March 18, 2024

The Full Monty

Feb. 28, 2007
Desperate out-of-work men, bare their souls (and other stuff) to make money to feed their families in a tough economy. Sounds like Michigan, doesn’t it? In fact, “The Full Monty,” being staged this week at the Old Town Playhouse (OTP) in Traverse City strikes close to home when you consider that Michigan has been “stripped” of 25% of its manufacturing jobs since the late ‘90s.
In the original film, a group of laid-off British steelworkers decide to stage a burlesque show to raise funds to feed their families. They’re inspired by their wives, who enjoy watching male strip shows on “girls night out.” The suspense in the film builds on whether the guys will have the guts to drop their trousers at the end of the show.
That “will they or won’t they?” question is part of the tease for OTP’s musical version of the film. In any event, the play has some interesting parallels to Michigan’s own plight; it’s not hard to imagine a group of laid-off factory workers in Northern Michigan resorting to the same gambit.
“The ‘Full Monty’ was Americanized when the film became a musical,” says director Michelle Dungjen. “It’s set in Buffalo, New York, so there are some parallels that are ironic to what Michigan is going through.”

A BROADWAY HIT
Dungjen first saw “The Full Monty” on Broadway in November, 2001. “It was post-9-11 and I met with a very grateful cast and crew,” she recalls. “They were performing for some of the first audiences back in the seats after the attack on New York.”
She also saw the play in Grand Rapids several months ago and thought it would be a worthy addition to the OTP’s season, thinking that if conservative Grand Rapids could handle it, so could Traverse City. “The music in the play really captures the spirit of the movie,” she notes. “There’s a message here that these people really care about each other and are trying to feed their families.”
Dungjen has been active in OTP productions for the past 11 years. Active in theatre since the age of nine, she studied acting for three years in southern California before moving to Traverse City. Since then, she’s been involved in some 50 productions at the playhouse. Her most recent efforts included directing “Chicago” and “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

THE COVER-UP
Producer June Neal sees the play as a test of community standards for what’s acceptable in local theatre. Although nudity onstage is common in major theatre towns such as Chicago and New York, it’s been a taboo thus far in Northern Michigan. In past OTP productions of “Hair” and “Equus,” the actors appeared clothed during the nude scenes. In the film version of “The Full Monty,” there was a brief flashing scene of the six dancers at the end of the show, handled so tastefully that it barely raised a ruckus.
“I guess it will show how far we’ve grown since 1973,” Neal says, recalling the opening of the Old Town Playhouse at a time when the Traverse City Commission gave its grudging approval to occupy the former church.
“I was involved in the discussions in 1973 when the playhouse building wasn’t zoned for theatre and there were three meetings held by the city commission,” Neal recalls. “They finally grudgingly gave us the building to use after we collected petitions from people in the neighborhood, but they said we couldn’t perform either ‘O Calcutta’ or ‘Hair’ because of the nudity in those shows. Five years or so later, we did ‘Hair,’ but the actors weren’t nude.”
Neal’s background in the OTP dates back to 1970 when the plays were staged at the Park Place Hotel. She was involved in the prop department for years while also teaching school. Eventually, she became a producer -- the person who pulls all the backstage components together. “I’ve probably produced 50 or more shows since then,” she says.

WITHOUT HESITATION
Neal adds that much of the suspense over the current production hinges on the “Will they or won’t they?” question.
“We’ve had so much fun with that and so many women have been asking me if they’ll do it,” she says of the actors. “We’ve got women’s groups coming in droves to the show.”
Hmmm... maybe the actors are onto something, eh?
“You’d be surprised at how many men were willing to perform,” Dungjen says of the 30-35 men who auditioned for the play. “They all did it without hesitation. But that strip scene is very brief. Again, it’s the musical that captures the anticipation of the scene and builds and builds and builds on it.”
So, get an eye-full in the name of art, won’t you? And enjoy the 18-20 songs and good-hearted story line of brave men willing to bare all.

“The Full Monty” runs Friday, March 2 through March 24 at Old Town Playhouse, with 8 p.m. showtimes, except for Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. For tickets, call the box offfice at 231-947-2210, or see
www.oldtownplayhouse.com.


Who’s Who in the Show:

Jerry - Brett Nichols
Dave - Brian Dungjen
Harold - Jeffery Curtis
Horse - Don Cox
Malcom - Kevin Weber
Ethan - Rob Stow
Teddy - Lars Kelto
Nathan - Spenser Gage Tosiello
Pam - Lauren Snowday
Susan - Joani Lackie-Callighan
Estelle - Tamara Deponio
Joanie - Alissa Korson
Georgie - Sherry McCarty
Vicki - Kelly Curtis
Jeanette - Diana Morgan
Molly - Diana Morgan
Buddy - Louis Rodriquez
Reg - Rob Ford
Tony - Justin Korson
Stripper - Philip Krull

Musical Director - Sam Clark
Chorus/Additional parts:
Megan Kelto
Rodney Woodring

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