BWW Reviews: Olson Brothers' Latest DON'T HUG ME, WE'RE MARRIED Plays Group Rep in NoHo

Don't Hug Me, We're Married/book & lyrics by Phil Olson; music & orchestrations by Paul Olson/directed by Doug Engalla/choreographed by Stan Mazin/group rep at Lonny Chapman Theatre, NoHo/through November 15

Folks who are unfamiliar with the Don't Hug Me series of shows need look no further than at the signs in the lobby of the group rep that say "Have a Crappie Day!" It's obvious that the show inside is unlike any other with an unmistakable individuality and peculiarly regional point of view, that everyone can relate to. We've all known people like these crazy characters. In a long series of Don't Hug Me productions the Olson Brothers are at it again, this time around with Don't Hug Me, We're Married, now onstage in NoHo through November 15.

The place is a small town in northern Minnesota called Bunyan Bay; the inhabitants could be straight out of the movie Fargo and their antics are about as silly as one could ever imagine. And...it's a musical, so songs and dances that punctuate the comic plot are just as silly as the storyline. And that's OK. The Olson shows are extremely popular with a huge fan following across the Midwest. Many people know and love them... especially women, as the shows place them on a pedestal and portray the men who marry them not unlike a bunch of blooming idiots. The women put their men to the test of proving who has the strongest worth in a relationship, and if the men come out winning, they are tied with the women, not ahead of them. So it's a battle of the sexes, all on the ludicrous side and all for fun with the tiniest bit of sentimentality thrown in for good measure. It's like the 50s, long before feminism, but where the women were possessive, domineering and obsessive, and the men confessed their follies, apologized and kept their women smiling. So, the women do eventually forgive their men and end up extolling the marriage that they've been whining about for two hours. But don't take it seriously; it's the Norwegian laugh-filled formula for supposed happiness.

The cast is terrific under Doug Engalla's fast-paced direction The married couple who own The Bunyan Bar, Clara and Gunner, are played delightfully by Rebekah Dunn and Don Schlossman respectively. She has a fresh and infectious sense of humor and he...well, he not only plays blockheaded Gunner, but Gunner's sister Trigger as well, a forest ranger no less. Gunner's lame friend Kanute is wondrously played by Bert Emmett, whose comic faces and hilarious line deliveries come fast and furious. The object of poor Kanute's affection is Bernice played by Truett Jean Butler. Butler is very tall, but truly knows how to move that body in time with the music and proves herself a real knockout. Also competing for the Lutheran Bernice is Aarvid, a sappy Catholic boy who has a way with gadgets like the LSS 562 karaoke machine that guides all five in some pretty nifty dancing staged vibrantly by Stan Mazin. Troy Whitaker plays Aarvid with a deliciously goofy and frenetic aplomb. Loved his Elvis! The plot involves making plans for a double wedding, that of Aarvid and Bernice... and Kanute and Trigger. The chemistry between Emmett and Schlossman is dynamite, providing some of the best comedic moments in the show.Chris Winfield's set of the bar is meticulously designed.

If you're looking for a great theatrical experience, look elsewhere; you betcha, you will not find it in Don't Hug Me, We're Married. Its high point is entertainment with a barrel of laughs and some real zippy dance numbers that make the stage come alive.

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