Displaying items by tag: Ben Meneses

I look forward to every Hell and a Handbag production - because I know they’re always a great time. The company’s spot-on takes on adored characters, from those in the Golden Girls to Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, always blend high camp humor with a warm, heartfelt touch. 

In Handbag’s latest offering, the world premiere of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush, we get a brilliant mash up of beloved characters from the Golden Girls and Scooby Doo. Does it work? It absolutely does. This new comedy, penned by the immensely talented David Cerda, and directed and choreographed with flair by Frankie Leo Bennett is one of the team’s best yet.

The adventure kicks off when Rose spots a leafy, brush-covered monster—dubbed the “haunted bush”—lurking around the complex where she, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia live. "The haunted bush"... you can already imagine the fun to be had with that one. As the monster sightings increase and the girl’s fear escalates, Rose calls in her nephew, Fred, and his Skooby Don't Gang of crime solvers to investigate. And just like that, these two worlds collide in a side-splitting adventure, which only gets wilder when Nancy Drew joins the team. Yes, the famous girl detective, Nancy Drew! As with any Handbag production, the laughs in this comedy-mystery are as outrageous as they are plentiful. Packed with cartoonish chase scenes, snappy one-liners, well-timed slapstick and a hefty dose of innuendo-driven humor, this new production at Chopin Theatre’s mainstage is a hilariously bold comedy with all the right twists and turns.

Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush 

This cast is packed with all your favorite Handbag stars. The Golden Girls are back! Yay! Ed Jones shines as the naive but loveable Rose Nyland, while Grant Drager is a tour de force as flirty Blanche Devereaux, delivering one witty remark after another. David Cerda reprises his role as Dorothy Zbornak, commanding the stage with every line and Sophia Petrillo is wonderfully portrayed with grit and sass by Ryan Oates. Dorothy’s ex, Stan is riotously played by Scott Sawa, drawing several big laughs while also interacting with the audience throughout the show for Golden Girls trivia, with the winners (everyone who plays) getting to reach in and choose a prize from the mystery bag. I won a Handbag magnet! Woot!

The Skooby gang is also superbly cast, led by Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred. Smith absolutely crushes the role and delivers one funny scene after another from the moment we are greeted by his ass as Rose opens the door to welcome her nephew. Elizabeth Lesinski is delightful as Daffy while Caitlin Jackson is just perfect as Velva, the two heavily crushing on each other throughout the play. The gang is rounded out well with stellar performances from both Ben Meneses as Skooby and Josh Kemper as Skaggy, cracking voice and all. Michael S. Miller is funny in his dual roles as Miles and Rita Claxton and Danne W. Taylor gets some hearty laughs in taking on the role of Nancy Drew, especially in a love scene that no one could have seen coming. But all is possible in the Handbag multi-verse.

Handbag’s talented cast has perfected the art of camp humor, skillfully addressing and laughing at the subjects of sexuality, while also evoking compassion —all within a familiar, friendly, and entertaining environment.

While the cast is exceptional, the creative team also does a tremendous job in putting together a set that brings the audience into the center of the mystery. Marcus Klein (Scenic Design), Liz Cooper (Lighting Design) and Danny Rockett (Sound Design) team up to deliver a visual and audio experience that uniquely pulls in each and every audience member while Sydney Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig design) and Madeline Felauer (Costume Design) seamlessly bring the characters to life.

(left to right) Caitlin Jackson as Velva and Elizabeth Lesinksi as Daffy in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush

For those Chicagoans lucky enough to have been watching Handbag productions for the last 22 years, going to one of their shows is like being at a party with a bunch of your best old friends. With this show, it’s a place to sing the Golden Girls theme song, laugh at bawdy jokes, and just let your heart breathe free for a while, even though it seems like chaos and unfriendliness are raging all around the globe. 

I highly recommend this final production of Hell in a Handbag’s 22nd season for audiences who want to have a good hard laugh, a nice drink and a solid night of fun, hilarious entertainment.

The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush is being performed at Chopin Theatre through November 3rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click HERE.