Starting Tuesday, six blue-collar friends from Buffalo, NY will stand on an empty stage in crisp, matching blue and black uniforms, poised to take it all off.

They are out of shape, out of work and out of pride. And everyone in their presence is thinking the same thing.

Will they or won’t they?

“The Full Monty,” based on the 1997 film of the same name, will play eight shows at the Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., from Sept. 30 through Oct. 5.

“You take an assuming film and translate it into a bigger-than-life Broadway musical, and it will move people in some way,” says Barb Pruess, director of marketing at the Civic Center.

With its wide range of themes and the variety of issues tackled within the show, Preuss says, the show appeals to a wide age range and people from all over the country.

“It has something that will appeal to absolutely everyone and everyone can identify with,” Pruess says.

“The Fully Monty” is the story of six unemployed steel workers in Buffalo who decide to help a friend pay his child support. After a group of male strippers come to town and strip down to their G-strings for the local women, the men decide they could make a lot of money if they bare it all for the ladies of the town in their very own male strip show.

“We take a look at what is popular on Broadway and decide what we want to bring here.” Preuss says. “We had the opportunity to bring ‘The Full Monty’ here, so we took it.”

The actors performing in “The Full Monty” have all had Broadway experience before, Pruess says.

“One of the actors, Trey Elliot, just came off ‘Rent’ on Broadway and [another cast member] Christian Anderson in a tour of it. So we have a few ‘Rent’ alums in the show,” Pruess says.

Pruess says although the question of whether or not they will strip may be a main part of the plot, this musical is really about friendship and the image-obsessed society the men live in.

“The guys’ result is a bit risqu‚ but they go through quite a journey,” Pruess says.

“The Full Monty” reminds its audience it is OK to be who you are and that we should celebrate who we are, Pruess says.

“The journey these six guys are on hits upon lots of themes — relationships, parenting, divorce, values, sexuality,” Pruess says. “Some parts of the show are very funny and some parts will break your heart. I think the show will surprise people.”