VAT’s Full Monty is proudly Pinoy

Our first exposure to The Full Monty was when lawyer Tony Pastelero gave us a VCD saying he was thinking of producing the musical. Tony produced plays as a hobby, casting Filipino newcomers like Gina Respall as Maria in West Side Story, and Ricky Davao as King in The King and I. Too bad, Tony’s The Full Monty project fell through, but this time around, more than a decade later, Viva Communications and Atlantis Productions (Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga) have joined forces in Viva Atlantis Theatricals (VAT) to open new avenues to showcase Filipino talents.

“There is no question Filipinos are among the best performers in the world today. They just need to be seen and heard,” quips Boss Vic del Rosario, head of Viva. VAT’s staging of three Broadway musicals has started with The Full Monty currently playing to ecstatic standing-room-only crowds. To follow are Disney’s Tarzan in June and The Addams Family new musical in November. The opener is a bold musical dramedy playing to adult audiences, and the latter two geared to family enjoyment, a clear indication of adroit marketing sense.

The Full Monty was a British comedy-drama film on the predicament facing six unemployed steel workers and how they could raise money. They decided to outdo the full house Chippendale show by doing the “full Monty” meaning stripping all the way. The film won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award for Best Film in 1997, beating Titanic and L.A Confidential, and garnering four nominations in the Oscars. In 2000, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical with characters and setting Americanized. Now Filipinized, there has been more surprises with Arnell Ignacio, Marco Sison, Jamie Wilson, OJ Mariano, Niño Alejandro and Mark Bautista making up the major cast.

The skeptic in us took over. Before watching the play, we shared our fears with Chari who is directing the musical. We told her we didn’t feel comfortable with the casting. Most were not from theater and we feared they were being utilized for their familiarity to mainstream audiences. We ask Chari if she felt any sense of compromise in the casting.

She quickly replied, “I couldn’t be happier with this cast… I had to assemble different physical types who would eventually form a motley crew of friends in the show. Add to that whatever each role required in terms of singing and characterization. This was really the concern and the handle in casting. If I could work with the members of this cast again and again in future shows, I would!” That was all we needed to hear.

In terms of surprises, there are many including a bet on who would do a real Full Monty on which show. Perhaps, the last day? Otherwise, we appreciate mostly the attack of balladeer Marco Sison who not only aged himself, but stripped himself of all inhibitions. “This is so different from anything I have ever done before,” Marco states. We have to admit, nevertheless, that Jamie Wilson as husband to the lovely Ciara Sotto is our absolute favorite. He is fat and pudgy, loves his wife to death and treats her like breakable china.

As veritable lead of the musical, Mark Bautista as separated husband to Sitti Navarro and father to lovable child star Ethan Paras appeared nervous the Sunday matinee we and our editor Ricky Lo watched. He wasn’t up to par with expectations, but for sure this weekend, he will be fine. In contrast, we felt that Niño of the Hajji and Rachel musical family tried too hard to please and to be funny. Having been long aware of Arnell’s theatrical background, we were not surprised by his perfect portrayal of husband to Ima Castro for whom he would spend all savings to please. Our recent interview with OJ Mariano where he confessed to singing at age three, changing courses from Public Health to UP College of Music, being the shyest in the family, had already given us an idea of what OJ had to undergo before accepting the role of a mama’s boy. 

We have to give mention to well cast female roles of Sitti, Ciara Sotto, Ima who played lead in Miss Saigon for six years around SEA and the UK. But the funniest most fulfilling female role went to Jay Valencia-Glorioso, as rehearsal pianist in The Full Monty, whose last role was as producer of Anton Juan’s updated opera Madame Butterfly at the CCP.

We ask Chari for parting words, and while she gave credence to problems of unemployment still relevant around the globe, “the show is about the power of friendship, the restorative power of even just one person accepting you and loving you for who you are, and the lengths that one will go for the ones they love.  That’s always relevant and always moving.”  

The Full Monty is currently running at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater, RCBC Plaza, Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. until May 5. Call 892-7078 and 0917-8381534.

(E-mail me at [email protected].)