Displaying items by tag: Honey West

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to launch its 25^th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of It's a Horrible Life – A Golden Girls Lost Episodes Musical Parody, the first-ever musical installment in the company's long-running Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes parody series. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda* and directed by Ryan Kenney, It's a Horrible Life will play December 3, 2026 – January 3, 2027 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in  Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Single tickets are on sale here, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season subscriptions are available here.

The cast includes ensemble members Kelly Bolton*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor* with Britain Shutters and Honey West. Understudies include Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear.

About the Production:

Following a string of holiday mishaps and a disastrous audition for the Miami Senior Center's production of It's a Wonderful Life, Dorothy (David Cerda*) begins to question her very existence. An angel intervenes, revealing that her roommates wouldn't last 20-minutes without her.

The production team includes Marcus Klein* (Scenic Designer), Ben Argenta Kress (Costume Design), Elizabeth Cooper (Lighting Design), Maggie O'Brien (Props Design), Syd Genco** (Make-Up Design), Keith Ryan* (Wig Design), Mealah Heidenreich* (Production Manager), Jason Pikscher (Technical Director), Julia Witty (Stage Manager), Max Ching (Assistant Stage Manager), Peter Neville (Videographer), Rick Aguilar* (Photography) and Michael S. Miller* (Graphics).

For a quarter-century, Handbag has served Chicago audiences its unique brand of camp and ridiculousness – earning a fiercely dedicated following and a recent induction into the 2026 Chicago LGBT+ Hall of Fame.

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

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: It's a Horrible Life – A Golden Girls Lost Episodes Musical Parody
Playwright: Artistic Director David Cerda*
Director: Ryan Kenney
Cast (in alphabetical order): Kelly Bolton* (Sophia), David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Scott Sawa* (Stan), Britain Shutters (Mary), Danne W. Taylor* (Nancy Drew) and Honey West (Angel).

Understudies: Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear.

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Previews: Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 pm, Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 pm.

Opening performance: Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 7 pm
Regular run: Thursday, December 10, 2026 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be performances on Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day), Thursday, December 31 (New Year's Eve) or Friday, January 1 (New Year's Day); there will be added performances Tuesday, December 22 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, December 23 at 7:30 pm, Tuesday. December 29 at 7:30 pm and Wednesday, December 30 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $32 general admission, $40 VIP reserved seating (includes a drink). Regular run: $42 general admission, $54 VIP reserved seating (includes a drink). $35 seniors. Single tickets are on sale here, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Season subscriptions are available here.

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. These works include POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical, The Birds, Scary Town, SCARRIE The Musical, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, Joan Crawford Goes to Hell, Caged Dames, and many others. His play, The Drag Seed was 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 body of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher and Walter the Wonder Dog.

Ryan Kenney (Director) is a Chicago-based multi-hyphenate. Previous Hell in a Handbag credits include; Joan Crawford Goes to Hell and The Real Housewives of the North Pole. Additional directing credits include Effing It Up (Fat Theatre Project), Aunt Dan & Lemon, The Turn of the Screw, Phèdre, and Cain: A Mystery, all for 2W Holdings and Theatrics, LLC for which he is the Executive Director. As an actor, Ryan has performed in Three Sisters (Sandbox Theatre Collective), Vivi Mortes Motel (Green Shirt Studio), Machinal (Meat Machine) and Whiteᐧish: A Sketch Revue (The Second City), and created and performed his solo show Ryan Kenney's Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (former Playhouse Theater).

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’ll admit it—I’ve never watched an episode of The Real Housewives. So, heading into Hell in a Handbag’s latest holiday production inspired by the series, I braced myself for a barrage of references that might slip past me. Turns out, I caught the vibe almost instantly—and once I did, the jokes flew fast and furious.

So, after a bit of research - for anyone else walking in blind - The Real Housewives is a reality TV juggernaut that blends glamour, intrigue, and high-stakes drama into a cultural phenomenon - and yes, the claws can come out. For nearly twenty years, the franchise has captivated audiences with its blend of luxury lifestyles, fiery confrontations, and unforgettable personalities - cementing its place as one of the most influential and enduring phenomena in modern pop culture. What began in Orange County soon spread to New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, and beyond. But thanks to Hell in a Handbag, it was only a matter of time before The Real Housewives set up shop at the North Pole. That’s right - The Real Housewives of the North Pole is here.

The North Pole has never looked frostier. When Santa and his circle of high-powered holiday elites find themselves slapped with indictments for fraud, sending shockwaves through the snowy kingdom, the glittering facade of candy-cane wealth begins to crack. Now it falls to the women to rescue their families from looming financial ruin. Though practical survival skills are in short supply, the burden falls squarely on the housewives to rebuild an empire. Years of privilege have left them with closets overflowing in luxurious clothing and jewels, but little else to shield them when their glittering world is suddenly under threat.

In quintessential Handbag camp style, we’re introduced to the housewives who truly matter the most when the holidays roll around. At the heart of the series is Santa’s wife, Ruth Claus (Honey West), freshly embracing sobriety while wrestling with the family finances. Her anchor in the storm is the irresistibly suave Carlos (Taylor Mercado Owen), a sobriety coach whose steady charm keeps her grounded amid the glitter, chaos, and sappy drama of the North Pole. Always on the hunt for drama and the makings of a hit, BRAVO network producer Andy Cohen (David Lipschutz) wastes no time assembling a roster of North Pole divas. Enter Mrs. Samantha Frosty (Robert Williams), Mrs. Gladys Dasher (David Cerda), Clarice, the long-suffering wife of Rudolph (Anna Rose Steinmeyer), and Suzy Snowflake, Jack Frost’s icy better half (Britain Shutters). Once these housewives collide, the antics escalate at lightning speed - each outrageous clash topping the last, turning the show into a blizzard of hilarity and brawls.

As petty catfighting and ditziness reach new heights, make-up artist Cookie (Terry McCarthy) goes to heroic lengths to keep the housewives looking fabulous - even if it requires the occasional power tool. Meanwhile, the poor Production Assistant (Kelly Opalko) can’t catch a break, as no one seems able to remember her name… Petra, maybe?

(front, center) Anna Rose Steinmeyer with (back, l to r) Robert Williams, Taylor Mercado Owen, David Cerda and Britain Shutters in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ world premiere of The Real Housewives of the North Pole.

While visually filling to watch the chaos and absurdity unfold on stage, The Real Housewives of the North Pole also makes clever use of multimedia, employing dual screens to showcase interviews not only with the housewives themselves but also with a parade of special guests - including Santa (Michael Hampton) and Bernice (Ed Jones), the typical “average housewife.”

Amid the whirlwind of onstage action, there’s still another performance that deserves recognition. Stage Manager/Board Operator Conor Frank delivers one of the production’s most quietly dazzling performances, orchestrating an entire symphony of effects from the wings. With remarkable precision, he juggles live foley work and layered audio cues, transforming everyday objects into bursts of comic timing or atmospheric texture. Watching him at the side of the stage is its own kind of theater - an intricate dance of concentration and creativity that underscores the madness onstage.

A genuinely one-of-kind theatre company, Handbag’s comedic talent never fails to impress as their entire ensemble was outstanding, and their uncanny knack for casting ensures each role feels tailor-made. And just in time for the holidays, Hell in a Handbag has pulled it off yet again - another dazzling feather tucked neatly into their fabulously overstuffed cap. With David Cerda’s sharp pen and Tommy Bullington’s spirited direction, The Real Housewives of the North Pole serves up a frosty feast of holiday hilarity that should not be missed.

Recommended for lots of laughs and Handbag-style holiday cheer!

The Real Housewives of the North Pole is being performed at The Clutch Chicago (4335 N. Western Ave) through January 4^th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.handbagproductions.org.

*Special note - FOLLIES the Annual Hell in a Handbag 2025 Benefit will be taking place at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood this Sunday, December 7^th at 5:30pm-9pm. Per Handbag’s site, the evening will include dinner, drinks, entertainment, a raffle and silent auction.

Tickets ($104 general admission, $129.75*) are available (click HERE for tickets). *Prices include processing fees.

Handbag celebrates its 24th year with a very abbreviated production of Follies – performed Hell in a Handbag style! Watch as aging showgirls, draped in sequined desperation, reunite to belt out twisted parodies of Stephen Sondheim's most iconic numbers including “I'm Still Here,” “Losing My Mind,” “Broadway Baby,” “Beautiful Girls” and other favorites It'll be the hits you love and a show you'll desperately try to forget (with apologies in advance to the spirit of Mr. Sondheim).

The entertainment line-up features ensemble members David Cerda, Sydney Genco, Caitlin Jackson, Ed Jones, Lori Lee, David Lipschutz, Stevie Love, T.J. O'Brien, Michael Rashid, Danne W. Taylor and Robert Williams, along with some surprise guests.