— ‘Full Monty’ reveals heart — and as much as network TV allows
By Arlene BachanovDaily Telegram Special Writer

ADRIAN — Plenty of raised eyebrows probably greeted the announcement of the Croswell Opera House’s fall/winter productions and the fact that the season was beginning with the musical “The Full Monty.” After all, this is, well, considerably more cutting-edge than the usual Croswell fare. But focusing solely on the theme of the show — a group of unemployed Buffalo, N.Y., steelworkers deciding to stage a strip show in order to earn money — misses all sorts of other layers.

When it comes right down to it, “The Full Monty” is less about a male strip show than it is about much more down-to-earth themes: the importance of friendship, a father trying to do right by his son, the emotional turmoil of being unemployed and feeling worthless, and how a bunch of guys who’ve never amounted to much take on a challenge and win against all odds.Yes, there is a fair amount of adult language, and yes, there is some nudity (which amounts to no more flesh, really, than “NYPD Blue” became infamous for showing on broadcast TV). But the show really is a lot of fun as it tells the story about how six very different men form a friendship and band together to help out a friend in trouble.

The show stars Eric Parker, formerly of Adrian and now an Equity actor living in Chicago, as Jerry, the dad who hits on the idea of the show so that he can raise money for child support for his son. There’s also Jeffrey King as Jerry’s insecure best friend, Dave; Edmond Reynolds as Harold, the mill supervisor who’s been out of work for six months but can’t bring himself to tell his wife until their things start getting repossessed; Wesley Grudzien as Malcolm, the mama’s boy who’s just grateful to finally have friends; Matt Richardson as Ethan, a goofy guy who wants nothing more than to re-create Donald O’Connor’s role in “Singing in the Rain” and keeps crashing into walls as he tries to run up them as O’Connor did; and Byron Taulton as Horse, the retired millworker who can still bust a few moves.

Together, these six form an ensemble that really clicks together, as well as all being completely believable in their roles. After all, the whole point of the show is that none of these men exactly look like they should be trying to earn money stripping, and the actors capture perfectly the awkwardness, self-consciousness and second doubts the men all have about what they’re trying to do. And most of the show’s considerable dose of humor comes from the scenes where the men are auditioning for the rest of their group and putting their act together.

The actresses playing the men’s wives, or ex-wife in Jerry’s case, also deserve a mention for the strength of their performances, because all three are exceptional. Rebecca Bernath plays Pam, Jerry’s ex, who actually still wants to be friends with him and wants him to succeed. Carol Vendemo (who’s also the show’s choreographer, and does an excellent job with that too) plays Dave’s wife, Georgie. And Leah Crocetto plays Harold’s wife, Vicki.In a brief but very funny part, Peggy Snead plays Jeanette, a showbiz veteran who accompanies the act. Also with nicely played roles are Colton Mullinix as Nathan, Jerry’s son; Peter Stewart as Teddy, the new man in Pam’s life; and Scotland Mills as Buddy “Keno” Walsh, the real stripper who gets Jerry to thinking about trying it out himself.

The show is smartly directed by Doug Miller, who not only has put together an excellent cast but keeps the pace going well and has his usual good eye for how to stage this production right. He also is responsible for a set design that, properly, doesn’t weigh the show down and is quite effective at enhancing the story without becoming too much a part of it. Butch Marshall leads a spirited musical ensemble that does a really nice job with the score, even though there’s the all-too-usual problem of a large imbalance between orchestra volume and voice volume when it comes to underscoring.The dozen or so musical numbers, some of which are better than others, range from touching to funny, although it’s likely to make more than a few audience members squirm a bit to hear suicide sung about in a humorous way or, for that matter, to hear Horse singing “Big Black Man.” But on the other end of the spectrum, the rollicking “It’s a Woman’s World,” Malcolm and Ethan’s “You Walk With Me,” and the finale, “Let It Go,” are among the highlights of the score.

Different from the Croswell’s usual fare? Absolutely. But beyond the subject matter, which is only a small part of the whole, this is a show about things that are all too relevant today: family, friends and the pain of losing one’s job and one’s identity along with it. The Croswell could have (and has in the past) broken out of its mold with an adult-oriented show that’s just not a very good story. Ultimately, “The Full Monty” is a good story, told in a way that’ll make you laugh — and make you root for these six poor schlubs all the way to the finale.

The show continues today at 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for senior citizens and $20 for students. Call the Croswell at 264-7469 for reservations or more information.