Displaying items by tag: Stephanie Shaw

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of QUEEN FOR A DAY written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* and directed by Stephanie Shaw. This gay fantasia on national themes... wait, wrong play. This one-act comedy/drama/cry for help about a diva (Queen Elizabeth I, previously played by Cate Blanchett), another diva (America's first superstar designer Halston) and a very sane normal person (Liza Minnelli) will play July 9 – August 3, 2025 at the Bramble Arts Loft – The Berry, 5545 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1690572. The press opening is Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 pm.

Please note: QUEEN FOR A DAY replaces Handbag's previously-announced production of ANNIE COKELEY, which will be staged at a later date.

The cast includes ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* with Dakota Hughes and Will Lidke. Understudies include Wendy Hayne, Cory McMenomy and Brandon Nelson.

About the Production:

American fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick (Will Lidke), known to the world simply as Halston, is down on his luck. He's packing up his chic-as-hell Olympic Tower office for reasons he doesn't want to discuss. To make matters worse, Elizabeth I (Tyler Anthony Smith*) is knocking on his door. Yes, Elizabeth I, whose reign as Queen of England spanned from 1558 to 1603. But it's 1984 in New York City. All that time spent at Studio 54 might be starting to catch up to the King of Minimalism's brain.

Elizabeth I demands that Roy (who hates being called that) make her a new gown to (she lets out a singular cough) die in. Oh, and she needs it by the end of the day, even though he seems to be in the midst of a breakdown. He takes her money and agrees, and the unlikely pair moves forward with the design of a lifetime. That is until Halston has to help his best friend, Liza Minnelli (Dakota Hughes), with her new act. Any questions?

The production team includes Taylor Dalton (Scenic Designer), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer), Miranda Coble (Sound Designer), Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer), Syd Genco* (Make-up Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Andrew Milliken (11 O'Clock Number Arrangement), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Production Manager), Jackson Mikkelsen (Master Electrician), Michael S. Miller* (Graphic Designer) and Jenna Raithel (Stage Manager).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: QUEEN FOR A DAY

Playwright: Tyler Anthony Smith*
Director: Stephanie Shaw
Cast (in alphabetical order): Dakota Hughes (Liza Minnelli), Will Lidke (Halston) and Tyler Anthony Smith* (Elizabeth I). Understudies: Wendy Hayne, Cory McMenomy and Brandon Nelson.

Location: Bramble Arts Loft – The Berry, 5545 N. Clark St., Chicago

Previews: Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30 pm, Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 pm and Friday, July 11 at 7:30 pm.
Regular run: Sunday, July 13 – Sunday, August 3, 2025
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 4 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 4 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Monday, July 28 at 7:30 pm (Industry Night).

Tickets: Previews: $25. General admission: $35. VIP reserved: $43. Tickets now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1690572.

About the Artists:

Tyler Anthony Smith (Playwright) is the unwell Hell in a Handbag ensemble member responsible for creating last season's megamusical, Poor People! Some other Chicago companies Miss Smith has worked with include: Haven (Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jeff Award, Performer in a Principal Role - Musical), [producing body], Curious Theatre Branch (Rhino Fest), Sweetback Productions, The Neo-Futurists and Eclipse Theatre Company. Tyler appeared Off-Off-Broadway at La MaMa via Hell in a Handbag. He/She/They is/is/are represented by DDO. Instagram: @judithnightlight

Stephanie Shaw (Director) has presented her original solo performance work for a wide range of venues in the Chicago area, as well as NYC. An alumni member of the Neo-Futurists, she wrote and performed regularly for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind for five years. She has directed a number of Solo Shows for Live Bait Theatre, The New York Fringe, Sweetback Productions and the simple pleasure of Tyler Anthony Smith and his audiences. She directed Tyler's Poor People! The Parody Musical, Frankenstreisand and Out! Darn Spot for Hell In A Handbag, as well as his People Do Do Such Things, The Kindness of Mangers and I Know You Need My Verve. She has directed for The Neo-Futurists, The New York Fringe, Oak Park Festival Theatre, MirrorBox Theatre (Cedar Rapids) and over a dozen plays and musicals for the theatre department of Columbia College Chicago, where she is a Professor of Instruction. Once upon a time, she was a theatre critic for the Chicago Reader.

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’m amazed that it’s been 18 years or so since I first saw a Hell in a Handbag production. Though it seems like yesterday, my first experience with Handbag was taking in their production of The Poseidon Adventure at the cozy and artistic Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park. It was fantastic and it was funny - fantastically funny. The musical’s parody humor, clever innuendos and dry wit reeled me in immediately. I was instantly blown away by Founding Artistic Director and performer David Cerda and the company’s cast of very talented comedic singers and dancers - and I still am. Hell in a Handbag is a dependable theater company that consistently provides hilarious, high-quality productions of camp entertainment (i.e. Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Christmas Dearest, Caged Dames) to the appreciative Chicago community and, like so many others, I find myself always looking forward to their next production. 

Handbag’s current production is yet another gem. Also performed at Chopin Theatre, Poor People! The Parody Musical, was brilliantly written by Tyler Anthony Smith and is wonderfully directed by Stephanie Shaw. Poor People! is a dynamite brand-new production that creator Tyler Anthony Smith describes as being a tribute to the characters in shows like Annie and Les Miserables, “that despite dire circumstances, the characters were still belting their faces off and dancing in the streets. Anybody can be happy and sing but it takes something special to be on your deathbed and still be on key.”

In the gritty, smoke-filled streets of 1979 New York City, the story’s fiery-haired protagonist, Li’l Orphan Arnie (played by Dakota Hughes), is on the run. Escaping the clutches of a lascivious, meth-cooking, authoritarian head of the orphanage, Miss A (Sydney Genco), Arnie’s fate takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a mysterious feline dancer named Whiskers (Matty Bettencourt). Whiskers leads Arnie through a supernatural manhole, hurtling them back in time to 1815 Paris, France.

In this new period of time, Arnie trades one impoverished existence for another. The search for their birth parents takes a backseat as they join forces with a ragtag gang of pickpocketing prostitutes, masterminded by the enigmatic Fagin (David Cerda).

Life takes a darker turn when Mama Moneybags (Brittney Brown), a corrupt Republican hailing from the future, sets her sights on dismantling Fagin’s crew. But fear not! A motley crew of vibrant, down-and-out characters steps up to the challenge. Among them are the consumptive Pantene (portrayed by Caitlin Jackson), the wild and feral Beggar Woman (Elizabeth Lesinski), and Nance, the quintessential hooker with an unexpectedly golden heart (brought to life by Tyler Anthony Smith). 

Besides Annie and Les Miserables, the story also parodies a bevy of characters and songs from other favorite Broadway productions including The Phantom of the Opera (“The Groomer of the Flop’ra”), Oliver, and even a lampooned version of Mary Poppins’ “Feed the Birds (Tuppence A Bag)”.   

(front center) Sydney Genco with (back, l to r) Tyler Anthony Smith,Taylor Dalton, Caitlin Jackson and Patrick O'Keefe in Hell in a Handbag Productions world premiere of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical.

So, let's get to the talented cast members…

Dakota Hughes plays Li’l Orphan Arnie with a childlike charm and sass. Not just gifted with comedic talent, Hughes has a tremendous vocal range and gets to show it off throughout the play. Caitlyn Jackson, who plays Pantene and Sydney Genco as Miss A have been longtime favorites of mine in the Hell and a Handbag Productions troupe throughout the years and were both very funny and also had great song and dance numbers, which I have come to expect and enjoy! Along with Genco and Jackson, Brittany Brown also gets to impress the audience with her sensational singing voice. Another favorite Handbag veteran of mine is Elizabeth Lesinski and she absolutely crushes in her role as the Beggar Woman, drawing laughs with just about each delivered line. She also shows us that she can manage a herd or ravenous squirrels while holding a tune. 

Warm, commanding, and consistently hilarious, David Cerda shines in his role as Fagin. Cerda’s presence exudes both comedy and a nurturing energy that envelops the entire cast. Audiences eagerly anticipate his every entrance. Meanwhile, Tyler Anthony Smith remains a beloved fixture from previous Handbag productions - and absolutely steals the show! Smith brilliantly adapted many numbers from well-known Broadway shows into rousing, funny, bawdy and touching ensemble performances that keep the entire audience laughing and cheering right up until the end of this wonderful full-length production.

To complete the ensemble, Matty Bettencourt sizzles as Fosse Kitty, and special recognition is also due for the outstanding performances of Taylor Dalton as Epipen, Shane Roberie as The Groomer, Patrick O’Keefe as Twinky, and Tommy Thurston as Pretty Rich Boy. There is so much to love about this gifted ensemble. Truly, every cast member delivers an exceptional and delightful experience for the audience. 

Poor People! is a fun show filled with one hilarious moment after the next that does not mind pushing the envelope as far as it can. Yet, no matter how ribald or risque the show may be, a Hell in a Handbag production always includes a heartwarming message to the audience of support and acceptance to all people, regardless of their gender, race or age - and this show is no exception. Tyler Anthony Smith delivers the timeless message of wisdom in the uproariously funny and endearingly adapted finale, “We’re All Gonna Die Soon!” Embrace the present moment! We’re all here now, but who knows what tomorrow holds. So, let’s have fun and enjoy life! 

Poor People! The Parody Musical with musical direction by Andrew Milliken and choreography by Christopher Kelley is being performed at The Chopin Studio Theatre (1543 W. Division St.) through June 16th. For tickets and/or more show information visit https://www.handbagproductions.org/.   

Highly recommended.

*Extended through June 23rd!

Nobody does camp like Hell in a Handbag Productions. Ensemble-developed, oddball parodies of queer iconoclasts are what they do best. For their 21^st season, longtime collaborators Tyler Anthony Smith and director Stephanie Shaw meld Barbra Streisand’s enduring legacy with Mary Shelly’s classic horror story. A cast of loveable weirdos round out the world premiere of this clever Halloween special.

Hell in a Handbag ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith has been creating one-man shows throughout Chicago’s fringe scene for years. He’s also been a regular feature at Hell in a Handbag over the years. Tyler reunites with director Stephanie Shaw for a story that only his irreverent mind could come up with.

‘Frankenstreisand’ is the story of Dr. Barbra Frankenstreisand’s return to the stage after a 27-year performance hiatus. Only this time, she has her eyes set on a prize higher than an Oscar, a Grammy or even a Tony. Loosely based on the very real 1990s rumor that Barbra tried to have her dog cloned, Frankenstreisand intends to clone her beloved, but dead dog, Samantha. With the help of her assistants Hunchback (Dakota Hughes) and Frau (Brian Shaw), Frankenstreisand returns to the stage for the ultimate performance. Both Hughes and Shaw bring a great deal of physical humor to their quirky roles in Smith’s bizarre little script.

This festive Halloween show is a love letter to ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. The 85-minute musical features your favorite Babs songs, each with reconfigured lyrics for context (and likely to avoid copyright infringement). Streisand fans will cackle hearing these hilariously twisted versions of their favorite showtunes. With every number, deranged Frankenstreisand inches closer to giving her cloned pup the spark of life.

Smith knows his Barbra trivia right down to the costumes and together with designer Beth Laske-Miller they’ve recreated some of her signature looks. Wigs by Keith Ryan lend an extra layer of humor to Smith’s cartoon villain version of Barbra.

This play heavily relies on the audience’s knowledge of Streisand lore. Even the biggest fan might find themselves Googling certain facts as they’re leaving the theater, such as does she really have a shopping mall under her house? It’s no secret Barbra Streisand is kooky and perceived as demanding, and this makes her all the riper for satire.

Smith takes his historian-level interest in Barbra and does his own thing. Mixing in some of her signature qualities: the Brooklyn accent, the long fingernails and of course, the schnoz, he also blends in his own Tim Curry-flavored affects that lean into the more overtly sexual. This is a Barbra who doesn’t take herself as seriously.

A musical about Frankenstein and Barbra Streisand may seem like two ideas thrown into a blender with some bong water, but Tyler Anthony Smith has created a hilarious monster with ‘Frankenstreisand.’ It’s both a tribute to the great diva, and an homage to B horror movies of the 1950s.

Through October 31 at Hell in a Handbag Productions. 4702 N Ravenswood. For tickets and or more inforation, click here.