Santa Rosa Junior College’s Summer Repertory Theatre has brought back “The Full Monty” by popular demand. They last did the American musical in 2005 and have again done a great job. As you can imagine, the question running through the characters’ and the audience’s minds through the production is “Will they or won’t they?” I won’t ruin the suspense because the play is well worth sitting through to find out.
Having recently lost their jobs, Buffalo buddies Jerry (Matt Bradley) and Dave (Ben Knoll) can’t bear to stoop to the mall jobs that are on offer and decide to have a go at performing a striptease to make some cash. The theory being that if the women they know spend money watching Chippendales dancers, surely they would pay even more to watch their husbands and friends go ‘the full monty.’ Money-strapped Jerry and overweight Dave get their old supervisor, Harold (Teddy Spencer), and a new troubled friend, Malcolm (Rob Rodems), in on the act and together recruit questionably endowed “Horse” (Kelvin Hewlett) and unquestionably endowed Ethan (Drew Mason). With their heartfelt performances, watching these men overcome their personal obstacles and become such good friends was a treat, not to mention absolutely hilarious.
Ben Knoll as Dave has particularly good comic timing and great one-liners. Like icing on the cake, Vanessa Gibens gives a fantastic performance as Jeanette, the multiple times married, name-dropping, musician who simply invites herself along to the auditions. She provides far more than musical support with her witty, experienced insight. Hannah Ray Darcey plays Dave’s wife very well and has a great singing voice.
Every year, the SRT does a commendable job with their sets, which are completely moveable to work around the different plays they put on during their short season. The mobility of ‘The Full Monty’ set was really impressive.
If you’re up for a good, uplifting laugh, you don’t want to miss this show!
The Full Monty
7:30 p.m. July 6-8, 16-18, 27-30, Aug. 5-7
2:00 p.m. July 7, 18, 28
Summer Repertory Theater
Burbank Auditorium
Santa Rosa Junior College
Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA
Box Office: 707-527-4343
www.summerrep.com
