- Title: USA: HIT FILM 'THE FULL MONTY' IS NOW A STAGE MUSICAL ENJOYING BROADWAY DEBUT
- Date: 13th November 2000
- Summary: NEW YORK, USA OCTOBER 26, 2000 (REUTERS) SCU CURTAIN CALL PAN FROM AUDIENCE TO CAST ON STAGE (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 28th November 2000 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA6I5EM70FQ51ESZ6YGTWM1IFOU
- Story Text: After stripping away box-office records around the world the cinema smash from Britain 'The Full Monty', about a group of unemployed men who become strippers, is now a stage musical. So it was curtains up and trousers down, as the production enjoyed its Broadway debut in New York.
A stage version of 'The Full Monty' story has opened on on Broadway - after a successful tour of the US.
Naturally based on the film of the same name, it tells the story of six working-class men who form a male strip-act to help restore their confidence.
Unlike the more usual 'Chippendale' style male-dancers, these guys are overweight, uptight, over-age, pigeon-chested, ungraceful, unemployed millworkers who overcome all of their shortcomings - to face their greatest fears.
The play's message is worth some clothes-shedding.
One of the lessons that the play gives is that you don't have to be somebody to achieve personal success.
The music writer David Yazbek said it was easy to write for such a strong story line.
"I realized there were these characters I could write for, and then I just dove in and did my job!"
Playwright Terrence McNally said that although the play was humorous, it carried a very serious message, that self-esteem is very important.
"I've written the play with humour and comedy and I also think this is a very serious work from what it says."
Not surprisingly most of the theatre audience had seen the original film - and were eager to see if the play did indeed deliver the "Full Monty," i.e. whether the men actually took their clothes off.
Well? Yup. They did and the audience gave them a standing ovation for their trouble. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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