in on a local craze for male strippers. Although not much
of Yazbek’s music is particularly memorable, the concept is so
engaging and the Gallery Players’ cast, directed by Matt Schicker,
is so enthusiastic and sincere, that the show is irresistible.
The ringleader and founder of the group, "Hot Metal,"
is Jerry Lukowski (Mitchell Jarvis), who needs to pick up some
money so he can catch up on child support and retain joint custody
of his son, Nathan (Julian Pavlin). The first person he asks
to join him is his overweight buddy, Dave Bukatinsky (Scott Windham).
Dave is reluctant, but he is not only unemployed, he also has
an unhappy wife with a wandering eye, Georgie (Kim Ramsey). So,
after a bit of prodding, he agrees.
The two men convince Malcolm MacGregor (Darron Cardosa) the friendless
night watchman at the factory where they used to work, that instead
of killing himself, he should join their group, too. And they
blackmail the former factory supervisor, Harold Nichols (Michael
Roth), who is hiding from his adoring wife, Vicki (Patti McClure),
the fact that he too has been fired, into teaching the other
men how to dance.
The three men somehow acquire a keyboardist, the feisty, eight-times-married,
showbiz veteran, Jeanette Burmeister (the incomparable Tricia
Norris) and start auditioning.
Out of the motley candidates they’ve managed to solicit, they
pick two more wannabe strippers: Noah "Horse" T. Simmons
(the show-stealing Dann B. Black), an aging black man with a
great sense of rhythm, and Ethan Girard (Gavino Olvera), who
drives himself and everyone else crazy trying to dance on walls
a la "Singin’ in the Rain" but is hired anyway because
of what he reveals when he drops his pants.
Much of the show’s energy comes from the ever-present question
– will the guys really do it? Will they lose heart? Will they
lose their confidence? Will they come to their senses? In the
end, even their wives are rooting for them.
Ironically, what makes this show so lovable – the ordinariness
of the men and their wives – is the limiting factor that makes
the numbers less than great. In their press release, the Gallery
Players claim that "The Full Monty" has "been
thrust in the shadows due to the overpowering glare of a certain
musical called ’The Producers’ – and many argue, robbed of its
Tony." But that’s only half the story.
There are no Bob Fosse dance numbers here. Nor should there be.
The songs are sweet, but only once or twice, in numbers like
Black’s "Big Black Man" and the finale, "Let It
Go," can one see glimpses of a Broadway hit.
Nevertheless, it’s obvious that the ordinariness of the six guys
is merely an illusion. By necessity they must be talented actors
who can both sing – and to some extent, at least – dance. Certainly
everyone on stage at the Gallery Players is a professional.
But "The Full Monty" has something one doesn’t often
see on stage these days – genuine people who go about solving
their problems with humor, creativity and love.
In the end, "The Full Monty" is about what everyone
holds dear – love, compassion, responsibility, sacrifice, loyalty
and yes – family values.
After all, aren’t these the bare essentials of life?
The Gallery Players production of "The
Full Monty" plays through May 22, Thursdays through Saturdays
at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm at 199 14th St. between Fourth and
Fifth avenues in Park Slope. Tickets are $15, $12 seniors and
students. For reservations and more information, call (718) 595-0547.
