I’ve waited a year for this one.  The Full Monty — the story of out of work men who decide to bare it all before they lose it all.

The show takes place in Buffalo, New York, where the plant was unexpectedly shut down, leaving many of the men in town without jobs.  Jerry, a divorced father, cooks up a plan to put on a strip show in order to make enough money to pay the child support he owes his ex-wife so he can keep seeing his son.  He enlists his best friend, Dave, a man whose big belly is holding back his confidence, particularly with his wife.  Together, they pull in four other men to give the Chippendale’s a run for their money.

The show itself is not bad.  Some of the songs are not all that good, mediocre.  But, there are a few numbers that really score, more than making up for the others.  As for Circa’s production of the show, the theater handles the material quite well, thanks to a fantastic, somewhat minimal set that’s actually quite versatile, and a cast that’s up to the challenge of baring it all.

The entire cast is good, but there are a few standouts.  Hernando Umana creates an adorably awkward Malcolm.  He’s so cute and likeable and literally illicited a few audible “ahhs” from me.  Troy Scarborough’s Horse is a scene stealer, not just because the character is so interesting, but because Scarborough is able to use the character so effectively as to have the crowd in stitches quite often.  And, Autumn O’Ryan’s Jeanette is another attention grabber.  She’s loud, boisterous and a solid laugh getter.

While the show itself isn’t fantastic, the production truly is a lot of fun and well worth your evening.  That’s especially true for the final number, which is fantastic.  It’s a fantastic song fantastically staged by Circa.  Regardless of how you feel about the show leading up to it, the payoff is well worth it, as you wonder how far these actors will actually go when it comes to the final strip.  Will it actually be the full monty?

While there’s little that’s overly shocking, the shock level is raised merely by the fact this is Circa 21.  I mean, this is the theater that said to a friend of mine it would never do Gypsy because Circa’s patrons would be averse to a show about a stripper.  Gypsy’s actually quite tame, by any standard, with no real stripping in the show.  And, it’s not centered around stripping.  The Fully Monty, however, is.  It’s all about stripping and, unlike Gypsy, has swearing and bare butts.  So, I’m shocked to see The Fully Monty at Circa 21, but I’m also pleased.  To borrow a line from the show, I’m just thankful it isn’t another production of “Church Basement Ladies”.

I’m told the show is selling out, which is good.  The success of this show could perhaps mean more than just one show that’s actually been on Broadway showing up in Circa’s future seasons.  Who knows.  Maybe Circa will even dare to do Gypsy some day.

The Full Monty runs through November 8th at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.circa21.com or by calling the box office at (309) 786-7733.

UPDATE: Per a comment from Circa 21’s Owner and Producer, Denny Hitchcock, Circa is actually not adverse to staging Gypsy, having staged it in the past.  I’ll have to have a word with my friend.