Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s production of ‘The Full Monty’ runs on half a tank

Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s production of “The Full Monty,” a silly romp built on the premise that somewhere, somehow, blue-collar guys can’t wait to take their clothes off in public, will not rank as one of its best shows.

There’s no rule that says small theater companies can’t stage musicals with adequate resources. Karen Paisley, co-founder and artistic director of MET, proved she could pull off a big-cast show with a classy 2011 production of “Ragtime,” which stands as one of the midtown company’s finest shows since its inception more than 10 years ago.

Even when a company’s artistic and/or commercial ambitions are beyond its technical abilities, audiences will forgive a lot if a show has heart and good performances. “The Full Monty” has heart. And some of the actors are very good. But the opening-night performance revealed an under-cooked show that was plagued by, among other things, an orchestra that too often played out of tune, singers sometimes unable to meet the challenge of carrying a melody and an uncredited scenic design that was one of the paltriest I’ve seen.

The show is based on a 1997 British indie movie about unemployed mill workers who decide to become strippers after they observe their wives enthusiastically rewarding Chippendales-like performers. Playwright Terrence McNally shifts the action to Buffalo, N.Y., and converts the guys into steelworkers, which allows him to create a generic dese-dem-dose linguistic palette.

David Yazbek’s jazz-based score is distinct and listenable, and his lyrics are often witty, sometimes even poetic — so much so that I’m tempted to pick up a copy of the original cast recording so I can hear it done right.

The central character is Jerry (Drew Starlin), a divorced dad who needs to come up with a child-support payment or risk losing shared custody of his son, Nathan (Whitaker Hoar). Starlin is a charismatic performer, although his singing in the early going on opening night was rough. His performance of the poignant “Breeze off the River” in Act 2, however, gave him a chance to show what he could do in a comfortable vocal range; it was the best number of the evening.

Jerry’s best friend is Dave (Vincent Onofrio Monachino) and together they commiserate about the humiliation of being unemployed while their wives — or in Jerry’s case, ex-wife — have jobs. Monachino, a mountainous actor you easily picture playing Lenny in “Of Mice and Men,” will never win any singing awards, but his charisma and obvious love of performing make him fun to watch.

Leah Swank-Miller is impressively focused and economical as Pam, Jerry’s ex-wife. And Andrea Boswell-Burns creates a convincing emotional reality for Georgie, Dave’s wife. Quincy Nile Kuykendall, as one of the novice strippers (named Horse), exhibits nice comic timing. And Tony Beasley, who appears early in the show as a Chippendales stripper, gives us a smart, nicely executed performance.

Most of the performances are more or less adequate, but top acting honors go to Valerie Bracken-Dykes as Jeanette Burmeister, the seen-it-all showbiz veteran and rehearsal pianist. Bracken-Dykes gets the most honest laughs of the evening with her bull’s-eye deadpan line readings. And “Jeanette’s Showbiz Number” is a highlight of the show.

Choreography credit is shared by Swank-Miller, Kuykendall and Megan Greenlee, but most of the dance routines are chaotic at best. The rudimentary scenery is made up of a few movable window units, some doors, a bench, a bed, a cardboard cartoon car, a couple of scaffolding towers and a handful of props. Basically, it looks like the bare minimum required for a rehearsal — or maybe a small-town high-school production.

The sad thing about witnessing artistic overreach is the inevitable contemplation of what a company like the MET could do if it reset its goals. There’s no shortage of small-cast chamber pieces — musicals that have the ability to charm, to stimulate and to capture the viewer’s imagination. Such a show might allow the MET to play to its strengths. “The Full Monty” certainly does not.

This story was originally published May 31, 2015 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s production of ‘The Full Monty’ runs on half a tank."