For most locals, Guys On Ice means the Detroit Red Wings or, maybe, the Plymouth Whalers.

But the folks at the Tipping Point Theatre hope it also means an evening of music and laughter.

Guys on Ice, a down-home musical comedy about a pair of Wisconsin ice-fishing buddies, had its local premiere Saturday.  Folks at the Northville Theater believe it will provide plenty of warm humor for the cold days ahead.

"It's a wintertime show, not necessarily a Christmas show, but we think its theme of friendship makes its perfect for the holidays as well as throughout the winter," said Lynn Wilde Concannon, the theater's marketing director.

Opening-night attendees seemed to agree.

"I have in-laws who live in Wisconsin and, from the accents to the attitudes, they really have it down," said Jennifer Cohol, of Novi.

Her husband, Doug, agreed.

"It's a charming show, a lot of fun," he said.

Despite its passing references to brats, quarterback Brett Favre and Leinenkugel beer, theater-goers said you don't have to be from Wisconsin to relate.

"I have a friend I fish with and I thought of him a lot during the show," Darleen Sweeny, of Novi, said. "There are things (in the show) that everyone can relate to."

Guys on Ice centers on the exploits of wistful dreamer Marvin, harried married man Lloyd and their sometimes friend Ernie the Mooch.

Like all fishing tales, it focuses on the big ones that got away –  opportunities, both big and small, which remain just out of reach for three everyday guys.

Matthew Gwynn, whose singing, dancing and comedic talents are on full display as Marvin, said it's also a universal story of how friendship helps us carry on despite our disappointments.

"It's about the friendship between Marvin and Lloyd and I think the audience can strongly relate to that," said Gwynn, a veteran of Michigan's famed Purple Rose Theatre.

Gwynn said the show may even have inspired him to give ice fishing another try.

"I've only been once in my life but, after this, I'm thinking about going back," he laughed. "I hear they have (ice fishing) shanties on Walled Lake."

The cast also includes Hillberry Repertory Theatre graduate Brian Sage, as Lloyd, and Tipping Point newcomer Andy Orscheln, as both Ernie and master of ceremonies.

In the latter role, Orscheln offers up a midshow ice fishing trivia contest with such prizes as a Leinenkugel "one pack" going to the winner.

Joey Albright serves as the show's director.

Tipping Point artistic director James Kuhl first came across the show during its Purple Rose run nearly a decade ago and kept it tucked away in his memory.

"I really think it's good fit for this part of the Midwest and this time of the year," Kuhl said.

Created by the late Fred Alley, an award-winning Wisconsin-based playwright, and partner James Kaplan, Guys on Ice made its Purple Rose debut in 2001. It falls well with the Chelsea theater's tradition of lighthearted but poignant Midwestern storytelling.

Song titles such as "Ode To a Snowmobile Suit," "The Wishing Hole" and "Fish Is the Miracle Food" point to the show's loopy sense of humor.

Part of Tipping Point's "All American Season," highlighting the works of U.S. writers, Guys on Ice will run through Jan. 15.

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, with 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets are $28-$30, with $2 discounts for students and seniors. Ticket information is available by calling the Tipping Point box office, 248-347-0003.