The Milwaukee Repertory Theater has undeniably scored another hit with the latest effort by the comedy team of Fred Alley and James Kaplan. This is the same duo who previously struck comic gold with Guys On Ice, about life in a Wisconsin fish shanty, and Lumberjacks in Love, a far- lesser tale of life in the Wisconsin woods. Their new musical, The Bachelors, probes the same general territory -- how man's idyllic existence is changed forever when a woman comes around. Although this territory is so worn it's almost disintegrated into dust, director Jeffrey Herbst brings out a number of genuinely funny moments. Slightly more sophisticated than past efforts, The Bachelors nevertheless doesn't veer far from the cornball humor that has attracted a considerable following among local audiences. It often has a work-in-progress feel, but it seems destined to please.
The musical, set once again in Wisconsin, examines the lives of two thirtyish bachelors who live in a squalid apartment in Madison. Amid typical bachelor scenarios (such as pouring beer on one's breakfast cornflakes and selling plasma for extra cash), they live in blissful contentment. Both have a history of striking out with girls -- until the fateful day an attractive pizza delivery person appears. Little do they realize the lust in her eye conceals revenge in her heart. In an unbelievably far-fetched prologue, set 100 years earlier, it is revealed that the girl's ancestor was jilted by one of the guy's ancestors. Her fatal attraction goes beyond the grave to claim the hearts (and lives) of the two men who did her wrong a century ago. Thankfully, the melodramatic prologue ends quickly. Better yet, it ends with a flourish, in a clever set change that transforms an upper-class Victorian parlor into a 1990s hovel -- all within 20 seconds.
Herbst has a knack for getting the most out of his actors' comic abilities, particularly of Doug Mancheski, who also starred in Guys On Ice and Lumberjacks. In Bachelors, Mancheski has the audience roaring with his rendition of "I Wish I Knew How Old This Tuna Fish Was," and later, with a romantic ditty about chopsticks. He is well matched by his roommate, played by Michael Herold, and the love interest, played by Kelly Anne Clark. All three actors have impressive voices and can move exceptionally well in the limited confines of the Stackner stage. The Stackner's intimate surroundings are ideal for this type of naturalistic material, as actors can get their point across with a wink or a shrug. The production team makes the most of the economical space, particularly James Maronek's set designs. The Bachelors may be a primer for the single life, but the design team who created it are surely destined for a long relationship with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
