conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

a review

And here you have it, kids! If you are in Chicago in the next couple of weeks, go see the show.

“Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer”
Written by David Cerda
A Hell in a Handbag production at Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., through Dec. 30
Tickets: $15
Phone: (773) 883-1090

By Brian Kirst
Contributing writer

There is a reason that Hell in a Handbag’s “Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer” is on its tenth year and eighth production. It is the most outrageous slice of Christmas pie around and will get you laughing so hard that you will immediately burn off any of those nasty calories that you may have consumed.

Inspired by the Burl Ives classic, “Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer” tells David Cerda’s musical story of Rudolph, a straight, cross-dressing reindeer. Despite fear and rejection, Rudolph and his friends—Yukon Cornelia, a lobotomized victim of Santa and Herbie, the gay elf who wants to be a dentist, not a bar boy—preserve and ultimately save the day. That they do it with twisted humor, glinted political incorrectness and some groovy, mashed-up tunes, is merely ice cream to the above-mentioned tasty treat.

Tim Howard directs Cerda’s flippant extravaganza with a concentrated looseness and seeming demonic glee. Cerda’s carefree madness doesn’t always connect, but there is as much joy in the bits that fail as in those that succeed. Of those that work extremely well, there is a killer Carol Channing doll, a hysterically drunk Mrs. Claus, Madonna ass tattoos and a dangerously funny Abominable Drag Beast. Jokes about Leslie Uggams and the Crocodile Hunter are gasp and groaners, but deliciously delightful all the same. Cerda’s counter-culture instincts get great play here, too, though he does seem to bash the vacantly smooth, bar boy culture while simultaneously embracing it. There is many a hunky, half-dressed elf floating around in this production and they are seemingly one of the major reasons the audience flocks to this production in droves. Still, contradictions are an art form in themselves and Howard, Cerda and the cast embrace them enthusiastically.

Richard Banden infuses his Rudolph with a sweet determination and strength. He is met, full force, by the delightful Robyn Senchak, who practically steals the show. As Rudolph’s girlfriend Clarice, Senchak delivers a high-octane performance inspired, seemingly, by Blondie, Nabokov and Mia Zapata of The Gits. Ed Jones, as the drunken Mrs. Claus, gives Senchak a run for her money and most assuredly deserves a show of his very own someday. Gino James Generelli gives the smoothest delivery of the three buff elves and his Trailer Trash Barbie is an awesome, freakish delight that is worth the price of admission alone. Lori Lee, Patricia Austin, Aaron L. Smith and Terry McCarthy all also deliver the comic gusto with nary a sweaty brow in sight. Of course the entire cast, to varying degrees, contributes to this mighty tasty brew and it is the lucky audience who comes away drunk with pleasure.

Ultimately, “Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer” is a guaranteed delight for those who don’t take themselves or the holidays too seriously. It should also go down in the theatrical history books as a certified, alternative Chicago Christmas tradition.