Stagewest Presents Closes A DONT HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL 1/17

Gunner Johnson is not filled with the Christmas spirit. "I'm tellin' ya, it's just another Hallmark holiday that got outta control," he tells his wife Clara. But he's about to have to learn how to stop being a Grinch, as Stage West presents the utterly hilarious A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol, through January 17.

Gunner is the owner of The Bunyan, a typicAl Small-town bar in the frigid town of Bunyan Bay, Minnesota. But all is not hunky-dory this Christmas. Business is slow. His only customer is Kanute, a mooch who never pays for anything. His former waitress, Bernice, is back and looking for a job, but there's no money. He fears his wife Clara might be wishing she'd married his nemesis Sven. And a mind-of-its-own karaoke machine cranks out cheesy Christmas music at the drop of a hat. After an argument with Clara, Gunner storms out to take his skidoo out on the frozen lake, and a resulting crash puts him into a coma. And before you can say Yah, sure, you betcha, he's off on a zany romp of a journey through Christmases past, present, and future. Will he come out of it a better, or at least less grumpy, guy? It's a rollicking evening of theatre which is the perfect antidote to holiday stress.
A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol is the sequel to Don't Hug Me, though it's a stand-alone piece. The creation of Phil Olson (book and lyrics), with music by his brother Paul Olson, Don't Hug Me was a smash hit in Los Angeles, where it won four Artistic Director Achievement Awards, including Best Original Musical. It was so successful that three theatres booked the sequel even before it was written. A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol opened in five cities simultaneously in 2006, playing for 16 weeks in Los Angeles to sold-out houses. And its success continues to grow.

Norwegian on both sides, Phil and Paul Olson grew up in Edina, Minnesota, where they played football and basketball and ran track in high school. Phil then went on to Dartmouth College where he majored in mathematics, and continued with track and football. After graduation, Phil spent a summer on a try-out for the Chicago Bears, going on to receive an MBA from the University of Chicago and pursue a business career while writing stage and screenplays.

Phil currently lives in Los Angeles. He's written four award-winning plays and, as a script doctor, has re-written three movies that have been produced. Paul (a.k.a. Bear) also performed in concert, stage, jazz and marching bands. Paul graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School and is now Chief of Nephrology at the Allina Medical Clinics in Shakopee, and

serves as the Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation, Minnesota affiliate.

Jerry Russell will direct A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol, which features a great comic cast. Bradley Campbell, most recently seen as Falstaff in Shakespeare Dallas's The Merry Wives of Windsor, will appear as Gunner, while Lana K. Hoover, last seen at Stage West as the mother in The Long Christmas Ride Home, will play the long-suffering Clara. Randy Pearlman, most recently seen as Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls at WaterTower Theatre, will play the mooching Kanute. Singer/waitress Bernice will be played by Mary Jerome-Autrey, whose roles include Pegeen in the Garland Summer Musicals production of Mame. And the suave Sven will be played by Jim Johnson, seen as Frank Butler in Annie, Get Your Gun at Theatre Arlington.

The Bunyan Bar set will be designed by Jim Covault, with costumes by Covault and Peggy Kruger-O'Brien. Lighting will be provided by resident lighting designer Michael O'Brien, while Lynn Lovett will handle the props and set decor.

Estimated run time for the play: about 2 hours plus intermission.

A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol will play on January 17 at 3:00. Ticket prices range from $26 to $30, with discounts for students and seniors. Preview tickets are priced at only $15. Reservations and information are available through the Box Office (817-784-9378), or on the website, www.stagewest.org.

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