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Let it go!: 'The Full Monty' spices things up

Lindsay Christians  —  9/05/2008 1:53 pm

We live in strange and wonderful times when a play about stripping can feel so appropriate.

"The Full Monty," Mercury Players' season opener, tells the story of six out-of-work steel workers in upstate New York. They hatch a plan to stage a Chippendales-style striptease with a twist: They'll go all the way, "the full monty," and make a killing with the Buffalo ladies.

"What I want/that's easy ... I want a job," sings the main character, Jerry (Dan Graupner). His best friend, Dave (Eric Schooff), is freezing out his wife because of his depression, and Harold (Jeff Godsey) hasn't even told his wife he lost his job six months before.

It's a theme that's regrettably topical: the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits jumped unexpectedly last week. "The Full Monty" gives the subject a comic, occasionally poignant treatment, though the journey these men make from sulking losers to liberated men stumbles some in the details.

First, rest assured that director Pete Rydberg, who also helmed last year's boisterous satire "Reefer Madness," has a firm grasp on the big picture. Scene changes are mostly smooth, the performers are talented, the humor is broad, and most of it reads well to the back of the Drury Theatre.

Three cheers for the women, who are given little to work with but make the most of it in "It's a Woman's World"  and "The Goods" (the first is cleverly choreographed by Cindy Severt). Numbers by the exceptional Cara Peterson as Georgie and delightful Cheryl Silver as Vicki are also a pleasure. Silver, a Mercury newcomer, shimmies and shines in "Life with Harold."

I (and most of the audience) cannot get enough of James Macon Grant's "Big Black Man." He cycles through the mashed potato, jerk and a series of kicks like a pro. Though Marcy Weiland's solo number is hard to understand, she lands joke after joke as Jeanette, the crusty old show business vet who coaches the guys to success.

Nearly all the voices (namely Andrew Michael Rusch, Graupner and Jeremy Sonkin) are clear and strong, thanks in part to coaching by music director J.S. Fauquet. David Yazbek's music and lyrics aren't profound, but "Big Ass Rock" is a quality comic tune, and a duet between Rusch and Sonkin, "You Walk With Me," is simple and lovely.

The acting is less consistent. Schooff's jokes often miss, and many of the men aren't terribly believable, with the exception of Graupner, a fine Jerry, and Godsey as Harold. Godsey is constantly tossing out comments that are on-point, off-the-cuff and perfectly hilarious.

It's the small moments when the show feels, well, sloppy. Harold is said to look orange because of his tanning bed, but he's the whitest guy onstage. Malcolm (Rusch) is made fun of for his birthmark, but nothing is visible when he turns around. Dialogue-only scenes are confusing (a problem inherent in Terrence McNally's book), and several of the actors are miscast for their age.

The choreography can disappoint, too, seeming uninspired, imprecise and lacking the sparkle of "Reefer," which Severt also designed. One welcome exception is "Michael Jordan's Ball," during which the actors leap like basketball players as they learn how to move like dancers.

R. Cameron Monschien's set design, meant to evoke an industrial space, looks a bit too neat and pretty in the Drury space, but Chris Barker's lighting design helps it recover some grittiness. Rebecca Sites' costumes are at their best in "The Goods," when the "nightmare" women appear with massive wigs, and of course, the guys' infamous red, spangly G-strings.

"The Full Monty" may not represent the most polished effort from the "Reefer" creative team, though I'm willing to attribute some of that to the flaws in the play itself. Overall, this production delights with a series of songs, dances and laughs, kicking off the Mercury season with style and panache.

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IF YOU GO (ALL THE WAY)

Mercury Players Theatre's "The Full Monty" will bare it all each weekend through Sept. 27 at the Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays with a 3:30 p.m. matinee most Saturdays except Sept. 6. General admission tickets cost $20; call 608-661-9696 for reservations.

Lindsay Christians  —  9/05/2008 1:53 pm