Goofy sincerity lifts 'Guys on Ice'

A frozen lake might seem an unlikely setting for male bonding, but in Fred Alley and James Kaplan's 1998 musical about the joys of ice fishing, "Guys on Ice," it's ideal. Molly Trainer's beautifully rendered ice shanty on Wisconsin's Sturgeon Bay sets off a sweetly sincere production at Stoneham Theatre.

This three-man musical comedy began as a coproduction between the American Folklore Theater ( of which Alley was an early member ) and the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre , and the folklore here definitely outweighs the theater. The customs and byways of this austere north-country sport are explored in depth. And while lifelong ice-fishing buddies Lloyd and Marvin might be freezing on the outside, their hearts are warm .

The brisk show (just 90 minutes) is written in dialect, with frequent praise of "dose Packers." Lloyd and Marvin, as portrayed by Bill Stambaugh and Cory Scott , are adorable in their mountain-men beards and nylon snowmobile suits. There's a modest plot -- Marvin is preparing for a visit from a local cable fishing-show host and invites Lloyd to join him -- but it's frequently buried beneath an avalanche of jokes about fishing, bait, cooking fish, and the most delectable part of the fish ("de strip from de back").

Another character, Ernie the Moocher (William Gardiner ), pops in at the shanty for bait and beer. Although Lloyd's marriage is troubled (his wife is appalled that he chose to attend a Packers game on the night of their anniversary) and Marvin is lonely in his single state, there's little doubt that their situations will have harmonious resolutions. Just as Vladimir and Estragon wait fruitlessly for Godot , Lloyd and Marvin must also abide, although they spend their time cracking jokes and singing songs.

Director Jason Southerland may have edgier plays to his credit, but "Guys on Ice" has a way of getting a hook into the part of the brain that desires puns and simple pleasures. And if you've seen "The Spitfire Grill ," Alley and Kaplan's most successful collaboration, "Guys on Ice" will seem as light and ephemeral as a late-season dusting of snow.

The score ranges from such mildly derivative ditties as the opening number, a tribute to ice fishing, in which Marvin declares, "Florida might be nice/ if it had sheets of ice," to maddeningly memorable tunes as "Fish Is de Miracle Food" (which alludes bizarrely to both polka and reggae traditions).

The weak patches in this "Ice" come when Scott and Stambaugh, who aren't particularly strong vocalists, start singing. Stambaugh strains at the high notes, and Scott is only slightly better, yet it's easy to forgive the renditions because the characterizations are so strong. If these guys were slick singers, the tone would be off. Uncomplicated yet profoundly moral, these two find salvation and serenity on the ice. Who needs church "when yer catchin ' de perch," indeed?

(Correction: Because of a reporting error, a review of the play "Guys on Ice: The Ice Fishing Musical" in yesterday's Living/Arts section wrongly credited Molly Trainer with creating the set. Trainer was costume designer for the production, and Jenna McFarland Lord was set designer, as noted in an informational box accompanying the review.)