"It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" at the St. Paul Hotel

#TCTheater friends, there's a well kept secret in town. At least I've never heard of it in the theater world, but my parents have heard of it from their favorite radio station (and the one I grew up listening to) WCCO. Every holiday* season at the beautiful St. Paul Hotel, there is a charming performance of It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play accompanied by a three-course meal. My mom has been wanting to go to it for several years, but it has a loyal following and is a tough ticket to get. We finally got in this year, and I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. Now in their 12th season with the same cast, this company puts on an entertaining show filled with nostalgia and the warmth of the holidays, with a lovely meal (see menu to the left, vegetarian options also available). Performances continue through December 24 and are sold out except for a few dates. Or you can listen to a live broadcast of the show on WCCO on December 17 at 7 pm, with a re-broadcast on December 24 at 5 pm.

"A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol" at New Century Theatre

I purchased a three-show package at New Century Theatre (the newest of the Hennepin Theaters), mostly because I really wanted to see 2 Sugars, Room for Cream, and the other two shows in the package looked interesting: Deer Camp The Musical (starring Newhart's brothers Darryl) and A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol. I found 2 Sugars, Room for Cream to be a delightfully original sketch comedy, and the other two... well, let's just say they didn't quite live up to what I believe musical theater can do (see this and this). That being said, I chuckled more than once, and the audience seemed to be having a great time. A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol is very similar in structure and feel to Deer Camp The Musical, but since I can relate to the traditional Minnesota Christmas more than I can relate to a weekend getaway based on killing animals, I enjoyed this one a little more. It's a very loose retelling of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, set in small town Minnesota. Local bar owner Gunnar falls in the frozen lake and is in a coma, whereupon he's visited by his romantic and musical rival, Sven Jorgenson, showing him his past, present, and future. And like in the classic story, this Scrooge learns to be a little more kind and grateful, and yes, even allow his wife to hug him every once in a while.

Highlights of the show, such as they were, include:

• A very enthusiastic and talented cast make the most of the material they're given. Number one among them is Bonni Allen as Gunner's long-suffering wife Clara. Bonni played Kate Monster in Mixed Blood's delightful production of Avenue Q last year, and I was quite amused when she once again put on a puppet, this time in the form of Barbra Streisand (it's a long story). Ross Young also appeared in Deer Camp, and once again he puts everything he's got into grumpy but loveable Gunner.
• Like Deer Camp, Don't Hug Me's original songs are sung live by the cast to canned music, but at least there's an excuse for it this time - the music comes out of the bar's karaoke machine. Most of the songs are cute and amusing (except for one disappointingly homophobic song). And I can never resist a singalong, even if it's to a stupid song about Grandma cutting the cheese.
• The dancing that accompanies the songs is also quite amusing (choreographed by Doug Anderson, who also plays the dimwitted bar patron Kanute, perhaps a nickname for Knutson?).
• The spirit Sven Jorgenson (Michael Lee) gives an amusingly bad Robert Goulet impression.
• The set is a very realistic looking small town Minnesota bar, judging by the responses I got when I posted a picture of it on Facebook with the caption "guess where I am?"
• A Christmas Carol wouldn't be A Christmas Carol without Tiny Tim, and he appears here in a very wacky version - actress Emily Moore (who also plays waitress and aspiring singer Bernice) on her knees with a Cockney accent.
• Again like Deer Camp, this show does not take itself at all seriously, and doesn't try to be more than it is - a silly, entertaining, mindless romp through bad jokes and cheesy story. You gotta respect that.

I've heard about these Don't Hug Me musicals (there are several in the series) and often wondered about them. Now I know they're not really my kind of musical. But they serve a purpose I suppose, and less adventurous theater-goers might enjoy them. A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol is playing now through January 6. (But in the genre of Minnesota-themed holiday shows, I highly recommend Yellow Tree Theatre's Miracle on Christmas Lake II.)

the lifelike bar set of A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol

"Deer Camp: The Musical" at New Century Theatre

Deer Camp: The Musical is exactly what you think it is. Full of bad jokes and lame puns that frequently make you groan before you laugh, it's almost "so bad it's good." But the good news is it doesn't take itself seriously or try to be anything more than it is, with lots of winks and nods to the audience. It's meant to appeal to a certain segment of the theater-going (or non-theater-going) audience, to which I don't think I belong (I'm an animal lover, a vegetarian, and I've never touched a gun in my life). Still, as a child of 80's TV sitcoms, I couldn't resist the opportunity to see the Brothers Darryl from Newhart. While the lone speaking brother Larry (William Sanderson) has gone on to create memorable characters in HBO shows Deadwood and True Blood, first brother Darryl, Minnesota native Tony Papenfuss, has returned to his Minnesota theater roots (including The Birthday Party at the Jungle this spring). Other brother Darryl, John Voldstad, joins him for this show about four deer hunting buddies whose wives have threatened that this will be their last year unless they bring home a deer. This sets them off on a desperate quest to somehow get a deer, despite the fact that none of them has brought a functioning gun. Most deer hunters I know are able to actually hunt successfully in addition to sitting around the cabin drinking beer and telling stories, but not these guys.

A few other things to note about Deer Camp: The Musical, playing now through the end of September at Hennepin Theatre Trust's newest addition, the New Century Theatre.

• The set is so realistic I wouldn't want to set foot in that cabin.
• The music is kind of catchy and clever, with more success on the country-tinged numbers which feature occasional nice harmonies.
• Transitions in and out of the musical numbers are less than seamless, and sadly they use canned music instead of live musicians to accompany the singers.
• Local actors Anthony Zadra and Ross Young join the Darryls in the cast. All four actors throw themselves completely into the material, which makes it more entertaining. They are all very enjoyable to watch.
• I do love Minnesota humor, and there is lots of it in this show.

If you are a deer hunter, or know someone who is, you will probably relate to and enjoy this show, like the guy behind me who guffawed at every one-liner. If you're not a deer hunter (or a fan of 80s sitcoms), I can give you a few other recommendations of shows to see around town this weekend.

John Voldstad and Tony Pappenfuss are the brothers Darryl,
with William Sanderson as Larry on Newhart