“Holiday Punch” goes straight to her head

 

It’s December 18, and my escort, artist Jimmy von Milwaukee, staggers with me into the dark of day after the Sunday matinee of Holiday Punch 2011. High on two plus hours of fruit and nuts, blended with straight and not-so-straight mixers, I advise you pour yourself into it from now until New Year’s Eve, at Off The Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St.

Go more than once. Take your friends. Bang the walls and deck the halls, or do as director Dale Gutzman advises: “Hang on to your sleigh bells.” Reviewing the production is akin to chatting about made-in-Racine kringles. Gooey and frosted with nonsense galore, this show actually seated the audience of seventy on chairs with genuine pads. Some were privileged to interact with the wild wild cast.

Eric Olson, an E.R. nurse with a space between his front teeth, occupied one of those chairs. His spouse, Stacey, told me prior to the performance that it was their first trip to Off The Wall. It’s a trip they’ll never forget, nor will the mature gents in the innocent audience who in one skit fell prey to glittering “Cougars” prowling for cash in Florida.

The show covered multiple global and Wisconsin issues, including the Packers loss to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. Brilliant was their take on Madison! Madison! (think Camelot! Camelot!). Punches were slung at Scott Walker and crew, concealed carry, war and you name it. Actor John McGivern got a pie-in-the-puss because, Gutzman said, “He ripped off our material.”

If you were a Republican sitting on a padded chair, you probably fled the scene. But if you were cast as a dippy lady in need of Depends, you held your ground through the lively segment focusing on bladder control. Office-party drunks, squeezers and geezers had their say before the finale with snowflakes and the biggest baddest Suzie Snowflake ever.

What a show. When Gutzman sang, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, I started to cry. Then I laughed and laughed and laughed…

Cast and Credits: Dale Gutzman, Jeremy Welter, Marilyn White, Liz Mistele, Lawrence J.Lukasavage, Mary Henricksen, David Roper, Sharon Rise, Kristin Pagenkopf, David Flores, Annie Mater, Michael Davis. Dale Gutzman, writer and director; Anne Van Deusen, musical director.

Tickets and Show Info: Holiday Punch runs through New Year’s Eve at Off the Wall, 127 E. Wells St. Tickets are $25.50 and $28.50 at the company’s website and by phone, (414) 327-3552.