Started in 1998 as an off-the-cuff suggestion to Hell In a Handbag Productions artistic director David Cerda, Scarrie! was the only the second show he'd ever penned–and the first musical. It originally gained steam as a popular late-night one-act from Swetback Prductions.
In their own space off Foster and Clark ( which is now a condo ) , Sweetback would pack their self-described 'black box' space for the initial run of Scarrie!
With a minimal budget and a loyal vampire
following, Scarrie! ran in its initial incarnation for a year and a half. It wouldn't be until 6 years later that it would again rear its bloddy, tiara-ed head.
In the fall of 2004, Cerda, along with Hell In A Handbag workshopped Scarrie! as part of a Halloween benfit for the company. This gave Cerda a chance to really dig in and re-work the music, which had taken on a 70s rock feel. Much of the original script was also re-tooled, based on the shrewd feedback from the cast and the audience.
Now, with a considerably larger kitty behind it, and a six-week run at The Theatre Buikding on Belmont, the blood is ready to flow once more. Look for the preview to hit July 1 and the official opening night July 2. Shows run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The run goes through Sunday, August 7.
The show has really been bumped up several notches, due to wonderful new choreographer Bobbie Bagby and director Margot Bordeon, who just completed her internship at Steppenwolf Theatre. If you remember such fantastic Hell In A Handbag shows such as Poseidon!, you'll be blown over by Scarrie!
For more information,
check out www.handbagproductions.org .
photo by www.rickaguilar.com
graphics by Michael Miller