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One of the chief failures of the American economy has been job instability. In our parents' and grandparents' generations, you could work your entire life at one job and count on a decent salary and retirement benefits. That kind of economic security has vanished, particularly for blue-collar workers, and the steel and auto industries have been especially hard hit.

Maybe that's why the British independent film "The Full Monty" became such an unexpected runaway hit in 1997. It spoke to the plight of working-class people everywhere and revealed that ingenuity and supporting each other could have a positive impact. The film was Americanized to Buffalo, N.Y., and adapted into a hit Broadway musical by Terrence McNally and David Yazbek in 2000. The Grand Theatre is reviving the musical in a lively production that reveals that the economic climate has not improved much.

Jerry (Steve Shoemaker) and Dave (Kenneth Wayne) are steelworkers who have been unemployed for 18 months. When their union leader tells them, "Think of what you can do for yourself," Jerry decides, "I'm not going to sit around while my life goes down the drain." He sees the women, who are still working, shelling out big bucks to see a male stripper and wonders why he and his out-of-work comrades can't do what that guy does.

There are a couple of obvious obstacles: None of them can dance, and all of them, especially Dave, who is overweight, are self-conscious about stripping. They need a gimmick — and Jerry decides they should take off all their clothes, giving the audience "the full monty." Part of the pleasure of any production of this show comes from seeing how the big reveal is staged.

What's delightful about this production is that Jerry and Dave and the men they recruit look like regular guys you may know, neither glamorous nor hunks. There are Malcolm (Nick Morris), who is depressed and saddled with a grouchy aging mother; Ethan (Jon Scott), who may kill himself before the show trying to learn to run up walls like Donald O'Connor in "Singin' in the Rain"; Horse (Timothy Letheic Goins), an older man terribly insecure about his manliness; and Harold (Stephen Sherman), the plant supervisor who hasn't found the courage to tell his wife, Vicki (Dawn Veree), that he was laid off.

But it's the support they get from their families — Vicki, Dave's wife, Georgie (Julie Waite), and Jerry's son, Nathan (Nathan Ginsberg) — that keeps the men going. Not to mention their wisecracking, show-biz-savvy rehearsal pianist, Jeanette (Jayne Luke in a sassy performance that almost steals the show). All the characters have some depth, and the acting ensemble develops a cohesive camaraderie.

A live band, seated upstage and headed by the versatile Dave Evanoff, adds zip to the show, and Christine Moore contributes some jazzy choreography. David Schmidt's fluid, well-paced direction and Kenneth Plain's crisp, clear musical direction keep the ensemble on the same melodic and dramatic page.

Halee Rasmussen's stripped-down set with its metal grids and Seth Miller's flashing colored lights and follow spots give the show the dynamic feel of a rock concert. However, the Grand doesn't have an efficient way to change sets, and some of the set pieces are too cumbersome and take too long to move around, especially in the second act, where some scenes are very short. Staging these scenes more simply would keep the show flowing. Megan Jensen's casual costumes looked comfortable and lived in.

"The Full Monty" is a musical with a big heart. You won't come away humming the songs, but its down-home story of people working together to make the best of a bad situation has its own rewards. —

'The Full Monty'

Energetic, empathetic performances and an all-too-relevant story meld in the Grand's satisfying revival.

When • Reviewed on May 12; plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through June 4, with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m.

Where • Grand Theatre at Salt Lake Community College, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City

Tickets • $18 to $26 with discounts for students, seniors and groups; 801-957-3322 orthe-grand.org; contains adult language and situations

Running time • Two and a half hours (including an intermission)