Protestantism, fish and chips, The Office, the English language and punk are just a few of the British things we Americans have taken and made our own. Some say this Americanization strips the original British-ism of its refinement, while others remember that the America we know today was created by renegade separatists in search of religious and cultural identities distinct from those of England. Perhaps nothing is more telling with regard to the ensuing development of American culture than the spectacle of musical theater—itself originally a British innovation—with its flashy sets, highly choreographed dance and tidy, pun-laden songs.
With their 2000 hit The Full Monty, an adaptation of a British film by the same name, David Yazbek and Terrance McNally took the story of down-and-out steelworkers-turned-Chippendale-style "dancers" from the town of Sheffield, England, and set it in Buffalo, N.Y. West Springfield's non-profit The Theater Project presents its take on the Tony-winning musical with a cast of local theater veterans. The question of whether they bare it all like their Broadway counterparts did (assisted by clever lighting) remains a mystery.
Through May 25, Wed.-Sun., various times, $19-27, (413) 747-7797, www.majestictheater.com.
