It seemed somewhat a remarkable co-incidence that I sat down to watch this movie the same night that Mickey Rooney’s death was announced. Mickey will always be ‘Andy Hardy’ to me : the irrepressible boy that thought he could solve all of life’s problems with jumping up and exclaiming ‘Let’s put on a Show’. And that is exactly what writer/actor Jeffrey A Johns has done here by writing himself a juicy starring role in a very camp musical. Andy’s shows were camp in another way, but this one is so because it is uber gay. I mean having a plot that mixes musical theater with a strip show is ensuring that it captures the attention of vast amount of happy homos.Johns plays Anthony a stage-struck amateur in Montana who pays to enter a competition to be in an off-Broadway Show. The Producers who are using this as a means to rake money in from desperate would-be actors, are also running a similar competition for Stripper Boys Show which hunky Tony enters. Both men ‘win’ and are accepted but there is a mix up at the Office and scrawny Anthony ends up having to take his clothes off on stage, whilst the nice-but-dim Tony ends up having to sing and dance instead.
It’s an excuse for big musical numbers at the drop of a cue and a chance for both men to strut their stuff. Anthony manages to shake off his country-boy choir singing image and his closeted boyfriend back home to boot and becomes the apple in his directors eye and heart. Hedonistic Tony ditches his player routine when he falls for his no-nonsense talented leading lady and finds a life beyond stripping.
John’s Anthony is extremely likable and can be forgiven for hogging the limelight so much as he fills it very well. He also takes the credit for his other role as the movie’s casting director for getting two great leads in Adam Huss as Tony (known to gay audiences for ‘Is It Just Me’ where he played Cameron a go-go dancer) and Rene Strober a Broadway actor with a powerful voice as Tony’s amour. But he also managed to snare some other rather starry names such as Christopher Atkins, Lee Meriweather, Sally Struthers and even Shirley Jones to play small, but significant supporting roles. Miss Jones played herself and to the hilt with a real scene stealing cameo as a Broadway diva. 
It’s funny, cute, silly and highly enjoyable with a high-octane energy that makes you want to forgive some of the hammy acting and the few wince-making scenes that somehow escaped the editors sisters. I’m sure it’s going to be a great crowd pleaser on the Film Festival Circuit beyond. And even if you are not a ‘show tunes queen’, there are always the strippers to feast your eyes upon.
