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.
- Premiered
- 2000
- Composer
- David Yazbek
- Genre
- Comedy
- Setting
- 1990s
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.
Frequently asked
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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