It has been years since Steve DeBruyne sat down for a show at Wharton Center.
The actor, who now lives in the hustling, bustling state of New York, used to frequently visit the entertainment venue with his family when he was younger.
"I grew up seeing shows at the Wharton Center," DeBruyne said. "It's really kind of exciting because this is my first national tour."
The Howell native has been working hard since he graduated in 2002 from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, and now he'll return to Michigan as Malcolm, a suicidal man-turned-stripper, in "The Full Monty."
DeBruyne has been fortunate enough to be a working actor since his graduation, and said his experience playing Malcolm in "The Full Monty" has been positive and unlike anything he's ever done before.
"I love the show and the cast is really great," DeBruyne said. "It's a fun show to do every night and it doesn't get any better."
The musical, adapted from the 1997 movie, tells the story of six broke friends who need employment to support themselves and their families. Little do they know that their biggest break will come from getting completely nude as male strippers.
Other than the change in accents, the only differences between the musical and the movie are that the musical takes place in New York, rather than the movie's England setting, the names have been Americanized and one character has been added to the roster.
"She's an older performer and she's the seasoned veteran of the group," DeBruyne said of added character Jeanette. "She plays piano for the guys."
As for DeBruyne's character, he's easy to explain.
"He's kind of a momma's-boy loser who still lives at home with mom and has no friends, so he's lonely," DeBruyne said. "Meeting the guys was the best thing for him."
And for DeBruyne, getting naked was an experience he swore he'd never do.
"We go the full Monty," DeBruyne said. "Thanks to a really great lighting effect, it leaves the audience wondering what they saw."
But it's not just the nudity that attracts audience members, DeBruyne said.
"One thing that I think is really important about the show is that a lot of guys get scared off because of the subject matter, and I think it's important for the men to know this is a show they can relate to.
"It's about six out-of-work guys who need to support their loved ones, and they have to go to desperate measures, and I think guys can get a real kick out of it if they get past the nudity part."
Bob Hoffman, public relations manager for Wharton Center, agreed that the show is more about message than content.
"It's really a show about friendship and the music's great," Hoffman said. "It's not a strip show.
"I think it definitely is a show for everyone, but that's kind of general because I don't know if a 10-year-old kid would like it, but I definitely think everyone has friends, relationship issues and problems, and the show addresses all of those that we face."
Marcus Olson, associate professor and head of acting at MSU, said he has seen the movie, but not the musical.
"I did like the movie very much," Olson said. "I have rehearsals for 'Into the Woods,' so I probably will not be going to see it, which is too bad."
Olson said he visited the Web site www.thefullmonty.com for information about the show and found the site useful.
"It's a very lively Web site," Olson said. "It looks like a lot of fun, and it had a good run in New York, so people must like it."
And they do.
Dan Pilon, an advertising senior, said "The Full Monty" is on his list of things to do.
"I would enjoy seeing a musical theater adaptation of the film because I think it is always interesting to see different interpretations of a story," Pilon said. "It's entertaining to see how the song writers incorporate parts of the plot into the musical numbers."
"The Full Monty" will be at Wharton Center through Sunday. For more information on the show, visit www.whartoncenter.com
