Halifax’s Neptune Theatre closes its 2023-2024 season with The Full Monty, on stage now until May 12. And, of course, the question on everyone’s mind is, will the boys really take it all off?
Halifax Presents contributing editor Mark Robins was live at Neptune Theatre in downtown Halifax for a sneak peek at the show and to chat with the director and choreographer Julie Tomaino and one of the show’s lead actors, Jay Davis, to find out more.
Based on the 1997 film, the musical follows a group of unemployed steelworkers looking to earn some desperately needed cash. While spying on their wives on a “Girls’ Night Out,” the friends realize how much they enjoy watching male strippers. The men devise a bold and unclothed way to make some desperately needed money.
By setting the show in 1997, the year the movie was released, director and choreographer Julie Tomaino and her team focused the story through the eyes of the lead character, Jerry’s son, Nathan.
“We’ve come a long way since the late nineties, but there is still work to do,” says Tomaino. “In telling the story through the lens of our 12-year-old child, Nathan, on the brink of maturity, my hope is that we reflect on how we uphold and perpetuate toxic masculinity and its values today.”
The Full Monty runs through May 12 at Neptune’s Fountain Hall. Visit neptunetheatre.com for tickets and information.