Gutzman Delivers Another 'Punch' to Holiday Tradition

It's difficult to describe<strong> Off the Wall</strong> <strong>Theatre</strong>'s <em>Holiday Punch</em> to someone who hasn't experienced it. My memories of it are hazy. There were lederhosen and plastic med cups of sauerkraut. It was nice and warm and there was alcohol. And there was comedy. That was years ago. The show is different every year. And there have been so many, many years.<br /><br />Milwaukee theater icon Dale Gutzman, Off the Wall Theatre's artistic director, again hosts <em>Holiday Punch</em>, his program of short, comic sketches. The show, penned by Gutzman, is a mixed bag that varies wildly, from dull and stultifying to sparkling and brilliant. Part of the fun of attending <em>Holiday Punch</em> is simply seeing what's been ricocheting around Gutzman's mind in the months leading up to the opening of the show. Yes, it may be unpleasant in places, but there's really nothing else quite like an evening in a warm, cozy Downtown theater in the company of Off the Wall. And you always know that what you're seeing is much more fresh than traditional holiday fare.<em><br /><br />Holiday Punch</em> runs Dec. 16-31 at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. WellsnSt. For ticket reservations, call 414-327-3552.<strong><br /><br />Theater Happenings</strong><br /><br />Theater groups are in the midst of their holiday routines, but 2012 brings with it new shows. One of the first touring shows of next year will be the pop experimental Blue Man Group, which makes it to the <strong>Marcus Center for the Performing Arts </strong>Jan.n3-8. For ticket reservations, call 414-273-7206.<br /><br />Next month, the <strong>Sunset Playhouse</strong> will stage the ever-popular <em>Nunsense.</em> Singing nuns grace the main stage of the Sunset Playhouse Jan. 12-Feb. 5. For ticket reservations, call 262-782-4430.