Review: More Raucous Holiday Hilarity with HAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THE HAMCHURIAN CANDIDATE at ACT

Most people have that thing every year that signals the beginning of the Holiday season; seeing the lights downtown, that first pumpkin spice whatever, or braving the crowds on Black Friday. For me, the Holidays don't really begin until I get to enjoy my favorite annual show from Seattle treasures Peggy Platt and Lisa Koch, "Ham for the Holidays". And their current incarnation, "The Hamchurian Candidate" currently playing at ACT certainly rang in the holiday season with a bang ... and a chainsaw ... and some aerobicize videos that I can never un-see.

If you're a newbie to the hilarious world of "Ham", it all springs from the twisted minds of Peggy and Lisa (aka Dos Fallopia) along with their director David Koch with an evening of hysterical sketch comedy and song as performed by Platt and Koch along with Michael Oaks, Jordan Iosua Taylor, and Nova Dobrev and their Music Director Bruce Hall. You can expect all your favorites including everyone's favorite Seattle-centric game show, "What the Heck's a Puget?", our annual check in on the drama within the Sequim Gay Men's Chorus, the outrageous Slam Poet and of course, to top it all off, the latest holiday show offering from Mother/Daughter country duo, The Spudds. All this and so much more including the most insanely awkward and unsettling videos covering the scene changes.

This year's offering from Mama Euomi Spudd was especially topical as it stemmed from Mama's late-night viewing of a political thriller. Unfortunately, she fell asleep before the ending and woke up as they were showing a musical so this political commentary is undercut by some of the most hilarious modern musical takes on love and shipping. And I have to mention the rockin' cover of "Uptown Funk" from the Sequim Gay Men's Chorus lead by their hunky new member (played by Taylor) who brought the house down with his vocals and sexy dance moves.

But then the Spudds and the Sequim Gay Men's Chorus are always my favorite sections (in an evening full of favorites). There's a reason this has become an annual tradition for me and for so many others and why we keep bringing even more into the fold. Because Platt and Koch and Co will make you laugh, will make you think, and will definitely give you that special little contented sigh of the Holidays even if it's just by escaping your family for 2 hours. And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give "Ham for the Holidays: The Hamchurian Candidate" a contented sigh of a YAY. And with that, the Holidays can begin.

"Ham for the Holidays: The Hamchurian Candidate" performs at ACT through December 17th. For tickets or information contact the ACT box office at 206-292-7676 or visit them online at www.acttheatre.org.

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