The Badger Herald

ARTSETC.

Students, TAs bare all in musical

by Tony Lewis

Thursday, September 4, 2008

You know that old stage trick where you look at everyone seated in the crowd and imagine they are all naked so you don’t lose your cool? Well, if you head out to the Bartell Theatre starting tonight you will no longer have to pretend, since University of Wisconsin theater students and teaching assistants strip down with hilarious results  for Mercury Players’ production of the outlandish musical “The Full Monty.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Mercury Players has always taken pride in performing smaller, abstract plays that are so surprising and cutting edge that other theaters would not dare touch them. That said, “The Full Monty,” a mainstream Tony-nominated musical based on an Academy Award-winning film, does not seem to fit the desired mold at first glance.

“As sad as it is to say, the fact that the show does end up in a massive­­ eight-minute striptease really did push it into the realm of something that Mercury Players could justify doing,” said director Pete Rydberg, a second year Ph.D. student and teaching assistant at UW.

Rydberg reunites with the same innovative team that concocted last season’s critically-acclaimed performance of “Reefer Madness” to put on a production that is sure to be anything but ordinary.

“We really wanted to find a musical comedy that was not just a slick, shiny, two-dimensional bit of entertainment, but one that actually had a story and real people involved in real life drama, and we did find that in this particular production,” Rydberg said.

“The Full Monty” is the comedic tale of six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers running low on money and job prospects. Desperate for some fast cash, they decide to perform a strip act at the local club in hopes their willingness to go “the Full Monty — and strip all the way — will draw crowds. Along the way the men find power in their camaraderie, giving them the strength they need to stand up against their fears and bear it all.

Since mid-April, Rydberg and his team have been working to create a show that captures the humor and timeless music that made the multimillion-dollar Broadway adaptation a hit, while at the same time adding a more intimate, personal touch to the overall production.

“I don’t like to force my ideas starting at a place of someone else’s production,” Rydberg said. “We wanted all our designers and actors to really own this piece as something they created — not something they are mimicking — and, therefore, we have crafted a significantly different show.” 

This musical would never have become a reality had it not been for a group of daring actors willing to let it all go on stage — literally. But for them, it is just another day on the job.

“What could have been a very nerve-wracking experience was surprisingly very easy. Basically, in a situation like that, all you can do is laugh about it,” said UW senior Jeremy Sonkin, who plays a member of the stripping sextet.

But this job application required far more than the willingness to drop your pants. These actors had to be able to nail both the comedic and dramatic aspects of the play, hit the right notes on a variety of musical numbers and master an exceptionally fast-paced, up-tempo choreography all in a matter of months. In the end, it was all worth it, and the cast is excited to finally display their spirited work to a live audience.

“Once we get that audience there, the adrenaline is going to get flowing and it’s going to be the push we need to make this an incredible show,” Sonkin said.

When asked how close to “the Full Monty” the guys actually plan on going, Sonkin was hesitant at first.

“It is not something I want to give away … but we go ‘the Full Monty.’”

All in all, “The Full Monty” looks like it is going to be a performance not worth missing thanks to a balls-out performance by a very talented crew.

“The Full Monty” runs through September 28 at the Bartell Theatre. Visit bartelltheatre.org for information about tickets and showtimes.