Photos: Hell In A Handbag Presents POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical
POOR PEOPLE! will play May 2 – June 16, 2024 at The Chopin Studio Theatre.
By: A.A. Cristi May. 22, 2024
Hell in a Handbag Productions will continue its 22nd season with the world premiere of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical, an insane homage to many of the characters, songs and tropes of those very expensive Broadway and West End musicals about the less fortunate (Annie, Oliver!, Les Miz, Sweeney Todd... you get the gist). See photos from the show!
Written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith (he/she/they) with direction by Stephanie Shaw (she/her), music direction by Andrew Milliken (he/him) and choreography by Christopher Kelley (he/they),
The cast includes ensemble members David Cerda (he/she/they), Sydney Genco (she/her), Caitlin Jackson* (she/her), Elizabeth Lesinski (she/her) and Tyler Anthony Smith (he/she/they) with Matty Bettencourt (she/he/they), Brittney Brown (she/her), Taylor Dalton (she/her), Dakota Hughes (they/them), Patrick O'Keefe (he/him), Shane Roberie (he/him) and Tommy Thurston (he/him). Understudies include Connar Brown (she/her), Miguel Long (he/him), Halli Morgan (she/her) and Brandon Nelson (he/him).
It’s 1979 in dangerous, smoky, glorious New York City. Our story’s red-headed protagonist Li’l Orphan Arnie (Dakota Hughes) is fleeing from the guardianship of a sex-starved, meth-cooking madwoman (Sydney Genco*). Out on the streets, they befriend a slinky dancing cat (Matty Bettencourt), who leads them to a magical manhole, transporting them back in time to Paris, France in 1815. Trading in one poverty-plagued lifestyle for another, Arnie gives up the desire to find their parents and joins forces with a gang of pick-pocketing prostitutes, led by the mysterious Fagin (David Cerda*).
Life becomes even more dire when Mama Moneybags (Brittney Brown), a corrupt Republican from the future, takes it upon herself to put Fagin’s troupe out of work. Thankfully, there’s a bounty of colorful, destitute characters to help save the day, such as the tuberculosis-ridden Pantene (Caitlin Jackson*), a feral Beggar Woman (Elizabeth Lesinski*) and Nance, the classic hooker with a heart of gold (Tyler Anthony Smith*). Will the sun come out tomorrow? Do you hear the people sing? Will we be changing all of the lyrics to avoid being sued? Yes!
POOR PEOPLE! will play May 2 – June 16, 2024 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1116848.
Photo Credit: Rick Aguilar Studios.
Dakota Hughes, Matty Bettencourt, Elizabeth Lesinski, Shane Roberie, Caitlin Jackson, Patrick O''Keefe, Brittney Brown, Tommy Thurston, Taylor Dalton and Tyler Anthony Smith.
Elizabeth Lesinski, Matty Bettencourt, Dakota Hughes, Tyler Anthony Smith, Caitlin Jackson and Patrick O''Keefe.
Matty Bettencourt, Dakota Hughes, Tyler Anthony Smith and Shane Roberie with Patrick O''Keefe, Elizabeth Lesinski and Caitlin Jackson.
Sydney Genco with Tyler Anthony Smith, Taylor Dalton, Caitlin Jackson and Patrick O''Keefe
Dakota Hughes, Tyler Anthony Smith, Caitlin Jackson, Taylor Dalton and David Cerda with Patrick O''Keefe and Sydney Genco
Taylor Dalton, David Cerda, Dakota Hughes, Tommy Thurston and Tyler Anthony Smith
Shane Roberie, Brittney Brown and Sydney Genco
Dakota Hughes and Tyler Anthony Smith
David Cerda with Sydney Genco, Brittney Brown and Taylor Dalton
Sydney Genco with Tyler Anthony Smith, Shane Roberie, Brittney Brown, Patrick O''Keefe and Tommy Thurston
Sydney Genco and company
Matty Bettencourt, Dakota Hughes and Patrick O''Keefe
Dakota Hughes, Tyler Anthony Smith and Shane Roberie
Patrick O''Keefe and Matty Bettencourt
Patrick O''Keefe
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