Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents Rudolph THE RED-HOSED REINDEER December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

25th Anniversary Edition!

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents

Rudolph THE RED-HOSED REINDEER

An Unauthorized Musical Parody

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Directed by Anthony Whitaker

December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025

at Hoover Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted

Pictured: Hell in a Handbag Productions’ 2011 production of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody). Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we adore Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer. This sexy, silly celebration of the season is a hoot, and an excellent tonic to too much family together time, and too many mainstream Christmas tunes. Can't wait to catch it again. Are you more of a Dasher, a Dancer, a Prancer, or maybe a Vixen? No matter your gender or orientation, if queer positive camp, witty parody, drag, and comedy is your jam, you'll find Hell in a Handbag Productions shows a welcome space to share a laugh. 

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to open its 2024/25 Season with the 25th anniversary edition of Artistic Director David Cerda’s* holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), directed by Anthony Whitaker, playing December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025 at Hoover Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1452754. I'll be out for the press opening December 15th, so check back soon for my full review.

This beloved and twisted musical parody of the animated 1967 children’s television special features all your favorite misfits and Rudolph – the cross-dressing reindeer with a penchant for red hose and heels. In trademark Handbag style, Rudolph combines parody with heartfelt moments and a splash of scathing social commentary.

The cast includes ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Lori Lee*, and Terry McCarthy* with Eustace Allen, Mark Bartishell, Kelly Bolton, Cameron Cai, Michael Hampton, Micah Mixon, TJ O'Brien, Shawn Quinlan, Michael Radford, Peter Ruger, Matt Sergot and Whitney Willard Wilkinson. Understudies include: Sophia Dennis, Douglas Levin, Al Duffy and Vito Vittore.

The production team includes Marcus Klein (Scenic Designer), Marquecia Jordan (Costume Designer), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Maya Reter, (Sound Designer), Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer), Jamal Howard (Choreographer), Chad Gearig (Music Director), Syd Genco* (Make-Up Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Veronica Kostka* (Production Manager), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Jackson Mikkelsen (Electrician), Michael S. Miller (Graphic Designer), Nihan Baysal (Stage Manager) and Sara Blickem (Assistant Stage Manager).

Benefit Weekend

Handbag will host a weekend of benefit performances Friday, December 20 – Sunday, December Sunday, December 22, 2024 with a pre-show party including appetizers, plus the option of VIP reserved seating, drink tickets and a gift bag. There will also be raffles and a silent auction with fabulous items to bid on. All proceeds will support Handbag’s mission to serve Chicago audiences with the best camp and parody – thus ensuring the preservation and celebration of this unequivocally queer art form.

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): Eustace Allen (Tom Donner, Choo Choo), Mark Bartishell (Drag Beast, Ensemble), Kelly Bolton (Herbie), Cameron Cai (Spike/Ensemble), David Cerda* (Gladys Dasher), Sydney Genco* (Elfina, Choo Choo), Michael Hampton (Santa), Caitlin Jackson* (Mrs. Claus, Dolly), Lori Lee* (Yukon Cornelia), Terry McCarthy* (Connie Blitzen, TT Barbie), Micah Mixon (Jane Donner, Ensemble) TJ O'Brien (QMR, Ensemble), Shawn Quinlan (Andy Cohen), Michael Radford (Score, Half Naked Cowboy), Peter Ruger (Rudolph), Matt Sergot (Sam the Snowman) and Whitney Willard Wilkinson (Clarice).

Understudies: Sophia Dennis, Al Duffy, Douglas Levin and Vito Vittore.

Location: Hoover Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Previews: Friday, December 13 at Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm

Opening/Press performance: Sunday, December 15 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 – Sunday, January 5, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 pm and Monday, December 30 (Industry Night).

Special Benefit Performances: Friday, December 20 at 7 pm, Saturday, December 21 at 7 pm and Sunday, December 22 at 3 pm. Please note early curtain times on Friday and Saturday.

Tickets: $29 previews, $39 early bird general admission, $45 general admission, $50 at the door, $52 advanced VIP/reserved ticket with no drink ticket, $60 advanced VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. Group rates $36 for 10 or more.

Benefit Performance Tickets: $60 general admission (includes appetizers) and $125 VIP/reserved (includes reserved seating, appetizers, drink ticket and gift bag).

Tickets for all performances are now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1452754.

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 23rd  year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His play, The Drag Seed was recently produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and was featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Cerda is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 23 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Anthony Whitaker (Director) is happy to be returning to Hell In a Handbag after having directed the Jeff-nominated Murder Re-Wrote and a week-long run as Happy The Elf in The Golden Girls Save Christmas. They most recently appeared in Sign Of The Traveler, a self-written solo performance, Anything Goes (Porchlight Music Theatre), Cabaret (Metropolis Performing Arts Center) as Herr Schultz and La Cage Aux Folles with Ginger Minj (Music Theater Works). They are the Co-Artistic Director the New American Folk Theatre (newamericanfolktheatre.org), where they wrote and/or performed in productions of, Two from the Trailer Court, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Dark of the Moon, Trash. Hot Pink, My Life Is A Country Song and directed the Jeff-nominated The Summer of Daisy Fay, written by Ed Howard and based on a novel by Fannie Flagg. Some of their favorite Chicago performances include Whoop Dee Doo (Royal George Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened... (Porchlight), Hands On A Hardbody (Refuge Theatre) and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). In addition to performing, Anthony teaches music and theatre in various Chicago area schools. They recently completed the short films, Shape Notes and The Caretaker, and has appeared on Chicago PD. They are represented by Big Mouth Talent.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

OPENING: World Premiere! of SCRAPS Via New American Folk Theatre at The Den Theatre September 1 – 29, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

World Premiere!

New American Folk Theatre Presents 

SCRAPS

By Co-Artistic Director Anthony Whitaker

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Jamal Howard

September 1 – 29, 2018 at The Den Theatre

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's New American Folk Theatre for the press opening of this world premiere on September 4th. Check back shortly after for my full review. We've adored New American Folk Theatre's past productions and are eager to see their latest.

New American Folk Theatre is pleased to present the world premiere of SCRAPS, the story of the Patchwork Girl of Oz, many years after her celebrated adventures in L. Frank Baum’s Oz book series. Written by Co-Artistic Director Anthony Whitaker* and directed by Co-Artistic Director Jamal Howard*, SCRAPS will play September 1 – 29, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets available at www.newamericanfolktheatre.org or by calling (773) 697- 3830.

SCRAPS features Brittney Brown, JD Caudill, Preston Choi, Kelly Combs, Jeffrey Hoge, Charlie Irving*, Vic Kuligoski and Kelsey Shipley.

Follow Scraps on her journey of self-discovery and her effort to shed herself of the patchwork quilt that she is made of in order to become a more “normal” person. Using the setting of America’s first fairy tale, this play explores racial and gender identity, and the myriad of people that make up the patchwork of this country. SCRAPS explores our capacity to love and our need to find intimacy through trust and friendship.

Comments Co-Artistic Jamal Howard, “Scraps is such a special script that uses a familiar fantasy world – Oz – to dive into a woman's journey of self discovery and love. Many of us know what it feels like to be different and Scraps has a chance to disguise herself and live out a fantasy she didn't even realize she had. Her story of searching for truth and meaning in life is universal.” 

The production team for SCRAPS includes: Anthony Whitaker (scenic and puppetry design), Zachary Ryan Allen/The Spirit of Oz (costume design), Garrett Steinke (lighting design), John Nichols (sound design), Keith Ryan (wig design) and Shelby Burgus (stage manager).

Cast (in alphabetical order): Brittney Brown (Scraps), JD Caudill (Ozma/Aunt Em), Preston Choi (Ojo the Unlucky), Kelly Combs (Princess Langwidere, Jack Pumpkinhead), Jeffrey Hoge (Uncle Henry, Dr. Pipt), Charlie Irving* (Dorothy, Barometra), Vic Kuligoski (Prince Evring, Tin Man) and Kelsey Shipley (Margolotte, Betsy, The Queen).

Understudies: David Gallo, Katie Incardona and Ashley Joy.

Location: The Den Theatre (2A), 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 
Dates: Previews: Saturday, September 1 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, September 2 at 6 pm
Press performance: Tuesday, September 4 at 7:30 pm 
Regular run: Friday, September 7 – Saturday, September 29, 2018.
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 6 pm
Tickets: Previews: $10. Regular run: $25. Tickets go on sale Thursday, August 2, 2018 at www.newamericanfolktheatre.org or by calling (773) 697- 3830.

*Denotes New American Folk Theatre Company Members

SCRAPS is made possible in part through a grant from The Saints.

About the Artists

Anthony Whitaker (Playwright) is the Co-Artistic Director of New American Folk Theatre (NAFT) and wrote the book and music for Dirty Girl, Salome Goes All the Way!, My Life Is A Country Song and The Marvelous Land of Oz. An expert in all things Oz, Anthony developed Scraps in The New Colony Writer's Room led by Evan Linder. Highlights of Anthony's work with NAFT include Directing the Jeff-nominated Summer of Daisy Fay, producing Dark of the Moon and performing in the Midwest Premieres of Deep in the Heart of Tuna, Johnny Drago's Trash and Hot Pink, or Ready to Blow. Chicago performance credits include ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Emerald City Theatre), Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes) and A Funny Thing Happened... (Porchlight). He is a music and theatre educator throughout Chicago as well as a songwriter and musician. Anthony is represented by Big Mouth Talent.

Jamal Howard (Director) is the Co-Artistic Director of New American Folk Theatre (NAFT) as well as the Artistic Associate at Emerald City Theatre (ECT), where he most recently directed and choreographed the Midwest premiere of Magic Tree House: Showtime with Shakespeare and The Wiz. With NAFT, Jamal directed the original musicals, My Life is a Country Song and Dirty Girl, a part of Underscore Theatre's Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, Dark of the Moon and Kennedy's Children. Originally from San Jose, CA, his love for theatre began at age eight when he started performing in musicals. Jamal graduated from Loyola  University Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre and co-founded NAFT in 2012. He was featured on stage in NAFT's productions of Trash, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Two From the Trailer Court and Witches Among Us. He directed, choreographed and taught performing arts in grade schools on Chicago’s south side as well as The Beverly Arts Center. Other directing and choreography credits include Once on This Island, Hairspray!, Cats, Wendy and Peter (co-wrote) and Little Shop of Horrors.



About New American Folk Theatre

New American Folk Theatre is dedicated to folk theatre, music, education, and stories that shine a new light on the American tale. We strive to educate the public on works worthy of inclusion to the American theatrical canon. Using the resources around us, we create art that often dives into a mix of magical realism, southern gothic, pop culture, and the irreverent. We produce impactful theatre and artistic projects that help us learn and grow as a society. For additional information, visit www.newamericanfolktheatre.org.