Hell in a Handbag Productions kicks off 25th anniversary season with 'Golden Girls' holiday musical parody
Fri. November 13, 2026 7:26 PM by Gerald Farinas
photo credit // david rosenberg
Dorothy gets the 'It's a Wonderful Life' treatment when Hell in a Handbag opens its milestone season in Lakeview this December.
CHICAGO, ILL. -
Hell in a Handbag Productions is celebrating a quarter-century of Chicago camp by launching its 25th anniversary season with the world premiere of "It’s a Horrible Life – A Golden Girls Lost Episodes Musical Parody."
The show, which marks the first-ever musical installment in the company’s long-running "Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes" series, will run Dec. 3 through Jan. 3, 2027, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in Lakeview.
Written by founding member and Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Ryan Kenney, the holiday spoof finds Dorothy (Cerda) questioning her existence after a string of seasonal mishaps and a disastrous audition for the Miami Senior Center’s production of "It’s a Wonderful Life." When an angel intervenes, Dorothy is shown that her roommates wouldn’t last 20 minutes without her.
The production arrives on the heels of Hell in a Handbag's recent induction into the 2026 Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame, recognizing 25 years of dedicated service to Chicago audiences through pop-culture parody and theatrical ridiculousness.
Joining Cerda onstage are ensemble members Kelly Bolton as Sophia, Grant Drager as Blanche, Ed Jones as Rose, Scott Sawa as Stan and Danne W. Taylor as Nancy Drew, alongside Britain Shutters as Mary and Honey West as the Angel. Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear serve as understudies.
Cerda, a fellow Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame inductee and Jeff Award lifetime achievement recipient, has penned numerous Handbag staples, including "POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical" and "Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer." His "Golden Girls" parodies have toured nationally and were featured at Chicago's Navy Pier during Golden Con: Thank You for Being a Fan. Kenney returns to direct for the company following previous Handbag credits "Joan Crawford Goes to Hell" and "The Real Housewives of the North Pole."
The creative and production team includes Marcus Klein (scenic design), Ben Argenta Kress (costume design), Elizabeth Cooper (lighting design), Maggie O'Brien (props design), Syd Genco (makeup 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).
Preview performances take place Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m., ahead of the official opening night on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
Regular run performances continue Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be no shows on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, though the company has added 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesday, Dec. 22; Wednesday, Dec. 23; Tuesday, Dec. 29; and Wednesday, Dec. 30.
Preview tickets are $32 for general admission and $40 for VIP reserved seating, which includes a drink. Regular run tickets are $42 for general admission, $54 for VIP reserved seating with a drink, and $35 for seniors. Single tickets and season subscriptions are available online through Theater Wit, in person at the box office or by calling 773-975-8150. More information about the company is available at handbagproductions.org.
The show, which marks the first-ever musical installment in the company’s long-running "Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes" series, will run Dec. 3 through Jan. 3, 2027, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in Lakeview.
Written by founding member and Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Ryan Kenney, the holiday spoof finds Dorothy (Cerda) questioning her existence after a string of seasonal mishaps and a disastrous audition for the Miami Senior Center’s production of "It’s a Wonderful Life." When an angel intervenes, Dorothy is shown that her roommates wouldn’t last 20 minutes without her.
The production arrives on the heels of Hell in a Handbag's recent induction into the 2026 Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame, recognizing 25 years of dedicated service to Chicago audiences through pop-culture parody and theatrical ridiculousness.
Joining Cerda onstage are ensemble members Kelly Bolton as Sophia, Grant Drager as Blanche, Ed Jones as Rose, Scott Sawa as Stan and Danne W. Taylor as Nancy Drew, alongside Britain Shutters as Mary and Honey West as the Angel. Nick Dorado and Gretchen Greear serve as understudies.
Cerda, a fellow Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame inductee and Jeff Award lifetime achievement recipient, has penned numerous Handbag staples, including "POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical" and "Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer." His "Golden Girls" parodies have toured nationally and were featured at Chicago's Navy Pier during Golden Con: Thank You for Being a Fan. Kenney returns to direct for the company following previous Handbag credits "Joan Crawford Goes to Hell" and "The Real Housewives of the North Pole."
The creative and production team includes Marcus Klein (scenic design), Ben Argenta Kress (costume design), Elizabeth Cooper (lighting design), Maggie O'Brien (props design), Syd Genco (makeup 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).
Preview performances take place Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m., ahead of the official opening night on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
Regular run performances continue Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be no shows on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, though the company has added 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesday, Dec. 22; Wednesday, Dec. 23; Tuesday, Dec. 29; and Wednesday, Dec. 30.
Preview tickets are $32 for general admission and $40 for VIP reserved seating, which includes a drink. Regular run tickets are $42 for general admission, $54 for VIP reserved seating with a drink, and $35 for seniors. Single tickets and season subscriptions are available online through Theater Wit, in person at the box office or by calling 773-975-8150. More information about the company is available at handbagproductions.org.