Show guide
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a comic, big hearted musical about a group of unemployed men who decide to reclaim their confidence and pride by putting on a daring stage show of their own. David Yazbek's score gives the story its working class energy and humor.
- Broadway premiere
- 2000
- Music by
- David Yazbek
- Genre
- Comedy
- Setting
- 1990s
The Full Monty: quick answers
What is The Full Monty about?
- The Full Monty follows six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers who, low on cash and prospects, decide to put on a strip act at a local club, promising to bare it all for one night to win back money and self-respect.
When did The Full Monty open on Broadway?
- The Full Monty opened on Broadway on October 26, 2000, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, after a premiere at San Diego's Old Globe, and ran 770 performances, closing on September 1, 2002.
What kind of musical is The Full Monty?
- It is a musical comedy with heart, adapted from the 1997 British film, with an original score by David Yazbek and a book by Terrence McNally that moves the story from Sheffield to Buffalo, New York.
Where and when is The Full Monty set?
- The Full Monty is set in contemporary Buffalo, New York, among laid-off steelworkers, in the era of its 2000 premiere.
Has The Full Monty played in London's West End?
- The Full Monty played the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre from March 12 to November 23, 2002.
Is there a The Full Monty movie?
- The musical is adapted from the 1997 British film The Full Monty, directed by Peter Cattaneo and starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, and Tom Wilkinson, which is set in Sheffield and won the Academy Award for its score.
The story of The Full Monty
Set in the 1990s among a community hit hard by job losses, the musical follows a group of men struggling with unemployment and wounded pride who hatch an outrageous plan to earn money and self respect. Their scheme pushes them, often reluctantly, toward a level of vulnerability and exposure they never expected.
Underneath its bold comic premise, the show is really about dignity, friendship, and body image, using humor to open up honest conversations about insecurity and resilience. It finds surprising warmth and heart in a story that starts as farce.
The music and the makers
David Yazbek composed the score, adapting the story's blue collar setting into music with a distinctly American, rock and soul inflected sound rather than a traditional Broadway palette. The songs carry both comic bounce and genuine emotional weight as the characters wrestle with pride, fear, and camaraderie.
Yazbek's style brings a contemporary, grounded energy to the material, matching the show's working class setting with music that feels lived in rather than glossy. The score balances big comic set pieces with quieter, more personal numbers.
The Full Monty on Broadway
The Full Monty opened on Broadway in 2000, adapted from a well loved film and reworked for the stage with an American setting and score. It resonated with audiences for its mix of raucous comedy and sincere emotional stakes.
Its appeal comes from that same combination that made its source material beloved: humor that never loses sight of real human vulnerability. The show has remained popular with audiences and regional theatres for its accessible, feel good story paired with a distinctive, character driven score.
The Full Monty: frequently asked questions
When did The Full Monty open on Broadway?
It opened on Broadway in 2000.
Who composed The Full Monty?
David Yazbek wrote the music and lyrics.
What is The Full Monty about?
It follows a group of unemployed men in the 1990s who plan a bold stage show to reclaim their pride and earn money.
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