The Full Monty at the Grand Theatre

Last night I went to the musical The Full Monty at the Grand Theatre.  I saw the Broadway touring production but that was over 20 years ago so I was really excited to see it again!  An unemployed steel worker in Buffalo, New York named Jerry Lukowski (Aaron Naylor) is worried when his ex-wife Pam (Becca Lemon) threatens to take full custody of their son Nathan (Oscar Bateman-Rapier) because he hasn't been paying child support.  He and his best friend Dave Bukatinsky (Trevor Blair) follow Pam and Dave's wife Georgie (Maggie Gadd) into a club where they have gone to see the Chippendales dancers and he gets the idea to form a striptease group himself to make some fast cash.  He eventually convinces Dave, who is self-conscious about his weight, and they recruit Malcolm MacGregor (Darrin Burnett), who is under the thumb of his invalid mother Molly (Chloe Ray Wood), and coerce Harold Nichols (Skylar Hawker), who hasn't told his materialistic wife Vicki (Alexa Shaheen) that he lost his job.  After they hold try-outs at the abandoned steel mill with Jeanette (Brandwynn Michelle), a chain-smoking veteran of show business who came with the piano, and add Noah "Horse" Simmons (Kiirt Banks), who is old with arthritis but can really dance, and Ethan Girad (Ian Fernandez Andersen), who is *ahem* well-endowed, they begin rehearsing as the group "Hot Metal."  Complications ensue but, with nothing left to lose, they decide to go "the full monty," or strip all the way, during their show and they not only impress their friends and family but they find their self-respect again!  This was so much fun and I loved it when the ensemble came out in the audience to get us cheering during the song "Let It Go" for Hot Metal's striptease (it got pretty rowdy!).  The main cast members give incredibly brave and heartwarming performances and they all have beautiful voices.  I especially loved Naylor in "Breeze Off the River," Blair and Hawker in "You Rule My World," and MacGregor and Andersen in "You Walk With Me."  Banks is a fabulous dancer and Michelle is an absolute hoot (I loved the plume of smoke that followed her).  The choreography is really clever, especially in "Michael Jordan's Ball" when the men equate dancing with playing sports and in "The Goods" when the men see what it feels like to be judged by their appearance like women are.  I also really enjoyed the costumes (the hockey fan in me loved all of Buffalo Sabres shirts) and the set made of wood, corrugated metal, and brick panels which are configured to become various locations.  This is a feel good show that will definitely have you cheering at the end (keep in mind that it does feature lots of profanity and nudity) and I had a great time!  It runs at the Grand Theatre on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 4 and tickets may be purchased here.