Left to Right. Jim Nassef, Bill Warncke, Richard Cummings, Eli Newsom, Kevin Thompson and Kevin Pelkey
Take six desperate men, a depressed economy and throw in a few g-strings and you’ll find yourself with the wonderful musical comedy romp, The Full Monty, which is ready to play in Curtain Call’s newly renovated Kweskin Theatre beginning February 12.
The Full Monty, based on the 1997 British film of the same name, features a book by Terrence McNally (Tony winner for Ragtime, Master Class and Kiss of the Spider Woman) and contemporary–style music and lyrics by Broadway newcomer David Yazbek. (Their song "Big-Ass Rock" is the funniest assisted- suicide song you'll ever hear.)
The plot, though ranging from sad to funny to exciting, is pretty simple: six unemployed guys, seeing how much Chippendale-style dancers earn in one night of stripping, decide to go them one better and bare it all (the English slang is giving them "the full monty"). The man who comes up with the idea is behind in his child-support payments and desperately needs money or he'll lose joint custody of his son. With the help of his friends and colleagues, they launch their plan. The Full Monty will have you cheering them on as they go all the way to conquer their fears and take charge of their lives.
The show has frank language, g-strings and, yes, some very brief nudity, and a lot more substance than you might expect from a story about a half-dozen unemployed steelworkers who decide to take off their clothes for money. As the guys work through their fears, self-consciousness, feelings of worthlessness and anxieties – over everything from being overweight to child custody, bigotry to being gay – they come to discover that not only are they stronger as a group, but that the strength they find in each other gives them the individual courage to face their respective problems and overcome them. There is great heart to The Full Monty and the ultimate themes expressed in the show, about taking charge of one’s life and following one’s dreams are great lessons for all of us.
And if the current down economy brings any similarities, they’re not lost on Lou Ursone, Curtain Call’s executive director. “As Stamford’s longest-running and only year-round producing theatre organization, we’ve continually evolved over the past 20 years. It’s clear that business models of the past don't always work as well as they used to. That’s why I proposed this co-production with Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport,” Ursone said.
Both Curtain Call and Bridgeport's Playhouse on the Green are very excited about this joint venture because they already share many of the same talent resources. And, by co-producing, they both benefit from the sharing of the hefty expenses associated with presenting full-scale musical theatre productions. “I have done co-productions with The Darien Arts Center in the past, and have collaborated with several other local theatres in a variety of ways, but I am very excited to be working with the team at The Playhouse,” said Ursone.
The production team features director/choreographer Douglas Shankman (Astoria, NY) and music director Stephanie Gaumer (Norwalk). Scenic design will be by Peter Barbieri, Jr. (Ossining, NY), lighting design by Aaron Meadow (NYC, NY) and costumes by Solveig Pflueger (Enfield). The stage management team is lead by Tom DeSalvo assisted by Linda Wilson (both of Stamford).
The cast includes: from STAMFORD – Dom Lettera, Ruth Lettera, Laura Naramore, Sean Ormond, Jim Ringel, Robbie Sherwood, Kevin Thompson and Danny Ward; from NORWALK - Richard Cummings and Melinda Zupaniotis; from DARIEN - Jenifer Condon; from STRATFORD - Lianne DiFabbio and Jacqueline MacLean; from FAIRFIELD - Molly Garbe and Jim Nassef; from WESTPORT - Jacqueline Goodwin and Ruth Anne Ring; from BRIDGEPORT - Eli Newsom, from BEACON FALLS - Kevin Pelkey, from WHITE PLAINS, NY - Bill Warncke; from MAMARONECK, NY - Peter Dell Uomo. The first Stamford performance in The Kweskin Theatre will be February 12 and continue on weekends through February 28. (Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00pm and Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm). The show then moves to Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport for a three-weekend run there, March 12 through 28.
“I was a huge fan of the movie when it first came out so I came to the musical stage version with some apprehension,” Ursone said. “But the score and the book are just amazing. I can’t get these songs out of my head – and that’s a good thing.” He noted that The Full Monty is definitely not Oklahoma, but it is a well-crafted modern musical theatre gem not to be missed.
As if opening a full-scale musical production doesn’t provide enough challenges for Stamford’s busiest theatre company, Ursone and his troupe have also been busy working to get their newly renovated Kweskin Theatre ready for the opening as well. The auditorium has not been changed, but a brand new, larger lobby and greatly expanded patron restroom facilities as well as a more functional box office space are the areas most visible to the public. But there are also brand new backstage dressing rooms both upstairs and down, a full-stage-sized rehearsal studio and a basement wardrobe facility. “These enhancements to the theatre have been my dream for many, many years,” Ursone said…“I still can’t believe it’s happening.”
Curtain Call is the non-profit community-based theatre company in residence at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue in Stamford. Year-round productions and workshops are presented by and for area residents in The Kweskin Theatre and The Dressing Room Theatre. It has been voted Fairfield County’s BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the Annual Readers’ Poll of The Fairfield County Weekly and BEST PERFORMING ARTS GROUP by StamfordPlus magazine for 2008 and 2009.
Ticket prices for all performances at Curtain Call are $26 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and $13 for students and children. Discounted Flex Passes are available as well and provide savings of up to 25% off regular ticket prices. Tickets are available through the Box Office at 203-461-6358 x33 or online at www.curtaincallinc.com. Discounted dinner and theatre packages are also available in conjunction with The Royal Green Restaurant which is on the same property.
Playhouse on the Green, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit theater company, enriches Bridgeport’s cultural life by providing an eclectic variety of live stage entertainment and arts education programs at an affordable cost, as well as providing opportunities for area artists. Tickets: 866-811-4111 or www.playhouseonthegreen.org.
