Review: Housut pois
PEOPLE AT THEIR MOST NAKED
Terrence McNally & David Yazbek: Pants Off
Translated by Mikko Koivusalo
Director: Kurt Nuotio
Conductor: Timo Kärkkäinen
Choreography: Ari Tenhula
Set design: Oskari Torvinen
Costumes: Satu-Marja Nygren
Lights: Kari Leppälä
Sound design and vocal mixing: Eradj Nazimov
Music expert: Nick Davies
I premiere 17.1. Helsinki City Theatre, cast:
Timo Tuominen, Eero Saarinen, Antti Timonen, Tony Wahlström, Matti Rasila, Chellaf Abdeslam (Langry), Vuokko Hovatta, Kirsti Väänänen, Kristiina Elstelä, Aino Seppo, Petri Ahonen, Seppo Maijala, Lauri Ranin, Matti Olavi Ranin, Petri Johansson, Leenamari Unho, Tiina Peltonen, Amira Khalifa, Susa Saukko, Juha Jokela, Panu Vauhkonen, Petri Palo
12-man/female orchestra. II premiere 19.1.
First there was the New Zealand play (1987), which became a British film (1997). Then an American musical was made, which became a Broadway hit the year before last. It reached Finland before London, for example.
In the four-Oscar-nominated film Pants Off, workers in Sheffield find themselves unemployed. Frustrated, the guys decide to do better than the famous Chippendale males who danced almost naked and made money from screaming female audiences. The attempt of ordinary guys who have grown a beer belly and don’t know how to dance is absurd – and moving.
The film has a solidly naturalistic working-class milieu, which the British “class-conscious” entertainment industry has always been happy to exploit: its everyday life is colourful and street-credible.
The musical version is, of course, Americanized: the story has been moved to Buffalo.The characters are more typified and symbolic, the narrative carries traditional sentimental plots. A divorced father and son, men who clumsily love their wives, a mama’s son who finds gay love are all absolutely adorable.
And there is nothing wrong with that, quite the opposite. But even though the story is certainly not surprising or complicated, a lot of time is spent on stage to thoroughly verbalize it. It is as if an hour of music has been added to the two-hour story.
The musical may delight those who have not seen the film the most.
***
Why did the movie become so popular? Men humiliate themselves by putting themselves at the mercy of women: they criticize their physical appearance. Well, the variety is refreshing: after all, women have been the object of merciless erotic scrutiny throughout the ages. If raisin boobs, then petty dicks too!
The most important thing in exposing people is not the comedy, but the struggle for self-respect and social coping, the painful, recognizable and moving traits in people’s “real life” – where, after all, sexuality and eroticism are not completely detached from affection and love. (Hm. In modern entertainment, the “revealing” of this truth seems to be remarkably original. That’s exactly where the screenwriters have figured out a niche in the market.)
The men in the story are ridiculous and yet everyday heroes. On the surface, women may seem cruel – but these are the men that are good enough for them, with and without bars, fat and all.
***
On the large stage of the City Theatre, a few indicative park or water images are reflected in the background of Oskari Torvinen’s symbolic house and factory facades.
The main roles of the first premiere were played by Timo Tuominen and Eero Saarinen as Jerry Lukowski and Dave Bukatinsky. Jerry comes up with the idea for a strip show for his friends because he needs money for alimony and to meet his son. Dave is a losing loser.
Tuominen’s physically mobile Jerry has a suitable mix of anxiety and tragicomedy, while Saarinen’s apathetic Dave has a clumsy emotion. The tenors’ songs are at least flowing with enough actor charisma.
Composer David Yazbek is a new name as a musical-maker: his music sounds quite chameleon-like: pop-rock, with funky jazzy twists. Of course, there is also room for a couple of melodic solos.
Antti Timonen, who plays the exhilarating mama’s son Malcolm, does a great job of interpreting what was planned to be the most beautiful, also as a duet with Tony Wahlström. Wahlström’s stupid Ethan has a bit of a grudge but a lot to reveal…
The orchestra led by Timo Kärkkäinen, pushed under the stage, plays lively. Especially in the beginning, the sound system roared too loudly from the buckets, making the music rattling. Mikko Koivusalo’s apparently witty song translations are sometimes difficult to understand.
Matti Rasila is an unemployed white-collar worker, a men’s dance master; Rasila’s tender-helpless love for his deliciously sensual wife (Kirsti Väänänen) is in the same league as Saarinen Dave’s favourite Vuokko Hovatta’s translucent, beautifully singing Georgie.
The sixth of the Hot Metal strippers, the black man “Taurus” in the premiere cast was Chellaf Abdeslam, a great guy in his dry decency – but his hips start to whip when necessary.
Kristina Elstelä’s chain-smoking lady who has seen it all is a supportively humorous revelation. Lauri Rani’s Jerry’s son is a remarkably natural child on stage.
Kurt Nuotio’s direction gives room for (men’s) acting. On the other hand, the action at the premiere wasn’t quite as hilarious as it should be, as there is enough duration anyway.
***
Seppo Maijala hilariously demonstrates the difficulties of erotic empathy: a trade unionist “strips” in his audition as if he were going to a urologist’s office; He will probably get the full sympathy of many, many (male) viewers.
Yes, the pantless will be successful here as well.
SOILA LEHTONEN