My friends used my birthday as a reason for a guys’ night out at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. A musical doesn’t conjure images of a raucous night, but Guys on Ice isn’t your usual musical.
Debuting in 1998, Guys on Ice has delighted audiences all over Wisconsin but also across the country. Now it is back in Milwaukee.
Guys on Ice is a musical celebrating friendships, life and ice fishing. In their shanty, best friends Marvin and Lloyd share jokes, thoughts and songs as they bond, Badgers-style. Lloyd and his wife are in a dispute involving Packers tickets, while Marvin is trying to summon the courage to ask out a local gal. While it is filled with Wisconsin references, all are understandable and amusing.
© Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Of course, it is also filled with songs. While “Ode to a Snowmobile Suit” and “The Wishing Hole” would never make Billboard’s chart, they made the crowd howl with laughter.
© Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Steve M. Koehler (Lloyd) and Doug Mancheski (Marvin) seem like they enjoy the bits as much as the audience. Their portrayals of stereotypical Wisconsin fishermen are hilarious without going over the top.
© Milwaukee Repertory Theater
My friends and I resisted the urge to wear Chicago Bears jerseys, but we did see plenty of Green Bay Packers gear. While some good-natured ribbing ensued between the fan bases, we were all Wisconsinites on this night.
Part of the David Kundert Stackner Season, Guys on Ice runs through March 17 in Stackner Cabaret. There are a few other productions scheduled for this 70th season, including Nina Simone: Four Women, which will be a couples’ night for our group.
— John Wroblewski, online writer
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