The answer is “yes.” They really do take it all off.
Full disclosure: the big moment is handled with artistic flair and gives the audience — onstage and in the actual theater — what they came for.
Of course, this is all about the culmination of six men’s crazy desire to make money and save their families by stripping for their local crowd in Buffalo, New York. This is the pay-off scene and the finale in Terrence McNally and David Yazbeck’s musical The Full Monty.
This show, with all its raw, funny, and very adult moments, is now playing in an engaging production by the Arlington Players (TAP) at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre.
Based on a British film from 1997, McNally’s script and Yazbeck’s music and lyrics transport the story from an industrial town in England to an equally economically challenged Buffalo. The local factory has had massive layoffs, and the main characters have all fallen victim to the redundancies.
What follows is a story of a father clinging to his son amid a divorce, several marriages facing challenges, and the bottom line of how to make ends meet and financially play catch-up. The central character, Jerry, hatches a plan to get several of his co-workers together for a one-night-only, Chippendales-style evening of male stripping. But unlike the infamous male revue with chiseled bodies and poufy hair, Jerry and his odd array of real men would be warts and paunches, beer bellies, and all the dad bods anyone could wish for.
And hilarity ensues. Really. The journey of Jerry, Davie, Harold, Malcolm, Ethan, and Noah — nicknamed “Horse” — to their revealing opening night is not only amusing but ultimately heart-warming. These gents would do just about anything to save their marriages and lives and replenish their bank accounts.
Gamely playing the sextet (see what I did there?) with aplomb are Sam Nystrom (Jerry), Chris Anderson (Dave), Blakeman Brophy (Harold), Preston Meche (Malcolm), Apollo Yong (Ethan), and Tommie Adams (“Horse”). Nystrom brings earnestness and a touch of snark to Jerry, but he nails the devoted and desperate dad to a T. Anderson, as Dave, who takes care of more housework since losing his job, plays up the dichotomy of a big lug of a guy who has lost his confidence. Brophy’s Harold is the fussy worry-wort, and Meche emphasizes Malcolm’s goofy charm. Yong’s Ethan is a gangly mess who is also heralded for his — ahem — special feature that impresses the other would-be strippers. And as their final member (oh yes, I did that), Adams is the senior citizen Noah, with a bum hip but a funky vibe, who adds a bit of street cred to the group. (The truth about his nickname “Horse” is also eventually revealed.)
These gentlemen handle the musical duties well enough, with Nystrom’s fatherly “Breeze Off the River,” Anderson and Brophy’s “You Rule My World” — about Davie’s belly and Harold’s high-spending spouse — and the surprisingly romantic “You Walk with Me,” performed by Meche and Yong, among the highlights.
Matching and sometimes wiping the six strippers off the stage is the tour de force performance by Rachel Rabinovitz as the opinionated accompanist Jeannette. As played by Rabinovitz, with a stoop in her stature, salt in her quips, and acid from her tongue, Jeanette is quite a scene-stealer. Her musical number, “Jeannette’s Showbiz Number,” brought down the house and most likely does at every performance.
As the wives, Cara Giambrone (Pam, Jerry’s ex), Jolene Vettese (Dave’s wife, Georgie), and Christine Tankersley (Harold’s wife) provide grounding and serve as the voice of reason for their spouses, even if the guys stick to their butt-bearing mission. All the ladies take the stage with “It’s a Woman’s World” and “The Goods” and prove they are equal performers to the men.
As adult-oriented as this show is — some language and the bits of nudity — the youngest performer also makes a strong impression. Maks Lopez as Jerry and Pam’s son Nathan finds some sharp comedic timing in his scenes and provides Nystrom with a strong figure to work with as the depressed father.
Director Michael Kharfen’s adept touch and vision keep the production light and breezy. Iván Dávila and Anastasia Brunk, his collaborating choreographers, have provided dance moves that look organic and natural for the blue-collar world of Buffalo, as well as some hilarious exotic dancer-inspired moves for the guys as they prepare for their big night.
And providing strong musical support from the pit, music director and main keyboardist Francine Krasowska and her orchestra crackle the spiffy, jazz riffs of Yazbeck’s infectious score.
TAP is very clear on their website and in all advertising about the content of this show: “Advisory Warning: Due to language and nudity, THE FULL MONTY is recommended for mature audiences.” So plan accordingly. If you are old enough to appreciate some edgy humor and take in entertainment that shows some skin, give The Full Monty a look.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
The Full Monty–The Broadway Musical plays through September 21, 2025, presented by The Arlington Players, performing at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, at Jefferson Middle School, 125 South Old Glebe Road, Arlington, VA . Tickets ($30 for adults, $25 for seniors or military, $20 for students) may be purchased online in advance. (Again, this show is not recommended for children.)
The program is online here.
The Full Monty will be ASL-interpreted at the performance on Friday, September 19, at 7:30 pm. And nearby underground parking is available. Contact the theater for details, thearlingtonplayers.org.
The Full Monty–The Broadway Musical
Book by Terrence McNally
Music and lyrics by David Yazbek
Based on the motion picture released by Fox Searchlight Pictures and written by Simon Beaufoy, produced by Umberto Pasolini, and directed by Peter Cattaneo
CAST
Sam Nystrom: Jerry Lukowski
Chris Anderson: Dave Bukatinsky
Blakeman Brophy: Harold Nichols
Preston Meche: Malcolm McGregor
Tommie Adams: Noah “Horse” T. Simmons
Apollo Yong: Ethan Girard
Cara Giambrone: Pam Lukowski
Jolene Vettese: Georgie Bukatinsky
Christine Tankersley: Vicki Nichols
Rachel Rabinovitz: Jeanette Burmeister
Maks Lopez: Nathan Lukowski
Aram Matagi: Keno/Ensemble
Jamie Macklin: Estelle/Ensemble
Amarah Ennis, Genesis Brocket, Cheryl Bolt, Anthony Pallozzi, Adam Johnson: Ensemble
PRODUCTION TEAM
Producers: Steven Yates, Sabrina McAllister
Director: Michael Kharfen
Assistant Director: Mercedes Blankenship
Music Director: Francine Krasowska
Co-choreographers: Iván Dávila, Anastasia Brunk
Stage Manager: Katie Lewis
Assistant Stage Managers: Kiersten Mitzel, Terri Carnahan
Set Designers: Emma Bowers, Skip Gresko
Lighting Design: Ken and Patti Crowley
Sound Design: Connor Lugo-Harris
Costume Design: Joan Lawrence
Makeup and Hair Design: Jennifer Finn
Props Design and Set Dressing: Mercedes Blankenship
Master Carpenter: Tony Muller
Set/Scenic Painter: Kelly Haneklau
Sound Mixers: Kiersten Bowman, Adam Parker
Sound Crew: Colette Yeager
Costume Assistants: Rachel Waldstein, Lucie Alden
Fight Captain: Apollo Yong
Dance Captain: Preston Meche
Fight and Intimacy Choreographer: Brianna Goode
Spotlight Operator: Shiloh Manns
Rigging Chief: Christopher Smith
Light Board Operator: Maria Forte, Joni Hughes
Run Crew: Bruce Falk, Chris Kohlbeck, Hal McCombs, Cathy Oh, Emily Firlej, Jordan Coley