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 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 greatly 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 5th. 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 5th. For tickets and/or more show information click HERE.
