Guys on Ice
an ice-fishing musical
Book & Lyrics by Fred Alley
Music by James Kaplan
Conceived & Researched by Fred Alley & Frederick Heide
Directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski
Music Direction by Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis
Dates TBD
You’ve seen them. Little wooden shanties sitting on lake ice. Puffs of smoke rising from chimney pipes. On a quiet day, maybe the static of a tinny radio filters through plywood walls, across the frozen tundra, back to shore. In a cold world, on a cold day, on a frozen lake, these little signs of life are all most people know of a secret culture that thrives right here amongst us. Well, wonder no more. Once again […] we bring you our somewhat twisted take on the secret world of ice fishermen. Guys on Ice spends a day in the life of Marvin and Lloyd — fishing buddies and home-grown philosophers. With musical numbers like, “The Wishing Hole,” “Ode to a Snowmobile Suit,” “Fish is the Miracle Food” and “The One That Got Away,” Guys on Ice works not only as a serious anthropological study but as a musical comedy as well.
This charming play tells the story of two ice fishing buddies from Northern Wisconsin who talk and sing about life, love, and the one that got away. From their ice fishing shanty, long-time pals Lloyd and Marvin keep warm with a mutual appreciation for good bait, cold beer, and the Green Bay Packers. As Marvin anxiously awaits his opportunity to appear on a cable TV fishing show and share secrets of his life on da’ lake, Lloyds ponders a recent squabble with his wife concerning plans to spend their anniversary at Lambeau Field, and both pals scramble to protect their cold ones from fellow angler, Ernie the Moocher.
From the pen of Fred Alley, author of last year’s hit “The Spitfire Grill”, comes a warm, funny comedy about friendship, life, beer, and fishing. Guys On Ice will charm your wool socks off!