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Ganz oder gar nicht (The Full Monty) - Stadttheater, Hildesheim, 08th June, 2012
A bit late this post, but too much else to do, too little time for a longer post...
Okay, with the opening night already in April but on a Thursday it took me two months to see this production at last as all the other dates were either on weekends when had other plans or just during the week. But on 8th June I finally got to see it and the TfN didn't disappoint at all.
Okay, with the opening night already in April but on a Thursday it took me two months to see this production at last as all the other dates were either on weekends when had other plans or just during the week. But on 8th June I finally got to see it and the TfN didn't disappoint at all.
Cast
Jerry Lukowski – Jens Plewinski
Nathan Lukowski - David Hauschild/ Christopher Schreiber
Pam Lukowski - Magdalene Orzol
Dave Bukatinsky - Mathias Förster
Georgie Bukatinsky - Navina Heyne
Harold Nichols - Jens Krause
Vicky Nichols/Joanie Lish - Tanja Krauth
Malcolm MacGregor - Jonas Hein
Molly MacGregor/Susan Hershey - Michaela Linck
Ethan Girard - Sebastian Strehler
Noah "Horse" T. Simmons/Reg Willoughby - Frank Brunet
Jeanette Burmeister – Annika Dickel
Teddy Slaughter/Buddy "Keno" Walsh/Debt Collector/ Police Sargeant/ Minister – Tim Müller
with the additional roles as per libretto of Estelle Genovese (Jerry's girlfriend who is just mentioned in one scene in this production) and Tony Girodano, the club owner, cut.
The musical was adapted from the 1997 British movie of the same name telling of several unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York (moved from Sheffield, England as in the movie), who decide to present a strip act at a local club after seeing their some women's enthusiasm (include the own wife and soon to be ex-wife respectively) for a touring production of the Chippendales. As they prepare for the show, at which they plan to go "full monty", strip all the way by end of show, they go and work through their fears, insecurities and anxieties overcoming these and find strength in their friendship and the boys let it go for the final.
Read more about the musical >> here.
Read more about the musical >> here.
I do love the movie, it is one of the most entertaining comedy movies of the 90s IMHO, especially Robert Carlyle, whom I have loved since Trainspotting, gives a tremendous performance in it, so to see the musical version at last, was something to look forward to.
Unfortunately I had never had the pleasure before seeing it. I missed it when it was on in London in 2002 when it had a rather short run of just seven months as, even though I was in London several times then, I never got around to see it and when I eventually planned to see it it announced it would close. Since then there hadn't been that many other productions or if there were I didn't fancy travelling to the cities as I was not that desperate to see it. But seeing the TfN musicalcompany production was a must.
As mentioned above premiere was already before, I had read some reviews as the ridiculous adulation on thatsmusical.de, fortunately not the ridiculous oppposite in the cheap "Blickpunkt Musical" slating pretty much the whole production (I seriously wonder now whether the guy saw the same production I did), so got some impressions already but of course I liked to make up my own mind.
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| © Andreas Hartmann |
It might not have won many with the strong competition of "The Producers" as far as I remember but for me it delivers all I want from a great musical night out.
Yes, the book has some flaws most notably in act 2 for me (interesting to read that others think it's exceptional) when the focus is more on the "drama" bits, most of the musical numbers, while great and while widely ranged rather unmemorable (no "Hot Stuff" "and "You Can Leave Your Hat On" from the movie, surprisingly the one Drama Desk award it won was for the music :S), but even the show numbers move the story forward,as "Big-Ass Rock and combined with some witty dialogues, even if they include occasionally foul language, in a lot of scenes as when Jerry and Dave talk to the stripper and Jerry comes up with the idea entertaining and pleasing the audience well being a delight making me smile and laugh.
Some people have commented that the social criticism is lost in this production but is it really? After all this show is classed as a comedy, the movie was already one even if it touches various issues as unemployment, marriage issues etc. I cannot understand why this is pointed at. If anyone is to be "blamed" it is Terrence McNally or even the screenwriter Simon Beaufoy as while some issues certainly got bigger attention it was overall nothing else but a comedy film. And the social criticism is not the essence of the show for me. The message is about family, friendship and love values and in total a light, touching and sweet story.
Well with knowing but also relaxed direction leaving room for play for me the issues were elaborated sufficiently enough giving enough substance to follow the plot, to usually understand the protagonists' motifs and to care about them.
Saying that I was though not too impressed by Magdalene Orzol as Pam. She fluffed I do not know how many lines, I stopped counting after it happened six times half way through act 1 but it continued in act 2. She was also way too sweet for me even in most of Pam's angry moments with Jerry lacking feisty bite for me. Also her inner torn between not wanting Jerry to lose custody, her worries that Jerry isn’t capable of being a good father and her own lingering feelings for him are not too well conveyed. The sometimes awkward emphasis of certain words in her dialogues coming across wooden did not help either.
Tim Müller's 'Buddy "Keno" Walsh was a bit dull for me. Yes he is well built, has striking abs BUT misses for me essential sex appeal and handsomeness to attract in that part. For others he might have been hot, but for me, I am afraid, he wasn't.
It was also interesting that his Teddy, Pam's new boy friend came across even camper than his Buddy. Not sure whether that was wanted. :S It is actually a general issue I had with the other roles. His (speaking) voice sounds often too soft for me missing, well let's call it masculinity, to be believable. Not a fan in general...
Same goes for Annika Dickel, yes, the part is funny, the fat suit she wore was well made, though the clothes she wore usually did not look like she once was in showbiz but more trash, so did the make up and she got some of the loudest applause hearing some comments that people enjoyed her most but the Cologne accent (but one directly out of Cologne-Kalk (one of the city's social hotspots)) bugged me massively and with the focus on that accent the punch lines which were at least there in the Broadway production I know a *cough* bootleg *cough* of, could not work all the time and missing resoluteness and fieriness especially in her showbiz number.
This show is based in the US, so that accent is something I do NOT want - find a different way of making her a sidekick character. So, yes, while she was entertaining, nothing special for me though I am still not sure whether it is due to director's decision or.... Where others saw fine nuances and details I just saw largely clichés which is though owned to the book. And what the hell why were there regularly references to German actors etc. (yes I know the English versions has references to Sinatra & co)? Translator's idea, director's or hers? Same as for accent - something please to be dropped, do not want such lines just for the laughs, it does not add anything to the show.
Tim Müller's 'Buddy "Keno" Walsh was a bit dull for me. Yes he is well built, has striking abs BUT misses for me essential sex appeal and handsomeness to attract in that part. For others he might have been hot, but for me, I am afraid, he wasn't.
It was also interesting that his Teddy, Pam's new boy friend came across even camper than his Buddy. Not sure whether that was wanted. :S It is actually a general issue I had with the other roles. His (speaking) voice sounds often too soft for me missing, well let's call it masculinity, to be believable. Not a fan in general...
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| © Andreas Hartmann |
This show is based in the US, so that accent is something I do NOT want - find a different way of making her a sidekick character. So, yes, while she was entertaining, nothing special for me though I am still not sure whether it is due to director's decision or.... Where others saw fine nuances and details I just saw largely clichés which is though owned to the book. And what the hell why were there regularly references to German actors etc. (yes I know the English versions has references to Sinatra & co)? Translator's idea, director's or hers? Same as for accent - something please to be dropped, do not want such lines just for the laughs, it does not add anything to the show.
Oh I start to nitpick again so I better move to what I enjoyed. :)
To read that Frank Brunet would be Noah "Horse" T. Simmons sounded strange. After all "Horse" was the black guy in the movie and is usually cast in the musical as one too according to other reviews I read but after the first shock it did not matter with him stealing the show with his swinging, dancing and singing in "Big Black Man" (the word black is dropped in this production or maybe even in general in the German translation I cannot tell) giving the part the right balance of an ageing charming elder man reminding me with his looks, style and singing very much of some of the heroes in one of these classic 40s musical movies. Not sure how old Frank is in real (though certainly younger than his character) but he definitely pulls this trick off well coming across older than he is.
That Jens Plewinski was to be Jerry Lukowski was also hard for me to picture looking usually a bit too young and cute (do not get me wrong, I adore him!) as of course I had Robert Carlyle in my head but he played the part with the right balance of heart being in the right place, heartbreak, zaniness and jerkiness to make it all work. While still looking a tiny bit too young (though remarkably fit these days) for a dad of a 12 year old I thought at the beginning he made me forget that with his dynamic and passionate play he is despite the flawed character most likeable. Vocally he also gives a great performance even in the higher ranges which in past production sometimes sounded a bit stretched.
At his side as his best buddy Dave Bukatinsky, the sentimental heart of the show, was Mathias Förster who captured the comic pathos of this overweight lightweight well though I must say I am not keen that this part is a (lyric) tenor one which for me does not match this big "teddy bear". I wished it was one for a baritone but overall it does only really bug me a little during the "You Rule My World" as next to Jens Krause Mathias's voice misses the full and strongness. Nevertheless a touching convincing performance when he e.g. was worried about his fraying marriage giving a relatable every-man perspective.
Navina Heyne as Dave's wife shone with an endearing, emotional and fulfilling portrayal of Georgie giving the character a lot of substance combining femininity with brassisness and making it believable how much she loved Dave but also how much Georgie's confused and hurt by his coldness. And have I mentioned her incredible show-stopping vocal capabilities and her general stage presence before in other posts about the TfN? ;-) "It's a Woman's World" was such a blast whatever the elder ladies (who did not want to be there) in front of me said about them screaming.
Tanja Krauth filled in the other main female wife role as saucy, yet vulnerable Vicky Nichols perfectly and had for me the finest comic performance of the evening with a exquisitely performed rendition of "Life with Harold" a hymn to consumerism as a factor in a happy marriage. Jens Krause as the already mentioned enamored and insecure husband Harold was touching and never overplaying the role.
Rounding off the strip act named "Hot Metal" were Jonas Hein as the über-geeky, suicidal, mother-dominated Malcolm MacGregor and Sebastian Strehler as the well-endowed, dim but sweet Ethan Girard (the attempts to wallwalk like Donald O'Connor does in the MGM film 'Singing In The Rain' had me in stitches and his backside was definitely a noteworthy one when he dropped pants and trousers during the audition ;-) ) who discover a common affinity for "The Sound of Music" at the first rehearsal. Though it stops not there and they also discover their feelings for each other throughout the show with the especially by Jonas Hein beautifully sung gut-wrencheing ballad "You Walk With Me" at Malcolm's mother's funeral - what a poignant moment. I actually though missed a closer follow of that story but it's not to be.
Special mentioning goes to Michaela Linck as Malcolm's mother who's hilarious in her short scenes teasing out the comedy elements perfectly unlike the other part of Jeanette where I especially had expected it - that's proper comic timing she delivered.
Christopher Schreiber as Jerry's son alternating the part with David Hauschild was poised and natural in his performance - so sweet and cheeky adding a lot of depth to the father-son relationship. What I cannot blame him for but the book is that it is not too clear, usually only indicated, how the relationship is with his mother.
To read that Frank Brunet would be Noah "Horse" T. Simmons sounded strange. After all "Horse" was the black guy in the movie and is usually cast in the musical as one too according to other reviews I read but after the first shock it did not matter with him stealing the show with his swinging, dancing and singing in "Big Black Man" (the word black is dropped in this production or maybe even in general in the German translation I cannot tell) giving the part the right balance of an ageing charming elder man reminding me with his looks, style and singing very much of some of the heroes in one of these classic 40s musical movies. Not sure how old Frank is in real (though certainly younger than his character) but he definitely pulls this trick off well coming across older than he is.
That Jens Plewinski was to be Jerry Lukowski was also hard for me to picture looking usually a bit too young and cute (do not get me wrong, I adore him!) as of course I had Robert Carlyle in my head but he played the part with the right balance of heart being in the right place, heartbreak, zaniness and jerkiness to make it all work. While still looking a tiny bit too young (though remarkably fit these days) for a dad of a 12 year old I thought at the beginning he made me forget that with his dynamic and passionate play he is despite the flawed character most likeable. Vocally he also gives a great performance even in the higher ranges which in past production sometimes sounded a bit stretched.
 |
| © Andreas Hartmann |
Navina Heyne as Dave's wife shone with an endearing, emotional and fulfilling portrayal of Georgie giving the character a lot of substance combining femininity with brassisness and making it believable how much she loved Dave but also how much Georgie's confused and hurt by his coldness. And have I mentioned her incredible show-stopping vocal capabilities and her general stage presence before in other posts about the TfN? ;-) "It's a Woman's World" was such a blast whatever the elder ladies (who did not want to be there) in front of me said about them screaming.
Tanja Krauth filled in the other main female wife role as saucy, yet vulnerable Vicky Nichols perfectly and had for me the finest comic performance of the evening with a exquisitely performed rendition of "Life with Harold" a hymn to consumerism as a factor in a happy marriage. Jens Krause as the already mentioned enamored and insecure husband Harold was touching and never overplaying the role.
Rounding off the strip act named "Hot Metal" were Jonas Hein as the über-geeky, suicidal, mother-dominated Malcolm MacGregor and Sebastian Strehler as the well-endowed, dim but sweet Ethan Girard (the attempts to wallwalk like Donald O'Connor does in the MGM film 'Singing In The Rain' had me in stitches and his backside was definitely a noteworthy one when he dropped pants and trousers during the audition ;-) ) who discover a common affinity for "The Sound of Music" at the first rehearsal. Though it stops not there and they also discover their feelings for each other throughout the show with the especially by Jonas Hein beautifully sung gut-wrencheing ballad "You Walk With Me" at Malcolm's mother's funeral - what a poignant moment. I actually though missed a closer follow of that story but it's not to be.
Special mentioning goes to Michaela Linck as Malcolm's mother who's hilarious in her short scenes teasing out the comedy elements perfectly unlike the other part of Jeanette where I especially had expected it - that's proper comic timing she delivered.
Christopher Schreiber as Jerry's son alternating the part with David Hauschild was poised and natural in his performance - so sweet and cheeky adding a lot of depth to the father-son relationship. What I cannot blame him for but the book is that it is not too clear, usually only indicated, how the relationship is with his mother.
The set's spare with largely "just" a couple of frames as can be seen on the pictures and maybe doors, a few walls and some other props usually just indicating a room or something but it worked well matched a shimmering lighting design.
What bugged me though and this is my major issue are the scene changes. There were so many scene changes in the show and while I did not mind it the show's a little disjointed too many times as usually at the end of a scene light faded out, set's changed largely by the cast themselves and light faded in again for the next scene. Massive bug! No idea how to do it differently but it just massively annoyed me.
What bugged me though and this is my major issue are the scene changes. There were so many scene changes in the show and while I did not mind it the show's a little disjointed too many times as usually at the end of a scene light faded out, set's changed largely by the cast themselves and light faded in again for the next scene. Massive bug! No idea how to do it differently but it just massively annoyed me.
Besides that pace was good, I had actually worried as in the TfN programme I'd read online before it said performance is 2 hours and 30 minutes and on the actual website it said 2 hours and 50 minutes, such a difference and I expected scenes to be blown up but that was not the case, at least for me it felt like less (running time including interval was actually nearly 3 hours at the end).
The choreography suited the show. The final number "Michael Jordan's Ball" in act 1, when the guys discover that basketball moves can hold the key to strip dance steps was most sparkling..
Closing number was not one of Chippendales standard (I must confess I have been to one of their shows as part of a hen party *oops*), but it's performed enthusiastically, matched the essence of the show and was believable being performed by men who weren't supposed to be able to dance but who became stars for one night only.
So THE question of the night of course: Did they take it all off? Yes, they "Let It Go" though with the frames mentioned above used for the show as well you could not see much, well I could not from where I sat in row 2. Maybe I was still too shocked as I got hit by one of the white tank tops they ripped off and threw into the audience (and yeah, I was so sad taking it with me ;-) ) Or maybe I was slightly distracted by the reactions of the elder ladies in the front row being majorly embarrassed most of the time when the guys dropped their clothes.
Music came from an 8 (? could have been just seven, I didn't properly count) piece band conducted by Andreas Unsicker (who also played keyboards) leading it with a lot of energy and life enhancing the score well and the sound sustaining the show effectively.
While I was not a fan of Jeanette's costumes the others were of realistic, working-class clothing and matched the setting.
So THE question of the night of course: Did they take it all off? Yes, they "Let It Go" though with the frames mentioned above used for the show as well you could not see much, well I could not from where I sat in row 2. Maybe I was still too shocked as I got hit by one of the white tank tops they ripped off and threw into the audience (and yeah, I was so sad taking it with me ;-) ) Or maybe I was slightly distracted by the reactions of the elder ladies in the front row being majorly embarrassed most of the time when the guys dropped their clothes.
Music came from an 8 (? could have been just seven, I didn't properly count) piece band conducted by Andreas Unsicker (who also played keyboards) leading it with a lot of energy and life enhancing the score well and the sound sustaining the show effectively.
While I was not a fan of Jeanette's costumes the others were of realistic, working-class clothing and matched the setting.
Well bottom line (yes, pun intended) "The Full Monty" is a crowd pleaser that you don't have to apologise for liking - if you don't your loss.
For me it was a most fantastic night out as I got to see an entertaining witty but also genuinely touching affective show with a largely formidable cast and I cannot wait to see it once more in a few days.
P.S. Not so much totally relating to this show but to the concept of rep theatres in this country and its annual subscription concepts as it bugged me that night:
The front row was full of elder ladies plus some in row 2, 15 or so (no objections to that in general), all seemed to know each other and most of them made it clear already during the interval they did not enjoy it very much BUT as that performance was part of the subscription package they kinda had to go.
Well, yes, they could have stayed at home but why do most rep theatres combine the opera with the musicals in most of the music theatre subscription packages if, as I experience more and more often, people do not want both?
I do not know the amount of people who might have liked to go but couldn't get decent tickets (I am someone who would not go if I can just get a seat up in the gods except am REALLY desperate) but am sure there could have been a few who would have liked to go though with people who really do not want to be there but feel somehow forced there seriously need to be a solution as it ruins the atmosphere (the last time before I noticed it especially when I went to see "Little Shop Of Horrors" in Gütersloh a month ago when half of row 2 was empty for act 2 and me hearing similar comments as at TFM).
For me it was a most fantastic night out as I got to see an entertaining witty but also genuinely touching affective show with a largely formidable cast and I cannot wait to see it once more in a few days.
P.S. Not so much totally relating to this show but to the concept of rep theatres in this country and its annual subscription concepts as it bugged me that night:
The front row was full of elder ladies plus some in row 2, 15 or so (no objections to that in general), all seemed to know each other and most of them made it clear already during the interval they did not enjoy it very much BUT as that performance was part of the subscription package they kinda had to go.
Well, yes, they could have stayed at home but why do most rep theatres combine the opera with the musicals in most of the music theatre subscription packages if, as I experience more and more often, people do not want both?
I do not know the amount of people who might have liked to go but couldn't get decent tickets (I am someone who would not go if I can just get a seat up in the gods except am REALLY desperate) but am sure there could have been a few who would have liked to go though with people who really do not want to be there but feel somehow forced there seriously need to be a solution as it ruins the atmosphere (the last time before I noticed it especially when I went to see "Little Shop Of Horrors" in Gütersloh a month ago when half of row 2 was empty for act 2 and me hearing similar comments as at TFM).
