Your Chicago Guide’s tickets for two to the press viewing of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical courtesy of Hell in a Handbag Productions.
Hell in a Handbag Productions continues 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), the show is an energetic romp chock full of frothy fun. Written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith with direction by Stephanie Shaw, music direction by Andrew Milliken and choreography by Christopher Kelley, POOR PEOPLE! is now playing at The Chopin Studio Theatre.
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, Arnie befriends a slinky dancing cat (Matty Bettencourt). The feline, whom Arnie names Fosse, 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!
Comments playwright Tyler Anthony Smith: “When I was in the fourth grade, I was supposed to be in the ensemble of our district’s high school production of Oliver! I got sick, missed too many rehearsals, and was forced to exit the show. So, not only is this the Handbag’s response to Apple TV’s Schmigadoon!, it is also my revenge.”
We went to see POOR PEOPLE! on a Friday night, after a long day of work, fighting traffic, and other proper adulting things. We were tired and in need of effortless entertainment. This parody musical provided a much welcome relief from adulting. We laughed till out faces hurt, and frequently had to pick up our jaws off the floor. Wildly funny and completely irreverent, POOR PEOPLE! features a very talented cast. The musical numbers are fabulous and very recognizable. The costumes are colorful and sparkly. The quippy dialogue is delivered with Handbag’s signature rapid-fire speed. In other words, perfect Friday night entertainment.
If you are a very serious Broadway musical lover, holding all things Andrew Lloyd Webber in the highest esteem, POOR PEOPLE! may not be your cup of tea. However, with a hefty dose of camp and frequently risque humor, it is certainly worth the price of admission for the rest of us.
POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical is playing through June 16th, 2024, at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 West Division Street, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are on sale at Hell in Handbag Productions or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1116848.