Take a couple of regular garden-variety guys, put them inside a small fishing shanty for a few days on a frozen lake somewhere in Wisconsin, add just the right blend of beer, snacks and solitude and you have the recipe for an evening of fun, philosophizing and poignancy.

"Guys On Ice" has returned. It was a hit when Oregon Cabaret Theatre presented it in 2001 and many patrons requested that the theater bring it back. It will open at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at Oregon Cabaret Theatre, First and Hargadine streets, Ashland. There will be previews ($10) at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

Lloyd and Marvin are spending time doing what they like to do best: ice-fishing in Marvin's cozy shanty. They get word that Cubby Kevernen from the PBS station is planning to drop by the shanty to interview them. They're going to be on TV! While they wait for their 15 minutes of fame, Lloyd and Marvin fish, talk about life and their girlfriends, tell jokes and drink beer. And because this is a musical, they also sing.

"Guys On Ice" was written by Fred Alley (book and lyrics) and James Kaplan (music). Malcolm Hillgartner is directing the OCT production with choreography by Jim Giancarlo. Hillgartner didn't see the 2001 production directed by Terri McMahon. He's putting his own take on the piece.

"I'm looking for more nuanced look at these guys," Hillgartner said. "On the surface, the play is a looney, goofy look at a subworld of men. I see it as more universal. You see it in fathers, uncles."

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Hillgartner points out that while the show is very funny, there is still a lot of sadness that needs to be brought out. Pathos. "These guys are hurting in various ways. They're in mid-life, asking 'What's important in my life?'"

Hillgartner sees the play as a love story between the two men and a testament to their enduring friendship. "There's something archetypal in these guys. There's more depth than just stereotypes."

Which could be a good reason why this show continues to resonate with theater-goers. They too are asking the same questions: "What matters?" "Why are we here?"

Recreating their roles from the 2001 Cabaret production are Bob Miner as Lloyd and Scot Douglas as Marvin. They are joined by John Hill who also recreates his role as Ernie the Moocher.

Hill as well as a band musician playing guitar, fiddle and other instruments. Miner was previously seen at OCT as Jackson in "Pump Boys & Dinettes." He is also a virtuoso harmonica player and used to have a kids' TV show in Texas called "Harmonica Bob." Douglas has appeared at OCT as Big Bill the Tomcat in "archy & mehitabel" and in "Gifts of the Heart." Miner noted that the show's librettist Alley died of a heart attack at 38. "In the play there is a toast to Cubby," Miner said. "The cast is really toasting Fred."

For Miner, Alley was dealing with his own mortality for himself, "but he put it down in an art form so we can all deal with it."

And he did it in an unpretentious, serious way, Hillgartner said. "You an take it on a serious level or not. They're simple guys — they're not simple-minded. They're just very matter of fact."

Hillgartner's roots are in the Midwest. "My father and uncles were from Michigan," Hillgartner reflected. "They would never say directly how they feel."

And that shows up in the layers of dryness of some of the play's humor. We also learn about Marvin's infatuation with Bonnie, the check-out girl at the Pick N Save, rumored to have a Green Bay Packers helmet tattooed in an intriguing location. Lloyd confesses that he is in hot water with the missus for buying tickets to a Packers game on their anniversary. Occasionally Ernie the Moocher stops in to nab a Leinenkugel beer and spread a little gossip.

"This play has such a following among women," Hillgartner said. "It's a relationship play," Miner added. "It runs very deep." OCT artistic director Giancarlo, agreed. "It's a good show to bring the hubby to. Even if he's not a fisherman himself, he'll enjoy the 'guy humor'."

Bottom line: You gotta have love in your heart.

Darcy Danielson is the show's musical director and pianist. She was not musical director the last time OCT staged the show. "I love the music for 'Bachelors,' (Alley and Kaplan's second look at guys in Wisconsin)." Danielson said the songs for "Guys On Ice" are simple, which is just what they need to be. They are a continuation of the dialogue. In addition to being very funny, the songs can be quite eloquent. Marvin gets to sing an Elvis-inspired rockabilly song called "The King." Lloyd has a ballad "Everything Is New" that reveals his sense of awe at the beauty of nature. Then there's "Ode to a Snowmobile Suit," a rollicking number in which the guys exploit the percussive possibilities of zippers and Velcro.

Set design is by Craig Hudson and Michael Halderman. Costuming is by Kerri Lea Robbins. Lighting design is by Craig Hudson and sound design by Frank Sullivan.

"Guys On Ice" opens Friday, Feb. 2, with low-priced previews on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, Feb. 1. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays with 1 p.m. brunch matinees on Sundays. There will be an added performance at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Tickets are $19-$29. OCT offers gourmet dining and brunch with advance reservations. Appetizers, desserts and beverages are also available without reservations.

Call 488-2902 after 11 a.m.