‘The Full Monty’ opens Monday at Saskatoon’s Broadway Threatre

The Saskatoon Summer Players are unveiling – or maybe unzipping – a new show at the Broadway Theatre on Monday: ‘The Full Monty.’

The Tony-nominated musical, which is based on the cult classic 1997 film, follows a group of unemployed men from Buffalo, New York who decide to earn money through a strip show.

“It’s really a show about the underdog,” said Lorna Batycki, the show’s director.

According to Batycki, everyone from the cast to the orchestra to the production crew is a volunteer.

This is the 60th anniversary for the Saskatoon Summer Players, and Batycki said the company was looking for a new way to shine a light on the city’s talent and thought the musical would be a perfect fit.

“The whole show is kind of a tease itself,” said Andrew Linsley, who plays the role of Jerry in the musical. Linsley said the characters’ insecurities get “stripped away” throughout the show.

“We take off a lot of clothes,” Linsley added with a laugh.

‘The Full Monty’ tells the story of a group of unemployed men who decide to make money with a strip show. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

The actor said he was excited to return to his work with Saskatoon Summer Players, and ‘The Full Monty’ is the 15th show he’s participated in.

“Theatre is a huge passion of mine, and this show looked like a lot of fun and has been a lot of fun to be a part of,” he said.

One exciting aspect of the show, Linsley added, is the music. He said the audience will hear “absolute bops” throughout the performance. The actor said some of his favorite songs in the musical are “Let it Go” and “You Rule My World.”

But what puts the show together is the comedy, he added.

“There’s an edge to the comedy, but there’s also a beautiful kindness to these jokes,” Linsley said.

‘The Full Monty’ opens on Monday and runs at the Broadway Theatre until Thursday.

According to the theatre, the show is not recommended for children, as it contains adult language and situations, discussion of suicide and “partial and implied nudity.”

Listen to the Behind the Headlines segment below for more interviews and information about the show.