PUMPKIN ROLLS
ARE HERE!
DA
,
0 T HE Oc
• Gift Baskets • Soups •
• Muffins • Sweet Trays •
• Cookies •
`Full Monty' Takes Off
$ 1 0 0 0 ff
Production based on hit movie takes the stage at Fisher Theatre.
BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News
Any Loaf of Bread
Not good with any other offer
Expires 11/15/04
one coupon per customer
Now Offering Low-Garb,
Rolled & Pantie;
Sandwiches
• Soups
• Sandwiches
• Salads
24-hou• notice please On
specialty items
(some exceptions)
6879 Orchard Lake Rd.
in the Boardwalk Plaza
905270
248-626-9110
DR. MICHAEL GRAY INTRODUCES...
AIR BRUSH
TA\\ING
Get a deep glow without
the harmful rays of the sun!
No more wrinkles.
6635 Daly Rd.
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
11/ 5
2004
50
www.anewyou.com
A
— all but obscured by a lighting effect.
"But this musical is really not about
stripping," asserted Yazbek. "It's about
six guys overcoming adversity and work-
ing together as a team. Actually, it's more
like a sports story. The team has its ups
and downs, and, in the end, they win.
The characters take a journey together,
turn their lives around and make a suc-
cess of themselves."
The musical tells the same story as the
film, and Yazbek and McNally wrote an
original score and book, respectively, for
the stage production. A few new charac-
ters were added to the cast of 22 actors,
such as Jeanette, a world-weary pianist
who helps the strippers polish their act,
and Nacht's role of owner of the club
where the final scene takes place.
A recorded voice scared the audience
and urged them to leave the theater.
"Everyone took it in stride like they
were used to it, and we just kept on per-
forming until the alarm stopped," Nacht
mused. "Audiences seem to really like
this show, especially women. Its very
funny and very heartwarming."
Yazbek initially was skeptical about
the idea of another film-to-Broadway
adaptation, but he says he "got excited
about it pretty quickly because of all
those really cool characters and lots of
different musical idioms." The variety in
the style of the songs in The Full Mono',
combined with Yazbek's experience as a
writer, allowed him to create numerous
tunes filled with funny and twisted
lyrics. His background as an Emmy
Award-winning writer for Late
fter years of writing comedy
sketches and one-liners, televi-
sion commercials and theme
songs, and producing other artists' work,
David Yazbek — a talented multi-
instrumentalist — is sharing his music
with the world on stage. And the
response has been quite favorable.
Yazbek, a pop composer born to a
Jewish mother and Arab father, wrote
the music and lyrics for The Full Mono',
the Broadway hit musical based on the
offbeat 1997 Academy Award-nominat-
ed hit movie of the same name. The
show continues at Detroit's Fisher
Theatre through Nov. 21.
Four-time Tony Award-win-
Night With David Letterman
ning writer Terrence McNally
and as a successful commercial
adapted the film for the stage —
jingle writer is not usually asso-
moving the plot's locale to
ciated with a Broadway com-
Buffalo, N.Y., from Sheffield,
poser.
England, "to help the story feel
A native New Yorker, Yazbek
closer to home."
studied classical cello for nine
And the musical is providing a
years, then piano, before
first big show business break for
becoming interested in rock 'n'
Brad Nacht, a young Jewish actor
roll when an aunt gave him a
from Maryland, who plays three
Beatles album. While attending
different roles. He calls the show
Composer David Yazbek:
Brown University in
"clever and different," with music
Brad Nacht: Mudiences
"This musical is really not
Providence, RI., he founded a
"unlike any kind of music you
seem to really like this
about stripping. "
ever heard on Broadway."
show, especially women." local funk band named Coke
Machine; later, he played in
Nacht's main role is Tony
other bands and produced and
Giordano, a sleazy, money-grub-
Fresh out of Catholic University in
directed Hair in Boston.
bing nightclub owner. He also plays a
Washington, D.C., with a music degree,
On a lark, he submitted some gags to
mill worker and a woman nurse dis-
Nacht, 23 and single, considers Monty to David Letterman and was hired as a
guised by a large wig.
be "the perfect opportunity to broaden
writer. But music always was his first
The Full Monty is a heartfelt story of
my resume and make some money in
love, even those annoying commercial
six unemployed steelworkers who go to
the process." He discussed the show and
jingles — for everything from beer to
great lengths to make some money and
his budding career from Elmira, N.Y.,
deodorant. He wrote the theme song for
help a friend in trouble. When a local
one of the stops on the tour he joined in
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
male strip show — whose dancers ven-
September. The show also has played in
plus more than 50 other songs.
ture down to their G-strings — is a hit
10 countries around the world.
"Now, all of a sudden, I'm Mr.
with the local women, the cash-strapped
The product of a family "heavily
Broadway," he said, "and making a lot of
factory workers figure they, too, can take
involved in Jewish culture and values,"
royalties, which enables me to work on
to stripping and cash in big time if they
,
Nacht ("night" in Yiddish) was in the
some interesting projects (his newest
"go the full Monty."
musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, begins
That's a British slang expression mean- chorus of a South Pacific production at
age 7, took piano and voice lessons, then Broadway previews in January). It's a
ing "to take to the fullest extent." A pos-
great business." ❑
sible origin of the expression comes from appeared in local community theater
shows. "My parents have always been
British Field Marshal Bernard Law
very supportive of my show business
Montgomery, a World War II hero who
The Full Mono, continues at
was nicknamed "Monty" He insisted on career," he said, "and I'm happy to get
Detroit's Fisher Theatre through
this opportunity right out of college.'
getting a full English breakfast every
Nov. 21. Performance times are 8
While on tour, The Full Mono, has
morning with all the trimmings. Thus, if
p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m.
played in some small, cramped theaters,
a person got the whole lot, he or she got
Saturdays and 2 and 7:30 p.m.
including a venue in New London,
"the full Monty"
Sundays. Tickets: $30.50-$68; infor-
Conn., where a smoke haze effect on
In this production, the expression
mation: (313) 872-1000.
stage set off the theater's smoke alarms.
refers to one scene of nudity at the end