EDGE Chicago

Twelve years ago, David Cerda had a vision for a holiday show, one that was perhaps a bit more cynical than sentimental, more bitter than sweet. The result was Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, a comic musical parody of the classic children’s story line involving a transvestite reindeer leading a cast of characters that each, in one way or another, does not mesh with what’s expected of them. The local favorite returns this weekend to launch a month-long run at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville.

"[The show is] all about misfits and not fitting in," explained Cerda, Hell in a Handbag Productions artistic director and Rudolph brainchild. "Rudolph is different and his parents and everyone at the North Pole want him to conform and make fun of him. I think that resonated for me and I think a lot of kids who felt different, whether it’s a gay kid or overweight kid or a Jewish kid in Utah."

Rudolph is, indeed, not alone as an outsider amongst the show’s cast of so-called "misfits" in this decidedly "adult" take on the classic directed by Handbag ensemble member Derek Czaplewski. There’s the unapologetically alcoholic Mrs. Claus, the misogynist Santa, the gossipy "reindeer lady" and the "raging bulldyke" head elf named Barbara - a new character in this year’s production. Cerda himself plays the Abominable Drag-Beast in the production.

And then there’s Herbie, the "not gay enough" elf who is largely rejected by the cooler, twinkier elves. To draw a local comparison, Cerda described Herbie as a nerdy, indie rock-listening Big Chicks-goer into comic books and sci-fi, rather than the Britney and GaGa-obsessed "Halsted St. queens."

In other words, despite the show’s high camp factor, Rudolph’s central themes pull from dark-at-times corners of reality with its satirical take on our own community’s quirks and headline-grabbers "you couldn’t believe if you wrote them" such as the Balloon Boy and the White House dinner crashers. And it even carries a reflective, semi-autobiographical flavor based on Cerda’s own life experiences.

"Sometimes you face the biggest bigotry within your own community. There’s a lot of narrow minds. But I try to take a very painful subject and put humor into it. So though it’s a silly, silly campy show, a lot of it comes from my own experience with my family," Cerda explained. "I had a really hard time coming out to them and when I moved to Chicago, I did not fit in with the Halsted St. crowd. Even though I was glad I was different, part of me just wanted to be accepted, to have the muscles, the physique and be popular and have tons of guys wanting to hook up with me."

And since that time, Cerda said he’s stopped dwelling on our community’s "rules" and learned to laugh about it - a perspective that comes through in Rudolph. All the jokes about plastic surgery and the "Do-It-Yourself-Reality-Superstar-Kit" aside, he hopes the message of personal pride resonates with the show’s audience.

"The message here is to be yourself," he said.

Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer opens Saturday, Dec. 5, and runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through Jan. 2 (excluding shows on Dec. 24, 25 and 31) at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark. Log on to www.handbagproductions.org or call 1-800-838-3006 for tickets or more information