****/**** There was an old saying: if you stick to a format and keep working at it, it only gets better with time. That saying certainly holds true for Hell in Handbag Productions. Each season their shows improve, the sets become more elaborate, the performances sharper, and the laughs continue to build.
I attended the final preview performance before opening night, and the audience was in stitches from beginning to end. I loved the new sets, and the use of video screens and televisions added another level to the production. Their world premiere parody, The Golden Girls: The Cheese Pyramid — “their lost episode” — was absolutely perfect. And please, keep in the moments when Blanche covered for Dorothy’s missing lines. Priceless.
David Cerda wrote and starred in the production as Dorothy and as always, delivered a flawless performance. He stayed completely in character the entire evening. Sophia, Dorothy’s senile geriatric mother, was played by Kelly Bolton, and this time the wig, makeup, and costume were spot on. Blanche, played by Grant Drager, had costumes that felt much closer to the television series and truly hit the mark.
Scott Sawa pulled double duty as both the MC and Stan, once again doing an outstanding job. Two of the evening’s standout performances came from Rose, played by Ed Jones, who, with the makeup and costume, genuinely resembled Betty White, and Madame Zuhara, the drunken psychic played to perfection by Danna W. Taylor.
The story centers on Rose and Stan getting caught up in a pyramid-style cheese sales scam from St. Olaf. The scheme is run by Inga Ostekongen, played by Gretchen Greear, a shady cheese hustler using a supposed vision of Jesus to sell her products. The plot is completely ridiculous, but somehow everything falls perfectly into place. Over the course of two hours, including a 15-minute intermission, the audience is treated to nonstop laughs and what felt like a dozen costume changes.
The newest star of the production is Walter the Wonder Dog. The poor little guy looked terrified during his five minutes on stage — I honestly thought he was going to make a mess from nerves — but the audience loved him anyway.
Under the direction of Brigitte Ditmars, everything came together beautifully. Marcus Klein created an impressive stage design, but three people who truly make this production work are costume designer Ben Kress, makeup artist Syd Genco, and wig designer Keith Ryan.
One character I initially thought was an audience member turned out to be cast member Jamie Aitchison as Tanya, who ultimately saves the day by exposing the scam. The cheese puppet created by Jabberwocky Marionettes worked wonders in the production.
I loved almost everything about this show and honestly struggled to find much to criticize. My only complaint would be trimming about ten minutes off the ending. It simply went on a little too long, as if nobody knew quite how to say goodbye. But aside from that, the evening was pure Handbag magic.
The show is playing at their new Clutch Theatre location at 4335 N. Western in Chicago, with plenty of street parking — let’s hope the city keeps it that way before more bike lane cement islands appear. The company once again stayed true to its slogan: “Smart. Ridiculous. Stupid.”
Tickets start at $43, with 25% off the second ticket. For tickets and specials, visit Hell in a Handbag Productions.org.
The Cheese Pyramid plays till June 21st, with the following dates
Friday – 730pm and 915pm
Saturday – 7:30 pm and 9:15 pm
Sunday 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, June 1st, 7:30 pm and 9:15 pm
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Golden Girls-The Cheese Pyramid”
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