Let It Go – The Full Monty

I wasn’t so sure that I wanted to see this show, even though I loved the movie. I guess I was a bit afraid of the “non-traditional” theatre score, and that they may have messed the story up by playing around with it too much. I mean, Buffalo? Half of what made the movie so great was all the British slang and incomprehensible accents. 🙂 But after seeing a couple of promotional appearances (especially their great Tony performance), I was more curious than afraid, so I went to see the tour in Toronto, its first stop, with Karen and Trevor.

I certainly didn’t regret going to see it. This show is just FUN. I laughed so many times, and everyone around me appeared to be having a great time as well. It took a little while for me to get into it (the opening is a bit slow), but by “Man”, I was completely on board. I think my favourite scene was “Big-Ass Rock”, just because it’s such a sweet and simple sounding song, and the lyrics are so ludicrous. But I also loved “You Walk With Me”, and several other small moments (like every time Ethan tried to do his wall flip). The cast was really good, though I do wish I could have seen the original Broadway cast as well, especially Patrick Wilson as Jerry. And, though it sounds cheesy, it is really true that by the end, you don’t really care at all about the stripping – you’re just rooting for the guys, that they can all overcome their problems. And you leave the theatre feeling great.

I think that with all the Producers hype this year, this show really got overlooked, and it’s a shame, because it’s a really good show. I would definitely go see it again, and would suggest it as a good show to take people to who aren’t all that familiar with theatre, but love the movie. And even if you are a regular theatregoer, you’re sure to have a good time!