The Wonder Bread Years is a G-rated trip down memory lane for Baby Boomers. Like Wonder Bread itself, this one-man show is more carbs than nutrients. But that's the way it's supposed to be, and it allows the audience to sit back, relax and laugh at the common memories that connect this generation. The lone actor (John McGivern) basically plays himself as a young boy growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Milwaukee during the 1950s. He performs on a set that represents a stylized version of the back door to his family home and the concrete stoop below it. At one side, a clothesline mutely demonstrates the many ages of people who inhabit this house.
At times, McGivern becomes the members of his large and wacky family. McGivern is one of six children. It's not surprising, then, that this situation requires a multitude of hand-me-downs. When this reality extends itself to rotating Halloween costumes, the tale becomes an endless laugh machine. Later, the audience views real slides from McGivern's family photo album to prove that he is not making this up.
In another scene, McGivern's cagey father promises the reward of a "pine float" to whoever helps finish the yard work. This sends the kids scrambling to help -- despite the fact they have no idea what a pine float is. When the last chore is done, and the kids finally retire to the kitchen for their "floats." their father reveals a row of water-filled glasses with toothpicks floating on top. This, he notes, is a "pine float."
Many of the anecdotes are peppered with other famous comfort foods in addition to Wonder Bread. Familiar favorites include Kool-Aid, Velveeta, SpaghettiOs and SPAM. Even some of McGivern's secret kichen "discoveries" are mentioned, such as the time he sneaks a piece of baking chocolate from the cupboard. He pops it into his mouth, erroneously thinking it's candy. The bitter taste results in the kind of gagging and spitting noises one would expect from an eight-year-old boy. Undeterred, the young McGivern next experiments with a bouillon cube. He can't understand why these foods, wrapped in shiny foil like candy, taste so awful. From start to finish, McGivern gives this show his all. Impressively, he keeps the mood upbeat and the pace moving along.
A lot of the show consists of stand-up comedy. His exaggerated facial gestures and postures provoke many of the show's funniest moments. But McGivern is more than a laugh-a-minute kind of guy. By gently poking fun at those who guided his youth, he manages to touch the audience, too.
The writer and director, Pat Hazell, clearly "gets" what makes McGivern so special to his hometown admirers. But sometimes the show's unscripted moments generate the biggest laughs. McGivern is quick on his feet, and the audience typically howls at his frequent ad-libbed remarks. Overall, he creates a warm, funny environment that safely takes Boomers back to the days of their youth.
