Displaying items by tag: Kelly Bolton

Hell in a Handbag Productions is excited to continue its 2025/26 season with the world premiere of The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid, a new addition to its acclaimed "Lost Episodes" parody series. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda* and directed by Brigitte Ditmars**, this comedic production will run from May 8 – June 21, 2026 at The Clutch, Handbag's boutique performance space at 4335 N. Western Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org and buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/2078392. 

The cast includes ensemble members Kelly Bolton*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor* with Honey West. Additional casting to be announced.

About the Production:

In this hilarious new adventure, Rose (Ed Jones*) finds herself in need of extra income and stumbles upon a unique business opportunity — the first multi-level marketing company in St. Olaf, introducing local households to the cheeses of her hometown.

Pretty soon Rose has a garage full of cheese, and no idea how to get rid of it.

Enter Blanche (Grant Drager*), Dorothy (David Cerda*) and Sophia (Kelly Bolton*) with their creative ideas to help Rose organize an unforgettable cheese party, with the audience invited as guests. The show asks: Can the girls save Rose from financial disaster using their party-planning expertise?

Chicago's beloved geriatric superstars return in an all-new Golden Girls escapade, promising to deliver their cheesiest episode yet.

The production team includes Marcus Klein* (Scenic Design), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Danny Rockett (Sound Designer), Syd Genco** (Make-Up Design) and Keith Ryan* (Wig Design).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member | **Denotes Handbag Associate Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid (A Lost Episodes Parody) – World Premiere!
Playwright: David Cerda*
Director: Brigitte Ditmars**
Cast (in alphabetical order): Kelly Bolton (Sophia), David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Scott Sawa (Stan), Danne W. Taylor* (Madame Zuhara) and Honey West (Ingrid Ostekongen). Additional casting to be announced.

Location: The Clutch, 4335 N. Western Ave., Chicago

Previews: Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm, Saturday May 9 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, May 10 at 7:30 pm and Friday, May 15 at 7:30 pm
Opening: Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Sunday, May 17 – Sunday, June 21, 2026
Curtain Times: Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm and 7 pm. Please note: there will be added Industry Night performances on Monday, June 12 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: $32* previews, $44* advanced general admission, $47* at the door, $59* VIP/reserved seating. Group rates $38 for 10 or more. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org and buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/2078392. General admission tickets include a refreshment; VIP tickets include a refreshment, reserved premium seating and of course St. Olaf gourmet cheese. *Ticket prices include processing fees.

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 25^th 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 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 27 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Brigitte Ditmars (Director) is a Chicago based director/choreographer who has been performing, choreographing and directing with Handbag since their inaugural production of Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical.  Previous Handbag credits include Bewildered, Caged Dames, How Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Happene, Poseidon... (2010), Rip Nelson's Halloween Spooktacular; Lady X and many iterations of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer. Additional directing credits include Always, Patsy Cline (Jeff Nomination – Firebrand Theatre), The Secret Council (First Folio Theatre), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Birmingham Children's Theatre), Rock of Ages (Timberlake Playhouse), Maybe Baby, It's You and Nunsense (Fox Valley Repertory). She has received two Joseph Jefferson Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Reefer Madness (Circle Theatre) and Pinafore! (Bailiwick Repertory), as well as 3 additional nominations.

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.

I fondly recall watching the 1964 children’s television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer each year with great wonder! Its message of hope—that you can be yourself and different from the herd—left a lasting impression. The idea that, through perseverance, you can be loved and appreciated for your unique talents is as relevant today as ever. This timeless lesson is humorously celebrated in Hell in a Handbag Production’s 25th anniversary edition of Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer.

Written by Handbag Artistic Director David Cerda, directed by Anthony Whitaker with musical direction by Chad Gearing, this year's production of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) is as significant as ever. It’s a delightful experience and provides so many much-needed laughs, particularly during these dark winter months following the election. I always enjoy David Cerda’s brilliant sense of humor whether writing, acting or both - and his fabulous camp costumes. This time, David is dressed head to stiletto-heeled toe in luscious candy apple red, parodying one of the 'Reindeer Housewives of the North Pole,' and it's fantastic.

The Handbag satire remains faithful to the storyline and characters of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but with a distinctive Handbag twist. In this version of the Christmas classic, Rudolph, a young reindeer at the North Pole, stands out not because of a shiny, glowing red nose, but for his love of wearing red-hosed stockings. His 'unusual' clothing choice often makes him the target of teasing and exclusion by his fellow reindeer. In his quest for acceptance, Rudolph runs away and, thanks to friends he meets along the way, like Herbie the elf who wants to be a dentist and Yukon Cornelia the gold miner, our red-hosed wearing reindeer learns that it's okay to be different and to love yourself for who you are. Rudolph’s story highlights themes of acceptance, determination, and celebrating individuality. 

(left to right) Kelly Bolton, Caitlin Jackson and Peter Ruger in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ production of ‘Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (An Unauthorized Musical Parody).’

This show features hysterical spins on all the well-known Rudolph characters, brought to life by many beloved Handbag favorites. Caitlin Jackson, whom I’ll always adore for her fantastic portrayal of Bette Midler in Handbag’s Bette: Live at the Continental Baths, plays Mrs. Claus, the oft-drunken, lonely wife of the narcissistic and sex-addicted Santa Claus - and she steals every scene she's in! Jackson’s outstanding singing voice, paired with her sharp wit, generates continuous laughter throughout this hilarious production. While Jackson excels as Mrs. Claus, Michael Hampton delivers an uproariously funny performance in Handbag’s amusing spoof of Santa Claus.

Handbag fave, Sydney Genco, who plays Elfina and also doubles as Choo Choo, the misfit square-wheeled train, is funny and adorable as always, showcasing her terrific singing voice. Genco also took on the role of make-up designer for this production, contributing to the fantastic visual elements of the show.

The show is brimming with fantastic performances, so I'll continue to heap on the praise. Longtime Hell in a Handbag member Terry McCarthy is the ideal comedic counterpart to Cerda, portraying another of the influential, spoiled reindeer wives of the North Pole. Their characters are suspicious of poor Rudolph, clad in lacy red underwear, who is quite a departure from the macho bucks that usually pull Santa's sleigh. Lori Lee shines as Yukon Cornelia, the slightly confused gold miner, in this production. A very talented comedienne and singer, and a Hell in a Handbag member, Lee is a delight in her role. With the help of the fearsome Drag Beast (well played by Mark Bartishell), Cornelia finally realizes she is gay, a hunch that every other character in the play had all along! Kelly Bolton glows as the quirky elf Herbie, who dreams of being a dentist rather than a toymaker. Bolton perfectly captures the character, eliciting plenty of laughs from the enthusiastic opening night audience.

Indeed, the praise for this show is boundless… While Peter Ruger enchants as our hero, Rudolph, with charm and flair, yet another standout performance comes from Matt Sergot, who brilliantly embodies Sam the Snowman in this delightful musical. As the show's narrator, Sergot sets up each scene with perfect whimsy, adding a charming touch to the entire production. Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer also benefits from the talents of ensemble performers Eustace Allen, Cameron Cai, Micah Mixon, TJ O’Brien, Shawn Quinlan, Michael Radford, and Whitney Willard Wilkinson, who impresses in her role as Clarice.

Special kudos also go out to costume designer Marquecia Jordan for doing a splendid job bringing Herbie, Yukon Cornelia, Sam the Snowman, and our other Rudolph favorites to life. The entire production team crushes it in this one.

Each year's production of Rudolph consistently features a great deal of updated humor. Some jokes are bawdy, but all are undeniably funny, touching, and heartfelt – and that is the magic that is Hell in a Handbag. Alongside the humor also comes valuable life lessons—in this case, the importance of being true to yourself and accepting others for doing the same.

One thing I can always count on when bringing friends to a Hell in a Handbag production, especially this Christmas-themed show, is that we'll have a great laugh, hear fun songs, enjoy a couple of drinks during the generous intermission, and leave feeling like part of the uniquely wonderful straight and LGBTQ family celebrating right here in Chicago.

If you need a laugh and to unwind during the holiday season, then be sure to attend Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer through January 5^th. And please take special note of the show's benefit weekend, from Friday, December 20th through Sunday, December 22nd. During this time, you can enjoy this fantastic camp parody holiday-themed show, knowing that the proceeds will go directly to support the food needs of Chicagoans living with AIDS.

Hell in a Handbag’s Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer and Unauthorized Musical Parody is being performed at Hoover Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted through January 5^th. For tickets and/or more show information click HERE.