The Full Monty"" musical premiered in October of 2000 in New York, three years after the release of the British film of the same name. Eight years later it makes its way to Madison, with Mercury Players Theatre Company at the Bartell Theatre.
Under the direction of 2nd year Ph.D. student and TA Pete Rydberg, this is the first locally produced version of the show, which stars a predominantly student cast and company. If six stripping males aren't enough to garner interest in this Tony-nominated show, then perhaps its catchy songs and witty plotline will.
The play's premise outlines the exploits of six unemployed Buffalo steel workers who decide to perform a strip act at a local club after seeing their wives' interest in group of touring professionals. Fifth-year senior Jeremy Sonkin, who plays Ethan, commented on the nature of being in a show with stripping.
""We weren't positive from the start how far we would be going, if we would be stripping all the way or what. We actually didn't do a full strip until a few nights before opening, and what could have been an awkward situation was just funny with the costume malfunctions and getting everything right.""
Director Pete Rydberg added ""the complications were less about the actors being comfortable enough with each other to be nude, but more with the mechanics of rip-away shirts and rip-away pants.""
""It's not like the characters are having love scenes with each other, we're more concerned with the technicality of getting a g-string off at the right time,"" Rydberg said.
But besides the obvious amusement of the striptease, both Sonkin and Rydberg insist that the show is just an over-all good time.
""Not only is it a good story,"" said Rydberg. ""But the audience becomes unified in supporting the men throughout the show and takes part in the production. We want the audience to get into the action and throw back energy at the actors. It's not just a show where you sit down, look at your playbill and then the lights go down. The audience will have an active good time, instead of a passive good time.""
""Pete has made the show really tasteful. He is very professional and has put a lot of thought and effort into making this a really great show,"" Sonkin said.
