Do you remember the holiday spectacular TV specials in the early 1980's? I do. They were a wacko mix of old timey singing groups mixed with the “hottest” stars of the day and all were decked out stage-wise in cheerful, colorful and yet, in retrospect, disturbing fake Christmas sets.

Just in time for our election bruised souls here comes the grandmammy of Christmas Spectaculars to our emotional rescue! Hell in a Handbag’s “The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular” is just the anecdote.

Ed Jones stars as Rip Nelson taking over at the eleventh hour for the host Paul Lynde who has just passed away. Ed Jones is absolutely hands down the most talented yet somehow unknown comedic actor in Chicago today and just takes the role and runs with it. Jones always manages to take whatever character he is given, leading or supporting, and gets a laugh and/or tear out of every little line and gesture having the same effect throughout this terrifically funny ninety-minute extravaganza of camp delight.

Fresh out of the Betty Ford Clinic for the seventh time, Rip Nelson declares "Betty Ford's eyes turn to dollar signs when she sees me."

As was the fashion on those days, a Holiday special usually joined together a WIDE variety of well-known variety stars, in this case, Rip Nelson gets to play host to  Patti LaBelle (RoBert Williams), Liza Minnelli (Alexa Castelvecchi), magician Doug Henning ( David Lipschutz), Bruce Jenner (Chazie Bly), rival girl groups The Lennon Sisters (AJ Wright, Anna Seiburt and Kristopher Bottrall) and the King Cousins (Terry McCarthy, Grant Drager and Adrian Hadlock) and, finally, Rip's ex-lover Dom DeLuise who we learn was a dear lover of Rip's who left him for a woman, having children in order to  stay in the closet. 

The show is a riotous camp-fest of the early 1980's Christmas specials, yet as funny the pokes to the era and characters, it also carries a strong tribute to such. Underneath, is a warm reminder of an amazing period like no other. 

Now one by one, the supporting cast need some special mentions. 

Patti LaBelle played by RoBert Williams brings down the house with her vocally superb and emotionally resonant rendition of Cats’ “Memories" along with Jones. 

Liza Minnelli played beautifully by Alexa Castelvecchi is the most lovely and convincing Liza Minnelli I've seen on the stage - ever!  And I've had the pleasure of seeing the real Liza perform in Miami Florida twenty years ago. When Castelvecchi sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" shortly after trashing Rip's dressing room while looking for cocaine, it is with true vocal chops that she brings a happy yet warmly melancholic tear to everyone in the audience.

Doug Henning played by David Lipschutz has just the same amount of crazy-eyed optimism and skinny, ball bearing costumes that made me flash back hysterically to that time period in entertainment every time he was on stage. Lipschutz delivers a spot-on imitation of Henning that made me laugh nonstop every time I looked at his starry-eyed glazed smile. 

Gladys, the longtime faithful hair stylist and makeup artist for Rip played by Lori Lee has a big warm and genuine way of taking each moment or turning point as it occurs to Rip and translating it into a real sweet message that subtly weaves the whole play together like a ball of knitting yarn left over for the stringing of popcorn ornaments by your favorite aunt. 

All the members of each girl group made a fun-tastically ensemble for each big dance and song number while Dom Deluise keeps us laughing and routed in the year 1982. Also, Bly as Bruce Jenner delivers another spot-on laugh riot with his red nylon short shorts and overly-emphatic delivered lines. 

I'm not sure how David Cerda, writer and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions does it. The costumes and casting are always top notch, the singers can REALLY sing and the dancers can REALLY dance. Cerda has a way of injecting each of his scripts with both the strongest parts of each character with the weakest most vulnerable, loser parts to create a world of self-empowerment both funny and full of pathos that anyone our age who has seen a few dreams come and go can really appreciate. 

In Ed Jones as Rip Nelson, we relate to his struggle NOT to start drinking again while under the most pressurized job of his life we all see ourselves. Faded glories of what we hoped we'd be, yet with new possibilities opening right before our eyes, if we can only hang in there and believe in ourselves long enough. 

There were also a couple of really fun appearances by Kermit the Frog, which in the 80's was de rigueur to suddenly have a puppet "star" appear on a TV show as well. 

The finale song by Kermit and the cast which tries to reconcile the Santa Claus view of Christmas, a fantasy of consumerism gone mad and the Jesus Christ is the "reason for the season" view, culminates in an urgent and heartfelt wish that someday the two views of Christmas will finally make sense and be as ONE - of a happy Christmas time.

I highly recommend this adorable, funny, PARTAY for the senses that will start your Holiday Season with a wet sloppy kiss, a big warm hug and pat on the ass to keep on keepin’ on! 

The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular is being performed at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville through December 30th. For tickets and/or more show information visit http://www.handbagproductions.org/.