Newly elected Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges guest starred as Santa Claus in a local theater production at Bryant-Lake Bowl Friday.

Josh Carson, who wrote and stars in "A Very Die Hard Christmas," said he created a role for Hodges when he found out she was a fan of the show.

Carson said his "more political" friends who attended some of the mayoral debates contacted him and were like, "Dude, Betsy Hodges is talking about 'Die Hard Christmas.'"

Hodges cited the play in several debates this election season as one of her favorite local theatrical productions, Carson said, which “makes her the coolest mayor in the world.”