Photo by Michael Brosilow
Wisconsinites are full of quirks—from our Yooper English up north to our odd fondness for pickled eggs—and Guys on Ice: The Ice Fishing Musical is an engaging look into upper-Midwest existence that touches on the realities of life through the humorous lens of two ice fishing buddies. The stellar duo of Doug Mancheski and Steve Koehler has performed Guys on Ice more than 1,000 times across Wisconsin and the U.S., and their unforgettable performance at The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret opening night proved why the comedy is so highly sought after each holiday season.
We are first introduced to Marvin (Mancheski) and Lloyd (Koehler) through song, each offering their respective positive and negative thoughts of the new day. Marvin then calls Lloyd and asks him to come ice fishing because a famous TV host of a popular fishing show will be filming at his shanty. Lloyd agrees and the two meet at the shanty which, while petite and ordinary looking when closed, opens up to reveal impressively detailed walls stocked with fishing supplies. James Maronek’s realistic and versatile set piece works beautifully on the cozy stage.
Marvin and Lloyd’s interactions are high energy, the two tossing witty (and some groaner) jokes back and forth throughout the production. Mancheski has unbeatable comedic timing, pausing when his character is trying to understand a joke and then “getting it” a couple moments later to the audience’s delight. The vocals of both performers are quite lovely and, among several great duets, their “Ode to a Snowmobile Suit” was hilariously wonderful. The two make excellent use of the stage, prancing around zipping and un-Velcroing each other’s many snowmobile pockets in time to the catchy tune. Profounder topics are also adeptly slipped into conversations, including their work lives, relationship woes and human existence in general; even a sort-of argument occurs between the two when discussing what stories to tell on the TV show. In these moments, Mancheski and Koehler do an amazing job portraying their characters’ solidarity as friends. And while their fishing day doesn’t exactly go as planned, they inspire one another to make changes in their lives because they never know when their last day might come.
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Also notable is Bo Johnson’s excellent portrayal of Ernie, a moocher who stops by the shanty a couple of times for bait, food and beer. Johnson embodies this no-boundaries character with ease and also shows off his talent for the ukulele and trombone—which just so happen to be on hand in Ernie’s oversized winter coat when he decides to break out in song. Additional highlights include Koehler’s lovely solos “Everything is New,” a touching piece about the stillness of the outdoors and the freedom it offers, and “The One That Got Away,” a moving song about the failing relationship between him and his wife.
Guys on Ice is a tremendous script that seamlessly combines jokes about Wisconsin life with philosophical conversations on the mortality we all face. How do we want to be remembered when we leave this world? What is most important in our lives? These are questions we all must answer and Marvin and Lloyd remind us that friends are sometimes the best motivators.
Through Jan. 17 at the Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
