Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Overall, the singing is solid but not at the heights of this company at its best. The music just doesn't pop as it should. Anzevino's production also doesn't answer the question of why this show works now, which is something of an imperative, given the material. Then again, I suspect everyone here was also consumed with moving operations on a tight schedule. "The Full Monty" has its moments, but Theo Ubique needs more time."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...There are plenty of legitimate observations to be made about the stifling, repressive macho culture that exists in conservative pockets of New York State, but The Full Monty's sexual politics aren't self-aware enough to make it feel like a period piece or relevant, contemporary commentary. I did, however, find some undeniable charm in the "Hot Metal" dancers, though some of that may just have been Stockholm syndrome"
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...For the sake of the butterfly we love the cocoon. The Full Monty, a musical version by David Yazbek and Terrence McNally, is industriously inspired by the popular 1997 film about unemployed working-class Brits. The movie fondly embraced a bunch of lovable losers who give themselves a second chance to make and feel good. This fully Americanized musical version is a rock-solid charmer — and it’s a good christening for the new 85-seat Evanston home of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre (formerly found in Rogers Park at the No Exit Café)."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The antics of putting their troupe together and the different types of men that make up the troupe allow for lots of laughter and at the same time a deep look into what makes us tick. Both men and women. When they are up against it and a real stripper company announces a special night, on the night of their dance, they decide to win out by doing the "Full Monty" ( this means TOTAL strip)."
WTTW - Recommended
"...Yet this is very much a personal story rather than a political one. And the show’s jazzy music and knife-sharp lyrics by David Yazbek (who won the 2018 Tony Award for best score for his transcendent, and radically different work, “The Band’s Visit,” and more recently wrote the score for “Tootsie”) captures all its characters’ anger, embarrassment, humor and love with a timeless, propulsive beat.x
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This is musical is just what we need nowadays. It offers the average theatergoer a funny, often touching story that's as relevant as today's headlines. The show's highlighted by a toe-tapping musical score that's guaranteed to send folks out of the theatre humming and smiling ear-to-ear. This excellent theatre company, now in its new, expanded Evanston home, keeps outdoing itself. Fred Anzevino continues to offer Chicagoland excellently-produced, well-performed musicals that both impress and inspire his audiences. Mr. Anzevino also challenges his actors and collaborative theatre artists to always strive for their personal best. The company still offers the option of a show-themed dinner package, with the cast serving as waitstaff. With the exception of some sound issues and a bit of difficult staging, this timely musical about real people is relatable and a real winner."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The Theo Ubique cast is a credible assemblage of Everyman-type people. There are no glamorous Hollywood hunks masquerading as jobless steelworkers. Nick Druzbanski’s Dave, one of the two nominal lead characters with Matt Frye’s Jerry, is short and paunchy. Jonathan Schwart is a prissy and scrawny looking Harold, feeling his unemployment extra hard because he was a manager caught in the carnage of the mill’s closing. He is so shamed by his loss of status that he’s lied to his wife for six months about going to work daily."
Buzznews.net - Recommended
"...Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater has kicked-off the opening of its tailor-built home, with a very good production of The Full Monty - a Broadway musical adapted by Terrence McNally and David Yazbeck from a well-regarded 1997 British film. The troupe was crammed into the heartland Cafe and No Exit bar for years before landing at this wonderful space."
Irish American News - Highly Recommended
"...Despite the poverty of hope produced by unemployment, this work allows us to celebrate the ingenuity of human enterprise. The cast, all of them deserving of praise, breathe life into the lyrics of David Yazbek. Jerry, played by Matt Frye, grounds the show in the struggles of a man fighting against the humiliation that accompanies unemployment. He is joined by his friend Dave, Nick Druzbanski, who provides us with a robust performance. There is fire in the blood of these songs. They bring us closer to hearts and minds of a society struggling for survival. The overall feeling of optimism is loudly proclaimed in the final scene. While unemployment strips away a man’s dignity, his nakedness is transformed from humiliation to celebration."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Somewhat Recommended
"...On stage, The Full Monty ensemble is still seeking that necessary chemistry for the show to truly click. Matt Frye in the lead as Jerry needs to find something more to sell his character as both dance team leader and a decent father. When his relationship with his son becomes truly convincing is when this production will be all it should be. That said, Frye has a lovely voice, and his rendition of the ballad, “Breeze Off the River,” sung to his sleeping son (played by Sean Zielinski, who truly needs to see Frye as his dad), is a musical highlight."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...The Full Monty is, overall, a strong opening outing for Theo Ubique in its new home, though there may still be a few kinks to work out. There were a few technical difficulties with sound and lights at the press opening, but I’m sure they will be resolved quickly. One thing that wasn’t a problem was Bill Morey’s costumes. In a show featuring strippers, you can imagine some emphasis is placed on this, and Morey’s perfect tear-away clothing is as on point as anything in the show. It will make you smile and cheer, and that is ultimately the reaction that this sweet, fuzzy musical wants."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...All this is not to say that the ensemble here is not trying their darndest. Matt Frye is a charismatic lead as Jerry, with his second act solo “Breeze Off the River” reaching especially emotional heights. Same goes for “You Walk With Me,” as gorgeous as any song you’ll find in Yazbek’s catalogue, sung beautifully by Joe Giovanetti in the musical highlight of the evening."
