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The Full Monty: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Hit Broadway Musical
“Full of brilliance! It's a blockbuster and a mold-breaker. A one-of-a-kind Broadway musical. I loved it!” – Clive Barnes, The New York Post
“A delightful salute to the human spirit!” – David Hinckley, The Daily News
“ Monty works on every level and is the kind of audience-pleaser that Broadway desperately needs.” – Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
“A delightful salute to the human spirit!” – David Hinckley, The Daily News
“ Monty works on every level and is the kind of audience-pleaser that Broadway desperately needs.” – Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
148 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
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About the author
Terrence McNally
104 books33 followersTerrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards. He won the Tony Award for Best Play for Love! Valour!
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November 16, 2022
The Full Monty is the musical comedy by Terrence McNally (book) and David Yazbek (lyrics & music) about six unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York who decide to put on a one-night-only strip show in order to earn some quick cash and, just possibly, win back some much-needed self-esteem. It's based on the hit movie of the same name. The Full Monty's singular defining idea is that life is hard and short and so may as well be enjoyed and celebrated, every chance we get. This is a show that reminds its audience that we're supposed to go the full monty in everything we do, everyday.
The primary focus here is on two of the men, Jerry Lukowski and Dave Bukatinsky. Jerry is a 32-year-old screw-up who has big dreams but little follow-through; he's more motivated than usual to make something of himself, however, because he's about to lose joint custody of his 12-year-old son, Nathan, unless he can pay some back child support. Dave, Jerry's best friend, is overweight and stuck in a huge funk because he can't find work. Though their wives (in Jerry's case, ex-wife) urge them to take jobs as security guards or cashiers at the local mall, neither is willing to sacrifice his pride. So when Jerry comes up with the wild idea to do the strip act, it makes a weird kind of sense.
Realizing that they need more than just a duo to make this act work, they hire four additional dancers from among the ranks of Buffalo's large un- or under-employed male population. Harold Nichols, their ex-boss, is brought on for his dancing skill, but he needs the gig just as much as Jerry and Dave do, for he's not only out of a job but hasn't had the guts to tell his wife, who continues to spend in accordance with their former upper-middle-class lifestyle. Jerry and Dave meet Malcolm MacGregor as he is attempting to commit suicide (they pull him out of the carbon monoxide-filled car he's locked himself into): he's a hopelessly shy young man still living at home with a domineering mother; but he's a night security guard at the old factory where they all used to work, providing them with a place to rehearse. Noah "Horse" Simmons, an older black gentleman, is added to the group unabashedly because they think women will like a "Big Black Man" (and Horse suggests that his nickname has something to do with his physical attributes). The sixth dancer is Ethan Girard, another former steelworker; sweet and well-meaning, he's a total klutz--but he's fearless, and when he drops trou and shows the others his stuff, they put him on the squad immediately.
The show alternates between the boys' rehearsals and more personal developments in their lives. We never find out much about Horse, but as The Full Monty progresses we learn about the solid marriages that both Dave and Harold enjoy (and come to appreciate their spouses--Georgie and Vicki, respectively), and we watch as Malcolm and Ethan's friendship blossoms into something deeper. (The most moving moment of the show is at the funeral of Malcolm's mother, where Malcolm and then Ethan sing the affirming hymn "You Walk With Me.") We also watch--and are continually frustrated by--Jerry's seeming inability to grow up
At the last minute, as the appointed night for the show approaches, Jerry decides that the sextet will go "the full monty" when they strip--i.e., they will take off EVERYTHING, doing the Chippendale types one better. This of course results in a flood of ticket sales, and supplies Jerry and the others with a final test. Will they go through with it?
The primary focus here is on two of the men, Jerry Lukowski and Dave Bukatinsky. Jerry is a 32-year-old screw-up who has big dreams but little follow-through; he's more motivated than usual to make something of himself, however, because he's about to lose joint custody of his 12-year-old son, Nathan, unless he can pay some back child support. Dave, Jerry's best friend, is overweight and stuck in a huge funk because he can't find work. Though their wives (in Jerry's case, ex-wife) urge them to take jobs as security guards or cashiers at the local mall, neither is willing to sacrifice his pride. So when Jerry comes up with the wild idea to do the strip act, it makes a weird kind of sense.
Realizing that they need more than just a duo to make this act work, they hire four additional dancers from among the ranks of Buffalo's large un- or under-employed male population. Harold Nichols, their ex-boss, is brought on for his dancing skill, but he needs the gig just as much as Jerry and Dave do, for he's not only out of a job but hasn't had the guts to tell his wife, who continues to spend in accordance with their former upper-middle-class lifestyle. Jerry and Dave meet Malcolm MacGregor as he is attempting to commit suicide (they pull him out of the carbon monoxide-filled car he's locked himself into): he's a hopelessly shy young man still living at home with a domineering mother; but he's a night security guard at the old factory where they all used to work, providing them with a place to rehearse. Noah "Horse" Simmons, an older black gentleman, is added to the group unabashedly because they think women will like a "Big Black Man" (and Horse suggests that his nickname has something to do with his physical attributes). The sixth dancer is Ethan Girard, another former steelworker; sweet and well-meaning, he's a total klutz--but he's fearless, and when he drops trou and shows the others his stuff, they put him on the squad immediately.
The show alternates between the boys' rehearsals and more personal developments in their lives. We never find out much about Horse, but as The Full Monty progresses we learn about the solid marriages that both Dave and Harold enjoy (and come to appreciate their spouses--Georgie and Vicki, respectively), and we watch as Malcolm and Ethan's friendship blossoms into something deeper. (The most moving moment of the show is at the funeral of Malcolm's mother, where Malcolm and then Ethan sing the affirming hymn "You Walk With Me.") We also watch--and are continually frustrated by--Jerry's seeming inability to grow up
At the last minute, as the appointed night for the show approaches, Jerry decides that the sextet will go "the full monty" when they strip--i.e., they will take off EVERYTHING, doing the Chippendale types one better. This of course results in a flood of ticket sales, and supplies Jerry and the others with a final test. Will they go through with it?
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