Review: THE FULL MONTY at Uptown Players

The 1997 British comedy film THE FULL MONTY was such a surprise hit, winning four Academy Awards on this side of the pond, that it was no shock to see it musicalized on the Great White Way only three short years later. For Broadway, the setting had been relocated from Northern England to the Northeast U.S. (Buffalo, New York to be exact), and although the men's drawers continue to be removed, the humorous and heartfelt storyline remains faithfully intact. And fortunately, the same can be said of the current production Uptown Players, Dallas' favorite LGBT-focused theatre company who confidently bares it all for their eager audiences.

The story centers on six average, blue-collared men: Jerry, Dave, Harold, Malcolm, Ethan, and Horse. Each man is struggling with the layoffs announced at the local steel mill, leaving them down on their luck and desperate for cash. When the guys catch wind that the underwear-clad Chippendales are collecting cash from their local ladies, they hatch a plan to put together a strip show of their own, showcasing the men of the town for one night only. Once they realize they can neither sing nor dance (and don't quite look like the hard-bodied men they're up against), they up the ante and vow to not only remove their outer layers but to shed their shiny underwear too...THE FULL MONTY, hence the title.

Terrance McNally's script and David Yazbek's music and lyrics appropriately set the stage with the gritty, raw foundation that underlies the machismo these men have. The song list is packed with witty tunes full of innuendo, overtly sexual humor - and even a catchy tune of bromance about supporting your buddy's suicidal fantasies. On the other hand, despite an overall theme of acceptance late in the show, it's hard not to notice a couple of outdated gay jokes that don't quite land as well as they might have upon the show's opening seventeen years ago.

On Bart McGeehon's sleek, industrial-inspired set, director Cheryl Denson has seamlessly paced the show from scene-to-scene with ease. Together with Suzi Cranfords' costumes and wigs by Coy Covington and Michael Moore, Denson invites the audiences to a flashback of the 1980's without gagging workout wear and neon colors down our throats.

Leading the strong cast is Michael Isaac as ringleader Jerry Lukowsky. Despite shouting a few of the top notes, Isaac is a skilled singer with endless energy and the comedic chops necessary to elevate the script's occasionally sophomoric frat boy humor. Isaac's performance, however, was muddled by a cartoonish accent seemingly inspired by the campy, Minnesota-based film Drop Dead Gorgeous. The dialect (coached by Isaac Leaverton and occasionally shared by other men in the group) was only slightly less believable than the young actor playing Isaac's son.

Greg Hullett (Dave), Tom Grugle (Harold), Selmore Haines (Horse), Aaron Green (Ethan), and Brandon Wilhelm (Malcolm) leave not only their clothing on the Kalita stage, but praise-worthy performances that carry the show to the big finish. And hats off (well, more than hats...) to the pint-sized, but impressively chiseled Jonathan Hardin as rival stripper Buddy "Keno" Walsh, who athletically removes his clothing after the audience barely settles into their seats.

For a show that features half a dozen leading male characters, Uptown Players has managed to recruit a top-notch female troupe to fill out the supporting roles. It's impossible to leave the show without applauding the performances of Jacie Hood Wenzel (Georgie) and Liz J. Millea (Vicki), who each dispense hilarious musical moments in act one before joining forces for perhaps the sweetest song later in the show. But it's Mary Campbell who would walk away with the show if allowed. As the piano-playing, cigarette-smoking, senior citizen Jeanette, Campbell's is worthy of far more stage time, although she thankfully milks every moment she has onstage with delight.

THE FULL MONTY isn't quite family-friendly entertainment, which is exactly why it's a solid selection fit for Uptown Player's enthusiastic, steadfast entourage. The clothes will keep hitting the floor until November 5th, so be sure to visit www.UptownPlayers.org for tickets and more information. Their next production, THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE takes the stage in December staring the ever-talented Kyle Igneczi, but it's their upcoming productions of both A CHORUS LINE (fittingly helmed by Jeremy Dumont) and PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT that are on the top of my must-see list.

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