I admit when I saw they were putting on The Full Monty at The Grand I rolled my eyes and was pretty skeptical of it being the real deal musical I had heard about. Usually with permission from MTI we end up getting the ‘Utahfied’ version of edgy shows that are cleaned up to make them more PG-13, family friendly (see recent versions of Jersey Boys for examples.) I know The Grand has done edgier shows in the past but I just didn’t think they would actually do The Full Monty in its full version (pun intended,) but I’m delighted to be proven wrong. Not only is this a very funny show but it’s actually quite sweet with a nice message at its heart.

Anyway, if you don’t know The Full Monty tells the story of a group of laid off steel workers in Buffalo, New York (the movie is in Yorkshire, England) who decide to learn to be exotic dancers to try and make ends-meet. There aren’t many shows that deal with male insecurities both with their bodies and relationships, and I found the dialogue in this musical to be quite sweet and endearing. I’m also a sucker for a friendship story so I enjoyed that element as well with the men of different ages and personality types coming together to support one another.

Aaron Naylor leads the cast as Jerry Lukowski who is trying to get money for custody battles with his son (the one content element I don’t love is when they have son Nathan swearing but that’s just me.) Friend Dave Bukatinsky (Trevor Blair) is the most insecure of the men about his body being the most overweight although his relationship is probably the strongest out of the men (although that has its challenges.) The group is rounded out with Darrin Burnett (who is a favorite local actor of mine), Skylar Hawker, Kiirt Banks and Ian Fernandez Andersen. Like I said, the men all have a nice chemistry and their friendship dynamic together really works. It’s also a meaningful show about marriage and how different couples communicate effectively together. In addition, Brandwynn Michelle is very funny as the chain-smoking accompanist for the boys.

As the name would suggest, the stage is large at The Grand but the set by Halee Rasmussen uses the space effectively and makes the transitions quick as the setpieces fit together like puzzle pieces. It makes it easy to go from a club, to a bedroom, to a bathroom. They also have a full band led by Ginger Bess Simmons and that always adds a polish to a production I appreciate. This show is directed by Michelle Lynn Huftalin and Briana Lindsay Fisher, and it is the best thing I’ve seen at The Grand this year. It’s a charming and very funny night of community theatre.

The only downside to the show is the pacing dragged at times. I don’t know there is anything The Grand could have done about that (like I said the set made transitions really quick) but like most Broadway musicals these days it could easily have 2 or 3 songs cut and be the better for it. Still, I’d recommend The Full Monty for anyone looking for a sweet and edgy musical for adults to enjoy. It honestly would make for a great date night choice and tickets can be as low as $30. It plays through Oct 4th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Full Monty has music and lyrics by David Yazbek with a book by Terrence McNally based on the film with script by Simon Beaufoy. It was first performed on Broadway in 2000

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