Doug Mancheski and Steve Koehler have put on their snowmobile suits and lit a fire in their stove over 1,000 times for untold thousands of people. They are doing it again now, with the opening of a long run of "Guys On Ice" at the Stackner Cabaret of the Milwaukee Rep.
This play – which made its Wisconsin and world debut in 1998 with a book and lyrics by the late Fred Alley and music by James Kaplan – is a quintessential Wisconsin play. It’s hard to imagine anything that focuses in so much on a unique world where the pursuit of fish through a hole in the ice is such a popular sport.
The story concerns Marvin (Mancheski) and Lloyd (Koehler), best friends who have made a fish shanty an escape from the realities of their lives. Lloyd’s wife has split because he would rather see a football game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears than celebrate their anniversary. Meanwhile, Marvin lusts after Bonnie, a checkout girl at Pick ‘n Save who has a Packer tattoo in a private spot on her body. He's also fed up with his second-shift factory job.
They expect a visit from Cubby, who hosts a local fishing cable television show. Marvin set up the interview and has asked his best friend to join him in this expected trip to stardom. Marvin sings "The Guy from TV," a dream of how cool his life will be once he has appeared on the show.
The music in this show is both funny and, at times, touching. The songs include titles like, "Ode to a Snowmobile Suit," "Fish is the Miracle Food" and the ballad "The One That Got Away," Lloyd’s plaintive cry of his lost wife.
Mancheski and Koehler have played this so often that I was overwhelmed by the gentle nature of their friendship. It’s easy to believe that these are guys who truly love their lives in the shanty. They truly "get" each other without any kind of awkwardness so common to men who are friends.
While they are bound by the search for fish, both Koehler and Mancheski bring depth to their characters.
Marvin is a plain, doltish bachelor, but rather than let him play just that, Mancheski gives Marvin a level of interesting sophistication, even though it is slow to develop in him.
Koehler is more tacit and romantic, but he makes sure we all know that he is deeply loyal to his friend and wants nothing more than for Marvin to get his big break on TV.
Both men are wonderful actors, and their singing is so diverse that there are special moments throughout. Mancheski is the funny guy. Koehler is the sweet tenor who sounds like Captain von Trapp, a role he defined at Skylight Music Theatre in 2012.
One of the funniest periods in this play belongs to longtime Milwaukee actor Bo Johnson, who plays Ernie the Moocher in his second Rep appearance.
Johnson conducts halftime, which is an audience participation section. He picks audience volunteers to answer a series of questions. Prizes include a can of Leinenkugel’s beer, pickled eggs, individually wrapped cheese curds and a mini-beef pepperoni stick.
The questions and multiple choice answers are written out, but Johnson has to ad lib much of the game, and he is an hilarious master of the quip.
One contestant announced herself as "Pam," and said she was with her "BFF." Johnson paused while the audience waited before he asked her, "Boy Friend Finally?" The roars just about brought down the house.
The reason this play has had such a long life is because it is simple. There are no deep thoughts or moral messages. It’s two friends and a fish shanty.
And the tears all night long are tears of laughter.
"Guys on Ice" runs through Jan. 17 and information on showtimes and tickets is available here
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
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