I Can't Believe They Did The Full Monty in Tallahassee

One of the neat things about being retired is that you can go out on a "school night." Last night we went to the comedy musical - The Full Monty - which was playing at the Little Theatre on Thomasville Road. Our good friend and neighbor - Joel Dawson - belongs to a women's club called Zonta. They were having a fund raiser silent auction that included the show. So we thought it would be fun to see the show and maybe win an auction or two.

The history of The Full Monty is really funny. It started in England when a group of mature men were out of work. They thought they could do a strip show to mock the Chippendales - the famous male dancer show. Just like many other British ideas - American Idol - The Office - Fever Pitch - Who Wants to be a Millionaire - the premise was stolen and Americanized into a show about 6 guys from Buffalo out of work because a steel mill closed. The original show won many Tony Awards on Broadway.

Having heard the original story about The Full Monty - I was eager to find out if the fellas in the Tallahassee play would remain true to form. During the whole evening - I kept thinking -"will they or won't they" show The Full Monty. I heard a guy sitting close to us in the theatre trying to explain what "the full monty" means. He had no idea and his explanation was off base. "The full monty" is slang in Britain for full frontal nudity. It was going to be fun to see this guy's face when and if it really happened.

The show was excellent - very professionally done by local people. I will leave the professional view of this comedy to others. I will just say I was so impressed at the quality of the production. The actors were great. They could carry a tune - were wonderful dancers - and had the courage and professionalism to "pull it off."

To answer the question on your mind - YES - they do show you The Full Monty. Yes - the full house of Bible Belt Tallahasseeans roared and loved the show - especially the women. The play has many thoughtful messages concerning the relationship between men and women.

Fellas - it is a great show to take your wife. It will be playing for the next couple of nights here. Your wife will love you for it - and it may pay big dividends. I give this hilarious musical comedy 5 stars. If the Trailing Spouse were looking for a new job in Tallahassee - playng in this musical comedy show might not be a bad idea.