Your Chicago Guide’s tickets for two to the press viewing of Queen for a Day courtesy of Hell in a Handbag Productions.
What do you get if the recipe calls for the year 1984 mixture of drug-sniffing high fashion designer Halston, Queen Elizabeth I (yes, the one that died in 1603), Liza Minelli, and the Statue of Liberty? You get showstopping tunes, rapid fire dialogue, plenty of drama, beautiful costumes, and hilarious chaos galore.
Roy Halston Frowick (don’t call him Roy), known to the world as Halston, is morning the demise of his career. He is packing his sleek Olympic Tower office for reasons he doesn’t want to discuss. To make matters worse, Elizabeth I is knocking on his door. Yes, in 1984 New York City. Could the drugs be catching up to the King og Minimalism?
Her Majesty demands a stunning burial gown for Her impending death. It needs to be finished by the end of the day, even though Halston seems to be on the verge of a breakdown. He takes the money and agrees to craft the Queen a gown. They move forward with a design, involving a red flowy fabric Her Majesty deems the least itchy. Halston gets to work, that is until his best friend Liza pops by to discuss her new show.
You have questions? So did we. And none of them really got answered. But is the show entertaining? Resoundly, yes. Providing plenty of comedic relief, the show barrels forward like an express train. By the end of it, it is hard to determine who truly is the Queen that day. The ending hits you in the feels and lingers.
With beautiful costumes, hilarious show tunes, and high wigs, and even higher drama galore, Queen for a Day is definitely worth the price of admission. It is now playing at the beautiful Bramble Arts Loft through August 3rd, 2025.
Hell in a Handbag Productions” Queen for a Day is now playing at the Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 North Clark Street, in Chicago’s Andersonville. For tickets, visit Hell in a Handbasket website or contact the box office.