About the Original Don’t Hug Me

Don’t Hug Me was originally produced for the stage by Dan Hirsch at The Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles in November 2003 to rave reviews and sold-out houses. Originally slated for a six week run, Don’t Hug Me was extended by popular demand and was the longest running musical comedy in Los Angeles when it closed after six smash hit months. Don’t Hug Me

The four Don’t Hug Me musicals have had over 200 productions around the U.S. and Canada. Each of the four Don’t Hug Me musicals are stand alone stories. You do not need to see them in any order to fully enjoy them.

Don’t Hug Me won 4 Artistic Director Achievement Awards in Los Angeles including, Best Original Musical, Best Author Original Play, Best Director, and Best Ensemble Cast. In addition, Don’t Hug Me was given one of the top honors in The Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence as well as the McLaren Memorial Comedy Play Writing Competition, and was selected top 5% in Hollywood’s prestigous Chesterfield Writer’s Film Project out of 2,600 scripts.

Don’t Hug Me is currently available for licensing thru Samuel French Publishers. 212-206-8990

Synopsis: Don’t Hug Me takes place in a colorful, rustic north woods bar in tiny Bunyan Bay, Minnesota. It’s the coldest, most bone-chilling day of the year and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson is ready to sell the business and move to sunny Florida. Clara, his wife and former Winter Carnival Bunyan Queen, is perfectly content staying right where she is. Bernice Lundstrom, the pretty waitress, wants to pursue a singing career. Her fiance, Kanute Gunderson, wants her to stay home. It’s a battle of wills that tests their relationships and when a fast-talking salesman, Aarvid Gisselsen, promises to bring romance into their lives through the ‘magic’ of karaoke, all heck breaks loose!

Featuring 16 Original Songs Including:

– I’m a Walleye Woman in a Crappie Town
– My Smorgasbord of Love
– I Wanna go to the Mall of America
– The Bunyan Yodel
– He Wore a Purple Tux
– Upside Down in my Pickup Truck
– Little Ernie Eelpout
– The Ice House Blues

About A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol

A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol is a hilarious spoof of Charles Dickens’ classic story, “A Christmas Carol.” It’s the second in the Don’t Hug Me series of musicals. A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol opened in 2006 in 5 cities to rave reviews and sold out houses. In its second year, the smash hit musical played in 9 cities.

The Los Angeles World Premiere production of A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol broke box office records, was held over several times and ran for 16 weeks, one of the longest running Christmas musicals in the country.

A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol is a stand alone musical that doesn’t require you to see the other Don’t Hug Me musicals to fully enjoy it.

A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol is available for licensing thru Samuel French Publishers.
212-206-8990

Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice on his skidoo and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan? Find out.

Featuring 17 Original Songs Including:

– The Wheel is Turnin’ but the Hamster is Dead
– Gramma Cut the Christmas Cheese
– Gunner Fell Into an Ice Hole
– I Love You More Than Football
– The Bunyan Beguine
– What Would Barbra Streisand Do?
– I’d Rather be Naughty

About A Don’t Hug Me County Fair

A Don’t Hug Me County Fair is a hilarious spoof of a small county fair beauty pageant. It’s the third in the Don’t Hug Me series of musicals.

The success of the first two Don’t Hug Me musicals prompted Samuel French to request a summer sequel to the series and A Don’t Hug Me County Fair was written.

A Don’t Hug Me County Fair had its World Premiere in Los Angeles in February, 2009, and was booked to play in 7 other cities before it was written. The smash hit musical was extended several times in Los Angeles winning both critical and commercial acclaim.

A Don’t Hug Me County Fair was nominated for 8 Artistic Director Achievement Awards in Los Angeles, winning three awards including Best Author Original Play, Best Choreographer and Best Lighting.

A Don’t Hug Me County Fair is a stand alone musical that doesn’t require you to see the other Don’t Hug Me musicals to fully enjoy it.

A Don’t Hug Me County Fair is currently available for licensing thru Samuel French Publishers.
212-206-8990

Synopsis: It’s county fair time in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota, which means one thing; The Miss Walleye Queen Competition. Bernice, the pretty waitress, sees this as her big chance to win Miss Walleye Queen, to be discovered, and more important, to have her face carved in butter at the State Fair. The trouble begins when Gunner’s wife, Clara, decides she also wants to win Miss Walleye Queen, and when Gunner’s estranged twin sister, Trigger, shows up to try to win the beauty pageant, things get ugly.

Featuring 18 original songs including:

– Our Butter Face Queen
– Pontoon Ladies
– I’m Just a Pretty Forest Ranger
– My Campfire is Burnin’ For You
– If I Could Win Miss Walleye Queen
– I’m a Bunyan Woman

About Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant

Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant is the fourth in the Don’t Hug Me series of musicals. As is the case with the other three, you don’t need to see them in any particular order to fully understand and enjoy them.

Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant had its world premiere in Los Angeles in September of 2011.

Don’t Hug Me, I’m Pregnant is now available for licensing thru Samuel French Publishers.
212-206-8990

Synopsis: It’s early October in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota, in a little bar called “The Bunyan,” owned by Clara and Gunner Johnson. Clara is 8 1/2 months pregnant with their first child, and today she’s looking forward to her baby shower, getting lots of presents, and taking a break from her raging hormones.

Suddenly, a freak snow storm , a “tsnownami,” hits Bunyan Bay and they find themselves snowed in. All roads are closed. No one can get in or leave. Gunner’s worst nightmare comes true when Clara goes into labor and he realizes he’s going to have to deliver the baby in the bar.

Featuring 17 original songs, including:

– Babies and Beer
– If I Only Had a Boy
– Bun in the Oven
– Baby Fever
– The ‘Just Got Hosed Over by a Dork’ Blues
– If Men Had Babies, We’d All Be Extinct

About the Authors

PHIL OLSON (Book & Lyrics)

Phil has written 19 published plays, 13  are published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals including, Love…or Best Offer, Birthday Club, Don’t Hug Me, A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol, A Don’t Hug Me County Fair, Don’t Hug Me I’m Pregnant, Don’t Hug Me, We’re Married, Don’t Hug Me, We’re Family, Mom’s Gift, A Nice Family Gathering, A Nice Family Christmas, Polyester The Musical and A Twisted Christmas Carol. Phil’s plays and musicals have won over 50 playwriting awards. Phil’s newest play, A Twisted Christmas Carol, had world premieres in 8 cities, concurrently, in 2019, something that has never happened before in live theatre.

Phil’s plays have had over 600 productions in 45 states and 8 countries around the world. Phil has sold 2 screenplays. As a script doctor, he has re-written 3 screenplays that were produced. He also wrote for a television series that aired in Europe and another that aired on E! Television.

Phil grew up in Edina, Minnesota, where he was recently inducted into the Edina Athletic Hall of Fame. Phil graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in mathematics where he was an All-Ivy discus thrower on the track team, and an All-Ivy tight end on the Ivy League Championship Football Team. After trying out for The Chicago Bears, he received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

www.PhilOlson.com
PAUL OLSON, M.D. (Music) Brother to Phil. Norwegian on both sides, the Olson brothers grew up in Edina where they played football, basketball and track in high school. Paul (a.k.a. Bear) also performed in concert, stage, jazz and marching bands at Edina East High School and Southern Methodist University. Paul graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School and is now Chief of Nephrology at the Allina Medical Clinics in Shakopee. Among his many board designations, Paul serves as the Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation, Minnesota affiliate.