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• Desperate measures in desperate times

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"Full Monty" rehearsal at Station Theatre in Downtown Urbana. Photo by James Kyung

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The Full Monty »

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• The Station Theatre »
  223 N. Broadway Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
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The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre bares it all except the ordinary. This hidden—more of a camouflaged—gem is a historical train station in Urbana, which moonlights as a theater. Their summer show is “The Full Monty," a musical. The show is riotously entertaining as a musical where "desperate times call for desperate measures." The opening scene introduces six unemployed factory workers from Buffalo, New York. Out of work, out of shape, out of hope, these men team up to get their lives back on track by performing as Chippendales, male exotic dancers. With their goal in sight, the guys begin auditions with the moves to make the ladies melt. But their journey to stripper stardom is no stroll in the park. They must deal with personal issues of self-confidence and self-respect. As they get to know each other they conquer their fears of body image and let the pants and belts fly. It is a play about reclaiming and appreciating the self. The men show their town real men, who bring the house down and rake in the dough. But their dancing and singing is nothing without the music. Some personal favorites include great hits like “Big-Ass Rock," “The Goods” and “Let It Go."

The Station Theatre provides the perfect intimate setting for viewers. No binoculars are required. All the seats in the house are close enough and at an angle where everyone can see the goods perfectly. This show is like a fine wine that only gets better as it progresses from act one to act two. The final scene is worth sitting for three hours. The awkward strip tease leaves audience members in hysterics and crying for more shimmies and pelvic thrusts. There is no musical quite like “The Full Monty,” where everything is undone, unsung, unwound and unconventional.