A light style and dark material sets the contrasting tone for the Capitol’s blockbuster musical of the summer.

The Full Monty vibes like silly fun but the story is packed with simmering sadness, overwhelming stress, and dark gender norms. Striking that balance is a tricky proposition but director Julie Tomaino smartly keeps the action in approximately its original time period (late 90s) which allows then-commonplace, now-understood to be offensive language to do much of the heavy lifting on the toxic masculinity front though the direction could certainly have pushed the sadness further. The 90s setting unfortunately opens the door to some disastrous wigs but it’s absolutely the right call. Transplanted from the film’s English setting to Buffalo, NY for the musical adaptation, Ontario audiences benefit from the recognition of proximity in a story that could take place in any struggling industrial town.

Much of David Yazbeck’s music is fairly forgettable but it’s performed well by the capable company (music direction by Paul Moody) and the women in particular deliver powerhouse performances. Jacob MacInnis stands out among the titular troupe of dancing factory workers with a sensitive and beautifully sung performance as Malcolm, whose burgeoning relationship with Darren Burkett’s Ethan is a highlight of the production.

A fun crowd pleaser that doesn’t lack depth, The Full Monty is a little ramshackle and skims the surface of its subject matter a bit but it strikes a nice balance and builds to a thrilling climax.