[NEohioPAL]Our Latest Acting Project! Review of "Full Monty" at CVLT!!

Mon Jul 31 22:03:15 PDT 2006

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<title>‘Full Monty’ Reveals Pure Joy</title>
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<h1>‘Full Monty’ Reveals Pure Joy</h1>

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<h2>By Herb Hammer for the Chagrin Valley Times</h2>

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<p class=MsoBodyTextIndent>The pure innocence of “The Full Monty”, the play
adopted from the British film of the same name, is what made the Broadway stage
version a surprise hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></p>

At Chagrin
Valley Little Theatre, the Terence McNally, David Yazbek musical is performed
with such a natural ease and charm, you almost believe the performers to be
living in the skins of the characters they are playing.  But more about the skin part later.

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>We’re in
Buffalo, N.Y,, where the mill has shut down throwing several factory workers
out onto the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>With no jobs and
nothing on the horizon, their lives begin to come apart.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>But wait, Jerry
sees women flocking to a male strip show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
</span>And after having a word with one of the strippers has come up with an
idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>He convinces a group of the other
laid-off workers to join him and to put on their own strip show.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Since none of the workers can compare to the
muscular Chip and Dale (sic) dancers, they decide to take their performance one
step further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">   </span>They’ll go all the way
and do “the full monty.”</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>The women will
come to see the show, lay down a few dollars, and the men will not only make
some money but will gain some self-esteem which was somewhat lost along with
their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></p>

Mr. McNally has
done much more with the plot.  One of
the workers is desperate for money to cover child support payments.  Another worries about his weight so much
that he wraps himself in Saran Wrap in order to look thinner.  The black hoofer is afraid when he takes it
all off he won’t measure up to what people expect.

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>The plot skips
around, throwing in a funeral and brings up the story of a couple of gay
workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>The author lays
it on a little thick, but can be forgiven simply by keeping things fairly light
and pleasing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Even though we we’ll
(sic) never see what we’re promised, the laughs keep on coming.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>Though David
Yazbek’s hard hitting score is a bit of a mess, his lyrics make all the songs
work quite well.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>Director David
Vosburgh somehow has been able to put together a cast of actors who appear not
to be actors at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>This makes the
show far more interesting.</p>

Brian Diehl
plays Jerry Lukowski, the brain-stormer who has convinced five other workers
that this “take it all off” idea will work. 
Mr. Diehl… manages to make the songs fun by his very honest approach to
the work.

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>The rest of the
men in the cast (<b>Michael Rogan</b>, <b>Eric Oswald</b>, <b>Don Hunt</b>, <b>Jamie
Carroll</b>, and <b>Jacob Schafer</b>) are as daring as the characters they
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Choreographer Pamela LaForce has
them all up and dancing though they really can’t dance at all.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>This just adds more to the fun.</p>

The wives (Greta
Rothman and Monique MacGregor) play off the men quite well,. but
it’s the six strippers who hold the show together.

Mr. Vosburgh
along with Edmund Wolff have created versatile sets that slide on and off
stage.  The sets along with a dazzling
rain curtain add to the delight.

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>Not to be
forgotten is <b>Hester Lewellen</b>, as the octogenarian who comes out of
retirement to accompany this strip show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
</span>She’s a scream.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'>“The Full Monty”
is an intentionally unpolished show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
</span>This alone makes it a joy to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> 
</span>The audience on opening night enjoyed every minute, especially at the
end when the six factory workers take it all off, or do they?</p>

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