Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

"The Full Monty" is a show for people who don't like musicals. It is a celebration of that which is ordinary and average and the abilities of regular Joe's to rise to the occasion.

Six out-of-work Buffalo steelworkers decide to give a Chippendale's style show. They encounter several problems - the biggest one being that compared to a pro they are not considered sexy. They decide to raise the ante and give the women what the Chippendale's won't: The Full Monty.

At The Brooklyn Gallery Players Production this wonderfully motley crew sweeps us off our feet.

The set as designed by Timothy J. Amrhein is simple with suggestive pieces coming on and offstage as needed. The music as directed by Ken Legum has a wonderful sound and never overwhelms the performers. The costumes by Melissa Beverage are pure Buffalo. The choreography seems to spring naturally from the actors as they figure out the dance moves in the rehearsal process. They are never "dancers" but they take their basketball and faux sexy moves and come up with one hell of a finale. Dax Valdes choreographed.

Every member of this cast is outstanding which leads not to a show of star turns but to a wonderfully balanced ensemble piece. As we go through the very awkward audition process we meet Horse (Dann B. Black) moving slow and acting a little cranky until he ultimately blows us away with his dance routine that includes handstands and splits.

All the women in this cast are powerhouses and the staging of "The Goods" where we first confront the men's insecurities is very well done with the women framing the action at the lip of the stage. Special mention goes to Patti McClure as Vicki Nichols and Tiffany Green as Joanie Lish. Both display a very strong stage.

Tricia Norris makes a delightful Jeanette, the rehearsal pianist who just walks in one day. She is a tiny woman with big glasses resembling a wizened owl. Her deadpanned delivery and comic timing are a great counter to the men's insecurity and desperation during the rehearsal process. She carries her own electronic keyboard leading to big laughs as she carts it offstage, the keyboard being almost as big as she.

Scott Windham as Dave is a very funny guy with an always present emotional core that reminds us how deeply human and conflicted he is. He scenes with Georgie (Kim Ramsey) resonate with the audience as we watch his struggle with his weight, and his pride as he accepts a second rate job at Wal-Mart. His transformation into a confident man ready "to go the full Monty with the guys" is very real and very touching.

Gavino Olvera as Ethan Girard is a charming innocent who makes the most of his assets. Darron Cardosa as Malcolm MacGregor gives a slyly comic performance as the Mama's Boy and reveals a powerhouse voice in the musical numbers.

The man at the center of it all is Jerry Lukowski (Mitchell Jarvis) short, scrappy and so filled with genuine love for his son he would do anything to keep that kid in his life. It is a very real and heartfelt performance. Musically he is very strong he is equally adept whether belting "Man" or singing the tender "Breeze Off The River" to his sleeping son.

This all leads up to the final performance where the guys go THE FULL MONTY as stressed by the press release. The costumes are horrible and wonderful at the same time as they don ugly orange construction coveralls and tool belts. They are silly and not at all sexy, but you can see where a group of steel workers on a limited budget would head to Wal-Mart and see this ensemble within their budget and go for it. Trust me it works, even as they awkwardly pull their trousers over their shoes. As for the final moment, despite what was promised by the pre publicity the moment of revelation is fraction of a second before the blackout. You don't even need to blink to miss it.

The Book by Terence McNally is filled with snappy jokes. The music and Lyrics by David Yazbek are gritty and real from "Scrap" to "Let it Go" all the lyrics are in people speak, the poetry in the everyday.

Monty allows for great interpretation and director Matt Schicker has gone back not to copying the Broadway show but to the source material, the staging and the emphasis being very different. The actors have been allowed to find their own pace and emphasis. In a remarkably short rehearsal period Matt and the cast have pulled off a coup.