A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol, the smash hit musical comedy, is back in Minneapolis by popular demand after selling out every show the last two Decembers!

Online, November 30, 2009 (Newswire.com) - A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL is back in Minneapolis for a third year after selling out every show the last two Decembers.

A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL is a Minnesota spoof of Charles Dickens' classic story, "A Christmas Carol," and the sequel to the award-winning musical, DON'T HUG ME, which ran in Minneapolis for nine months, and has played in over 75 cities around the U.S. and Canada.

A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL is now playing at Hennepin Stages in downtown Minneapolis and will run thru January 3rd.

"BEST MUSICAL OF 2006!" -Reviewplays.com
"A LAUGH A MINUTE!" - Norway Times
"HYSTERICAL!" - KCLA
"NON-STOP LAUGHS!...I LOVED IT!" - Los Angeles Scene
"GO SEE IT!" - Tom Barnard KQRS
"HOLIDAY AMUSEMENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!" - Valley Scene

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, 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: Gunner Fell Into an Ice Hole, The Wheel is Turnin' but the Hamster is Dead, I Love You More Than Football, Gramma Cut the Christmas Cheese, Stuck in a Chimney, The Bunyan Beguine, What Would Barbra Streisand Do?, I'd Rather be Naughty and more.

The World Premiere of A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL was in Los Angeles in 2006. A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL played in 5 theatres in 2006, simultaneously. Because of the success of the original DON'T HUG ME, all 5 theatres booked A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL before it was written.

Phil Olson, playwright and Minnesota native, has written 8 published plays, 4 are published by Samuel French including DON'T HUG ME, A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL, A DON'T HUG ME COUNTY FAIR and A NICE FAMILY GATHERING. His plays and musicals have played in over 120 cities around North America. Phil lives in Los Angeles where he creates his musicals.

Paul Olson, M.D., music composer, graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School, and is now the Chief of Nephrology at The Allina Medical Center in Minnesota, as well as President of the Minnesota Kidney Foundation, and is Phil's brother.

Book & Lyrics by Phil Olson
Music by Paul Olson
Featuring: Bonni Allen, Doug Anderson, Dan Hopman, Emily Trempe, Ross Young

Performance Dates and Times for A DON'T HUG ME CHRISTMAS CAROL at Hennepin Stages:
Nov. 27th thru Jan 3rd
Thu & Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 5pm & 8:30pm, Sun @ 3pm.
Tickets: $22 on Thu & Sun, $25 on Fri & Sat.
For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Or buy them online at www.ticketmaster.com. To avoid service fees, buy tickets in person at the State Theatre at 805 Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis. For Group Sales call: (612) 373-5665. Call 612-339-7007 for more information.
Hennepin Stages is located at 824 Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis.
CONTACT: Phil Olson @ (818) 783-6550, or [email protected]
For more info, please visit www.adonthugmechristmascarol.com

The third installment of the DON'T HUG ME franchise is the summer version, A DON'T HUG ME COUNTY FAIR, which had its World Premiere in Los Angeles in February of this year. A DON'T HUG ME COUNTY FAIR was booked into 8 theatres before it was written.

Phil Olson's newest musical, POLYESTER THE MUSICAL, had its World Premiere in Los Angeles on November 6th and will run thru December 20th. POLYESTER THE MUSICAL is a story about The Synchronistics, an over-the-hill ABBA wannabe group that reunites after 20 years to perform at a public access TV Telethon.