Oakland’s ‘Full Monty’: too long, but enjoyable

Wow. Sounds like a terrible show. The cast must have received standing ovations both nights because people were in a hurry to leave.

And Milan, your obsession with Eric McCrea was hilarious for the first few months...but now it's just creepy.

I urge everyone to come see this show for yourself and form your own opinion. My cast worked very hard to put together a quality performance for the patrons of Youngstown theater...they stood on stage and bared their souls AND their bodies in the spirit of true collaborative art. I stand firmly by our product. The opening night audience loved this show. There is no question in my mind. If you see the show and agree with all of Milan's critiques, I will personally refund your admission. Please feel free to contact me at robertjoki@aol.com.

I dont agree with you Milan. the show couldnt have been that bad! The cast recieved a standing ovation both nights! i will agree that the show was a tad long but it was because the audience was laughing their butts off during the show!! You must remember that the play is about steel workers NOT professional dancers. I think they are supposed to look bad dancing DUH!! The men of Full Monty need to be commended for their hard work and their ability to "bare" their souls and what nots on stage. Everyone should just come and see for themselves.And as for the musical numbers, they have great energy and the tunes are funny.You forgot to mention Geri Tichnor who does a great job as Malcolm's mother in her very brief appearence. I think the whole cast did a fantastic job!!! Seems like, as I recall, the only one who was in a hurry to leave was you, Milan. Not only am i a fan of the show, i am a cast member also. So anyone and everyone come see the show and judge for yourselves. you wont be dissapointed and you will have the time of your lives!

Oh and one other thing Milan. Malcolm has an Ohio plate on his car because he moved from Ohio to New York becuase the mills closed in Ohio and thats why he is suicidal because he ended up losing his job in New York too. You really need to pay closer attention to the show!

I always wonder why not a lot of people come to audition for shows in this area. Then I read the vindy review and realized, why would anyone want to even try COMMUNITY THEATER, when their just going to get there ass handed to them on a silver platter by Milan. It takes a lot for someone to put their self out there, and try. It's sad it takes so little to overmind that. Everyone is great and I love watching the show come to life everynight. And from what I have heard the audiences love it to.

Community Theater is just that: COMMUNITY. It's a process of bringing together diverse individuals to work collaboratively on a product and present it to the COMMUNITY. No one pretends (hopefully) that a local community theater is meant to put out Broadway level productions. But the people involved share something in common; a love of performance, a love of collaboration, or a passion for entertainment; to name just a few of the possibilities. I am part of the cast of this show and I've watched as dedicated individuals worked to bring this show to fruition. The director, faced with many obstacles, assembled the best cast he could. Remember, again, this is COMMUNITY Theater and the cast is created from people brave enough to audition. He remained focused and positive throughout the process. The actors worked daily, not only on lines and music, but on the issues that go with the exposure of their bodies to the public. Every member of this cast is part of an ensemble from the most line-laden role to the smallest of roles - all with the focus of bringing a production to the stage for the ENTERTAINMENT of the COMMUNITY.

After reading Milan's review I wonder if he has any idea of what COMMUNITY is. He wastes the first column of the vindy review on the critique of a script, not a performance. He pokes fun of Youngstown and the blight and despair it's endured from the loss of its steel mills. He suggests "trimming" the script of another writer; that is, in itself, an insult to the talent of the creators of the play. Perhaps someone should trim Milan's writing instead. From there he rips performances and tosses in a slight compliment from time to time. Milan, Youngstown is your paycheck, is it your COMMUNITY? There are ways to make valid points of criticism while remaining positive and supportive of a COMMUNITY event. Perhaps you need to revisit journalism 101 and stand behind your COMMUNITY rather than against it.

wow way to spark a debate my man.
though i do think some praise is in order. thanks milan for saying i look 22. actually yesterday was my 28th birthday.

how did i spend it?
oh how sweet of you to ask.
well it started out swell. i had to run lines with an understudy (who did amazing by the way) while trying to calm the nerves of our directer, who has literaly pulled more miracles to make this show happen than david blaine, kriss angel, and jesus combined.

oh then there was the part of going on stage not being a professional actor and showing my buisness to the paying public. though im not alone my fellow brave actors also gave their all for the sole benifit of entertainment.

oh then the after show. everybody was so upset and bothered by the license plate that they rushed out of the theater and rioted! it was insane.

i never would have guessed that i would bear my ass only to have it served back.

i wonder why its so difficult to pull these productions off?

i dunno.

oh well im glad we had this talk.
to all the people who saw and loved this show. to everyone who left the theater drying their eyes and shaking from excitement. to everyone who stood in a line to say good job and congrats and threw an occasional hug or handshake.
im sorry from the bottom of my heart.

"Vindy reviewer fails with his biased and uneducated opinion"

For those of you who have the chance to read the local Vindicator entertainment section may want to think twice about who you are looking to for your daily dose of current events. Especially if you're looking for a publication which seeks to support its community.

Milan Paurich begins by showing local readers just what theatre is- community or otherwise, with his biting reviews toward current writing on Broadway and what he views as gratuitous use of music in a musical. Seems like a bit of a contradiction, doesn't it?

He then proceeds to critic the staging and choreography which he claims is lackluster and rudimentary. It's interesting to think that a group of out of work steelworkers would be world class dancers. I mean, I've never been to Buffalo, New York, but it sounds to me like they tap dance behind their assembly lines daily and at night hold dance offs to prove who is more masculine. Or at least they should according to Mr. Paurich's review.

And then we come to Mr. Paurich's opinion on how a director should cast. Obviously, the Oakland should be taking its casting call to New York and Chicago to find just the right people to play the characters. What were they thinking trying to cast a show within the area of Youngstown?

Finally, we come to the most outrageous claim made by the reviewer: Cutting the script. Obviously what the writer has written isn't relevant to what they are saying at all. And it seems to me that another so called writer would understand that point. You cannot cut a show because you don't agree with the message. That is why it is there in the first place.

So, I leave with this: I challenge the Vindicator to review their writers' ethics in journalism. This review is one of the most biased reports I have EVER read. Your blatent regard for some performers is extremely clear and outside of that circle you obviously don't pay attention.

However, I'm sure if this was done at the Playhouse with the same cast you would rave about how wonderful it is. Makes a reader wonder where this reviewer's intentions truly lie.

I have taken some time to think about the comments in regaurds to my choreography. At first i thought, maybe i did put crap on that stage. But after going through all of the musical numbers I worked on i came to the conclusion. I did my job, and I did it pretty well. The opening number "Scrap" is about guys receiving their final paychecks, losing their jobs. Sorry I didn't break out the tape shoes so the men can truely put on a show about how pissed off they are about losing their jobs.

The number "life with Harold" Takes place in a dance studio, where amatuer people go to learn latin dancing. Its not dancing with the stars, its everyday people trying to learn to dance, so i guess i'm glad i didnt put in the showstopping dance number with lifts and throws.

I find it funny you didn't even comment on Kenny Brown's number "Big Black Man" which was loaded with dancing and brought down the house. Maybe the title explains why he wasn't even mentioned.

It is my job to be true to the script and true to the ideals of the show. There is no room for huge elaborate dance breaks, thats not what the show is about. I mean do you pay attention to the show or just sleep till the big showstopping dance number. Because the show i see does everything it needs to do.

Come to think of it i think i got the same review from you in "jekyll & hyde" at the Youngstown Playhouse when i didn't have the people of london tap dancing down the streets BEFORE THEY DIED.

I do my job, and I'm pretty sure I do it well. I think you should consider the quality of work you are producing before slamming everyone else's.

P.s. i talked to the costume designer and im gonna add a dance break from A CHORUS LINE to janette's number so I need me some glitter vests and body suits.

I guess I must have gone a different day...

The audience that I was a part of rode the ride with this cast from beginning to end.

Laughter, tears, screams of excitement...I think you would be very hard-pressed to find an audience more sucked into the production they were watching.

It kills me that the review that I read today doesn't even remotely reflect the performance that I saw. I will of course admit that this show wasn't perfect, and that it did have some areas that could have used some more polishing or improvement.

However, the cast had a triumph in this performance, and if any of them are reading this, I want them to know that I will be there again...hopefully twice...next week, searching for these "irredeemable flaws..."

Because I'm giving it a 10.

("And NOT based on the booty")

-AI

What a bunch of thin skinned cry babies. For a group of people who claim that Milan doesn't know what he's talking about, you all do pay an awful lot of attention to his opinion. You're like the audience on American Idol. Simon says something honest yet painful, and everybody boos. Do you really think that the show was perfect? Do you really think that you produced a show above any and all reproach? And after all the crap that the folks at the Oakland dumped on Milan on the message boards, do you still think that he's going to be completely objective?

You cry and cry and moan and moan. I'm sure that you would prefer reviews like the one on Valley24. According to that one the show was "flawless"? Really? Mr. Joki, can you honestly say that the performance you saw Friday night was "flawless"? If you are at all honest with yourself, you cannot. No good director ever would.

So you all had a tough time pulling the show together, boo hoo. Welcome to theater. If you want to take a big bite, you're the one that has to chew it. Even if you only get 6 people to show up for auditions. HA!

I notice that no one points out that in the headline the show is called "enjoyable". Further, it encourages people to attend. But that is a bad review, I guess. It seems that the "bad parts" of the review are when people are mentioned by name. Seriously, if you are so insecure that a one sentence mention of you for work in a community theater show makes you jump up on a soap box, you have problems.

TAKE A LITTLE CRITICISM! And for those that think you knocked it out of the park opening night, I think your bar is set a little low. It was an energetic performance with a few rough patches. A couple of the numbers weren't as tight as they could have been. (And yeah I get it, they're steelworker, not dancers. They were also slightly underrehearsed community theater actors. Deal.) And half of the dialogue in the second act was delivered by actors standing well outside of their light. Sloppy.

But I'm sure that everyone will have a hissy fit that I dared even say THAT much.

I would assume that the show will be much crisper by closing weekend. But since the show has already been done "flawlessly" I won't bother to come back. David Munnell and Kenny Brown were awesome. Tony Genovese was also very good. Once again, I'll leave anything that may personally name some one and not kiss their ass to myself. Every part in the play was performed absolutely perfectly and the Oakland Center for the Arts has set a new standard of excellence that no one, not even they themselves can surpass, so the final two weekends of "Monty" have been cancelled because they simply couldn't surpass the level of artistic acheivement that was established.

And the playhouse is mean
And YACTA is fixed .... unless you win

And I'm pretty sure that Laughing Crow wrote the review of Jekyll and Hyde, not Milan.

First off Helen.. Tony Genovese wasn't in the show.. he's living in Florida right now. Shows how much you pay attention. Also, I don't really understand why this must go on.... If you attended the show you would have seen the show stop on numerous occasions due to audience laughter, the standing ovation and great smiles as people left the auditorium. That is a win. Even if one person is affected it's a win.

Laughing Crow once reviewed a show at YSU and gave away the ending to the show. Somebody was outraged enough to even write the opinion section about her lack of respect for the show itself. I didn't care, it didn't phase me I simply remember the effect it had on the mother in the audience who held both of her children and cried at the end as the mother in the play watched her child slip away. That moment is and forever will be etched into my brain.

As for Milan, yes he's allowed to have his own opinions and whether they are good or bad they are still opinions. Does he write great reviews.. No. Simply said Milan and most of the Vindicator reviewers spend the majority of the "review" critiquing the work of the author instead of "reviewing" the production. Either that or they just tell the whole story and write on small paragraph about the actual performance. In this review particularly, you can see Milan's perversion for Eric Mcrae as his favorite performer. (if you'd like to call it that.. ) Milan had the audacity to point out that certain cast members don't look like they work in a steel mill but oddly enough Mr. Mcrae looks nothing like a chip n' dale's stripper yet that is not mentioned.

As with any show there are it's ups and downs, I've seen miscasting at every venue I've been to from Youngstown to Broadway and places in between. I've seen technical blunders, bad understudies and everything else but what I don't understand is why there is the need to call out these performers as "cry babies." For some of the cast this is their first musical, for others it's just one of many but in any case a review such as this that really puts a show down is going to strike a chord in their hearts. These men who are not what every woman fantasizes about are dealing with the same issues as the men in the play.. it's just not that easy to be in your underwear in front of a hundred people when you're fat, too skinny, balding, old, etc. Would you do it Helen?? Milan??? Anyone???

After rehearsing 5 nights a week 4 to 6 hours a night having the joy of opening night ripped away by a review is not easy to swallow and for an amateur group of actors they will respond. Maybe not in the best way or right way but they will fight for something they've sweat over, something they believe in.

It doesn't matter who RBell was talking about when he mentioned the review.. the point of that comment was to express the face that this like Jekyll and Hyde isn't really a dancing show, it's very pedestrian. So no the musical numbers are not going to be heavy with movement like a "typical musical." Could the choreography have been better, smoother, more well put together, tighter??? Yes. Some of that could be the choreographers fault but some of it goes to nerves. Did you see the guys, if i remember correctly they didn't really look like they knew much about dancing. I watched "Michael Jordan's Ball" from the Broadway production, which you can see on YOUTUBE.com and it's not that great. They pretty much run basketball drills for 5 minutes and not much else. And, If you watch "Let it Go," you will also see "dumbed down movement" in respect to the script and the fact that these are not dancing men. Is it more polished .. Yes. It's Broadway, they're paid. The rehearse 8 hours a day before they do a show at night. They don't juggle three jobs, rehearsal, family and school. They can solely concentrate on the show.

Speaking in terms of polishing, If I head correctly there were a couple of deaths throughout the rehearsal process and some actors were not able to be there for a period of time due to these emergencies. I couldn't imagine having to act with an invisible person the three days before opening night.

I believe Jekyll and Hyde at the Playhouse was cast with an 18 or 19 year old as the lead with the rest of the cast just as young, or slightly older. Was that ok??? According to the reviewer, it was. It didn't seem to bother them, they reviewed the performances themselves. Which is what this is all about. Personal attacks on people is not good, healthy or what this area needs. There's already so much competition for these tiny theaters for actors, money and resources, why make it harder?

I'm not agreeing with everything that has been posted with the people involved, they're upset and are saying things they need to help them get the courage and strength to bare it all again next weekend. I'm also not agreeing with what Milan is saying either. What I will say is that there is a correct way to write a review, there is also and way to do it tastefully and I think Milan did not achieve that in this review. To say that there are good points is an understatement. Most of the comments Milan makes could be a positive if it weren't for the follow-up back handed remarks. For example.. let's replay the "Dog Sees God" review by Milan..

"As a result, you’re more likely to leave the theater crying than laughing. Of course, the suicide of a major character in the second act pretty much guarantees a weepy outcome."

Than my friends is a classic Milan.. did he see the play???? At the end, Charlie Brown finally receives a letter from his pen pal, the letter states that Schroder is in heaven with Snoopy and Woodstock and that he is with them. Also, to not hate him for killing himself and to keep his chin up because it will get better. If that's not emotional enough we find out the the pen pal is none other than Charles Schultz. As the audience left crying that I think would be a pat on the back for the actors in the show because after all it is a drama. Milan was probably so upset that Mr. Mcrae was not in the steamy boy on boy make out scene that it clouded his vision and he didn't pay attention to the rest of the show.

So enough of the crap... a note for Helen.. back off why do you care if you saw it and were thinking about going back again.. SO GO BACK AND SCREW MILAN. Leave it alone.

For the people involved... Milan obviously has issues within himself and wishes he were someone other than Youngstown. You are what you make of yourself. You all received and standing ovation both nights, you had people laughing, crying and clapping. The audience was cheering for you the whole final number. The believed in you, so believe in yourselves. You are what you make and I believe that you have a great show your passion is seen. The moments that shine really truly shine and you make it what it is, a decent, low-budget, difficult to put together community theater show that the public loves. Take what you have and run with it. Life's short. Enjoy being naked on stage while it lasts. Not everyone can say they've bared it all for 300 people. There's a level of respect that goes out to any performer. And I give you all the respect I have. I have faith in you guys. Good Luck on the rest of your run and Good Luck to all the other theaters doing shows (Easy Street, TNT and the Playhouse). Youngstown theater is getting better and better every time I see it. Keep it up kids, You've done well.

Helen, darling, you are putting words in my mouth. I never said THE FULL MONTY was "flawless". I assure you that as the director, I know this show's weaknesses better than anyone. I don't have a problem with constructive criticism if it comes from a valid, unbiased source.

I respect Andy Gray. I respect Guy D'Astolfo. I respect Katie Libecco. I respect Sarah Poulton. These individuals all write reviews for local publications. They have all critiqued my shows and the reviews are not always positive. Andy Gray has ripped my work to shreds on numerous occasions but I don't have a problem with that because his reviews are constructive as opposed to mean-spirited. He offers advice in order to facilitate improvement. Milan's harsh criticisms seem to stem from his own bizarre agenda. I find his reviews to be counterproductive, inconsistent, and severely lacking integrity. He has his favorites...people who court him...people who join him for "lunch"...people who make his top ten list...and everyone else is at his mercy? I refuse to accept that.

And as for "all the crap that the folks at the Oakland dumped on Milan on the message boards" ...the problem with message boards is that anyone can assume a user name and say whatever they want. People claiming to be "folks at the Oakland" or "friends of the Playhouse" are not necessarily who they say they are. I read that message board and it took me about five minutes to realize that the entire string was OBVIOUSLY generated by about five people who kept coming up with different user names. It is for this reason that I posted my full name and email address along with my comments on this page. Speaking of which, Helen dear, who are you again?

When the Oakland puts on a bad show, and believe me we have put on our share of snooze fests, I am the first person to say so. My faith in THE FULL MONTY is based entirely on the audience reaction...which was amazing. A good actor/director doesn't need a review to tell him whether he did a good job. The audience loved my little "low budget...under rehearsed...miscast..lackluster...
rudimentary" underdog of a show. You can't take that away Helen, love. Neither can Milan.

Are you people insane? It was a local review, in a local paper, by a local person? I was in the audience opening night and I have to wonder if some of you saw the same show I did? As the person who reviewed the show said, "IT'S ENJOYABLE" and it is. It had some moments that were very nice, and quite frankly some that weren't. I agree with the reviewer when it's stated that some movies should stay just that....movies. The transitions from movie to state and vive versa works in some situations, but not in this one. I didn't even see the script but I've done and seen enough theater to realize when a script is a little flat.
But I commend Mr. Joki for taking the script and turning into something enjoyable.

Sorry didn't mean for that to post yet. The reviewers comment about the license plate was unnecessary, but myself I found the urninal in the middle of the state distracting, and rather distasteful in a following scene. But's that just my opinion. Bottom line folks it was just once person's point of view, was it worth of a "Tony"? No.
Will it win a YACHTA? Who cares But I will end this with one comment. As for it receiving a standing ovation, don't read to much into that. Standing ovation's don't have the honor they used to have. There was a time when a standing ovation was given to something that was truly outstanding and worthy of it. Today a baby can gurgle and goo and suddendly it gets a standing ovation. Wake up little diva's you're in Youngstown, Ohio. If you're going to get this bent out of shape over a little review in a local paper, what on earth are you going to do when and if you make it to a big stage?

Bottled... follow up to my comment on having something ripped away....

Your standing ovation comment.. once again back handed. They do have power. I saw The Color Purple in Cleveland, it took the audience until the lead bowed to stand up. Why? You ask. The show sucked. Nothing deserved a SO except the girl who never left the stage. To have the audience on their feet does mean something. Let's look at some examples...

Grey Gardens. No SO until Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson graced the stage for their bow. Tony award winning performances.

Xanadu. Immediately. The audience had so much fun that they were standing up and dancing to the music before the cast had even left the stage.

Legally Blonde. Horrible. The audience didn't budge until stage diva and legend Orfeh entered for her bow. Not only that but they screamed for her and not so much for the other leads.

As for Youngstown shows I've been to shows where the audience doesn't move. That my friend can be just as powerful as a SO. So why don't you take yourself to the sink, uncap, and dump because I think your tamper seal is broken. Let these kids and NON-PROFESSIONALS fight for themselves. Did you not understand that. Watching their faces up there you could tell that they were relieved to show their bodies on opening night and you could almost hear the sigh of relief as the anxiety left their bodies. LET THEM ENJOY IT. I mean if I stole your child's first place ribbon for the school science fair, you'd be upset too. Really though, It's just a stupid science fair, but in our eyes that ribbon hold meaning. As does ANY SO. The show may not have been the best thing in this area but at least the audience applauded the cast for their hard work. That my friend is what it's about. Having RESPECT for something that so many people have put so much effort into.

As for making it to a big stage. 90 percent of the cast isn't even planning on going to a big stage. They have careers in other fields and this is just their hobby. Something they enjoy, being able to pull together with other people to create something from the bottom up and be able to share it with others, who may be too scared to be up on stage, or may be going through similar situations as the characters. Drama therapy it helps us all escape our demons. Why do you shows good or bad touch people in different ways? There's no reason for anyone to put anyone else down here, it's Youngstown. This is so far from professional, but these people have just as much heart and that shouldn't be held against them. They will vent for as long as they can fight for their heart, let them. You're just as bad as Milan for telling them their SO is nothing. Think about it. I really hope one day you find something to believe in and have it ripped away from you. I think the stable and crew of Eight Belles knows all too well about that. She ran one of the best races I've seen in Kentucky Derby history. She ran until the very end. Literally. Yet they didn't take her pride away. They still talk about how valiant she was and not about how she could have ran faster. She's a professional and when she was put down they did nothing but lift her up. That's what this cast is doing. Fighting for themselves so that they can go on next weekend. This cast has a lot of gusto to be able to bare it all like they did. Kudos.

First and foremost, I must thank Milan for his kind critique of my performance. Secondly, I would like to say that I have had the good fortune to land several professional acting gigs and Robert D. Joki is one of the finest directors I have ever had the privilege to work with. That is all I have to say.

Btw, I just wanted to say that I apologize for calling Tony Scarsella by the wrong name. I know that Tony Genovese does shows too and I simply swapped their last names in my head. You were very entertaining, Tony. Good job.

Wow such powerful comments from everyone about Full Monty. Thanks to HelenJ for your comments especially. I love the fact that you mention the Playhouse and YACTA in your original comment seeing that Milan's review didnt mention them in his. Now who's being a cry baby? i dont know who you are, but you obviously have an issue with the playhouse(maybe you yourself auditioned and didnt get a part?) and as far as YACTA being fixed, go to the web site and join the nominations committee, then you can see first hand if they are fixed. Make an effort and get involved in the things you love talking about. It will make a big difference. thanks Milan for once again sparking such a great debate. Cant wait for your Titanic: The Musical review.

So ... let's take this to another level of discussion. What is it about Milan's reviews of Oakland productions? His defender above indicates that he can't possibly be objective. I don't know Milan, but I imagine he wasn't pleased to read that. I have noticed that his reviews of Oakland productions often emphasize what doesn't work for him. Positive comments are understated. Negative comments are cleverly worded to get the most attention.

I keep coming back to this issue of suspended disbelief. Community theatre required a good bit of that, and the Oakland revels in it. Another term for this would be "imagination." So go with it that Ric Panning and Joey Monda are father and son. Granted, they aren't far enough apart in age, but they sure didn't look the same age in the production (nor are they). Use your imagination. David Munnell and Gary Shackleford don't look like steel workers? How about gay steel workers? I actually know some gay steel workers, and I wonder if Milan would find them believable. Use your imagination.

Musicals are by nature an offense to "belief." No, we don't really believe that out of work steel workers would sing and dance at all. I'm not sure that Milan likes his disbelief suspended. I've read a number of his reviews, and he seems to want the Oakland to be other than it is. The Oakland strives to give audiences something to care about. Judging by the audience reactions both nights, the production is a huge success.

Yes, the cast and crew are dedicated, hard-working, and courageous. Yes, they are very talented. And, yes, the production is incredibly moving and enjoyable. One of the best I've seen at the Oakland. But I want to give extra kudos to everyone at the Oakland for something else -- for never forgetting that it's all about the audience and for remembering that, to paraphrase a local theatrical legend, loving the theatre is finally more rewarding than loving yourself in the theatre.

And I'm not sure that theatre reviews should be written by someone who so evidently prefers film.

I am positive that someone who can't be objective about a particular theater should not write reviews of that theater's productions. I leave it to Milan to decide whether he is objective or not.

Wow; pretty interesting reading. I saw the Oakland's "Monty" this weekend and I pretty much agree with everything the Vindicator review said.
Maybe it would have been easier to "suspend" disbelief if the