Without giving away the ending, there are definitely things an actor would need to consider before agreeing to be in a play where they are going to strip down to underpants (or less) in front of an audience which will include family and friends.
Concerns about attractiveness and fears of personal imperfections can all work their way into the psyche and make it difficult to merely take one's shirt off at the beach.
It's this element of apprehension that works its way through the storyline of "The Full Monty" - now playing at the Pennsylvania Playhouse “ but there is far more to the show than striptease. There is plenty of flesh visible and having seen neither the movie nor musical I feared "The Full Monty" would have nothing going for it other than the hype about "a group of average men stripping to full nudity" to sell tickets.
Fortunately "The Full Monty" offers much more than that.
The show is based on a 1997 British comedy film about a group of out-of-work friends in Sheffield, England who decide to create a male striptease show with the hope of raising money without having to settle for "menial employment" after the steel mill they were employed at closed.
The musical changes the locale from the heart of England to Buffalo, New York, but the story about down-on-their-luck collaborators heading for a one-night-only performance where they will go "full monty" (ie. completely naked) remains similar to the movie, with changes for American audiences.
Best friends Jerry (Seth Rohrbach) and Dave (Chip Rohrbach) get the inspiration for their get rich quick scheme after they sneak into a strip club on "ladies' night" to find Dave's wife.
One of the strippers (Danny Rowe) explains how much money they can earn if they were willing to strip down as far as he does (and Mr. Rowe is quite eye-popping in the skimpy thong he dances in). He starts the show with an acrobatic striptease that leaves the female actors in the show, and most of the audience, cheering.
Jerry and Dave decide to gather six performers for their own show and assemble a former manager from their closed mill (Keith Moser), a lonely night-watchman (Sawyer Long), an awkward man with a large talent nobody can ignore (Stephen Krock), and a "black man" because they feel that is "every woman's fantasy" (Daniel Melo).
As you would expect from a show about male strippers, "The Full Monty" has profanity and moments of vulgarity, and there are several views of the actors rear ends.
However, that's not to say that there aren't a great deal of humor and heart with an interesting story running through the show.
The cast fills the stage with energy and exuberance from the opening number to the climactic showstopper when the six "average" men may or may not take it all off before a standing room only crowd, but also discover they might not be as "average" as they always thought they were.
Seth Rohrbach plays "Jerry" with a range from cockiness and humility which showcases some fine acting and singing skills.
His scenes with his son Nathan (Harrison Bernhard) capture his character's insecurity which he desperately tries to hide during the rest of the show. These moments are his most sincere and Bernhard, although difficult to hear at times, plays his son with a convincing "wisdom beyond his years" --- at times it appears as if he is the most "mature" person on the stage.
Chip Rohrbach's "Dave" is rife with sarcasm, humor, humility and a surprising depth which allows his part to shine. One of this finest moments is in a scene outside a car with Sawyer Long.
Keith Moser is also very amusing as the white collar "Harold" who can easily shifts gears from prim to exasperated “- at times leaving members of the audience rubbing their throats in sympathetic pain at how much Mr. Moser is required to yell and scream.
The three other performers in the strip group have their own moments to shine, but when the six are together rehearsing or performing their final number is when the show truly takes off “- no pun intended.
Daniel Melo is wonderful as "Horse", especially during his song "Big Black Man" which was one of the high points of the show.
Stephen Krock elicits laughs every time he is on stage “ from his gangly demeanor to line delivery; he is amusing to watch and listen to.
Sawyer Long also has moments of humor but has the chance to leap ahead of the rest with his chilling "You Walk With Me" near the end of the show which he does beautifully as a duet with Krock.
There are stand-out performances from other members of the cast as well “ notably Jen Hartshorne-Hesketh as "Georgie" and Lori Sivick as "Pam." These two ladies succeed at showing depth to their characters despite roles which almost seemed like an afterthought at times thanks to the script.
However, every character pales next to Lucille Kincaid as "Jeanette." Her deadpan delivery and borscht belt attitude is perfection as she accompanies the striptease rehearsals with a humor as sparkling as her costumes. The role also gives Kincaid the chance to showcase her piano playing skills.
The set by Brett Oliviera makes excellent use of the stage at the Pennsylvania Playhouse. Scenes are moved between quickly thanks to limited (but cleverly designed) set pieces wrangled effectively by stage manager Mary-Catherine Bracali and her crew. A simple upstage row of walls is well utilized by sliding doors, curtains, windows and a clever use of simple decorations to give the impression of everything from the "lower income" area of Buffalo to the interior of an expensive home to a strip club. The attention to detail in some set pieces “ particularly those inside bathrooms “ is quite good.
The book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by David Yazbeck keep the show moving at a nice pace which never slows down or feels dull.
Unfortunately, the show itself is a bit disjointed and some of the plot elements seem contrived. But the flaws in the show did not take away from the enjoyment of the audience at our performance.
While some of the songs are forgettable, the finale of act one titled "Michael Jordan's Ball" is a very clever song and dance number while the show finale titled "Let It Go" (not to be confused with the Indina Menzel hit from "Frozen") is an energy filled and entertaining number which builds to an almost dizzying crescendo as the men find out how far they are truly willing to strip.
Musical direction by Tony Moore is fantastic. He and his orchestra sound well-rehearsed and never drown out the performances on stage (a common complaint of other productions at the Playhouse). The aforementioned "Big Black Man" is one of the best examples of how well Moore and his orchestra both support and showcase the action on stage.
Director Bill Mutimer has assembled a wonderful cast and crew to bring this show to life on the Pennsylvania Playhouse stage. One can see the director/choreographer's clever hand in both the humorous and touching moments on the stage. Despite the crudeness written into the show it never tries to offend us as an audience “ merely to have fun with us “ and the cast and crew of this are certainly having a good time with it and want their audiences to enjoy it as well.
If you're looking for a lot of fun served with a touch of sexiness and a lot of humor, "shuffle" off to Buffalo at the Pennsylvania Playhouse for "The Full Monty" now showing through June 14th. Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 6 pm.
For tickets call 610-865-6665 or visit www.paplayhouse.org