(OUTscene NW) RE-view: Ham for the Holidays: BIGGER and BOLDER than EVER!

Photo credit: Chris Bennion

by MK Scott

Ham for the Holidays is a Seattle Holiday Tradition and after years of small cabaret-style shows at the Theater Off-Jackson, They have moved up, and Got a Bigger theater to help stage a Larger version with all the familiar characters, but funnier than ever before.

This year's show was called, 'Close Encounters of the Pork Rind' and performed at Seattle's ACT Theater and starring the super team of Peggy Platt and Lisa Koch with supporting players, Michael Coates and DJ Gommels.

The show is like watching  sketches from The Carol Burnett Show and SNL, and this year they should be commended for the material was superb and topical with bigger production values and some of the regulars with new twists and turns. Some Highlights were, Sequim Gay Men's Chorus' What does the Fox say' Parody with 'What does the Fag Say'. Peggy's Slam Poet, Crassword with Peggy as Khloe Kardashian and The Spudd's mini-movie, Meet me in Mayberry with a vengeance with Andy Griffith show characters doing a Mis- Mashup of a Die Hard movie. Euomi Spudd  (Platt) as Judy Garland in 'Meet me in St. Louis'  is the guest sheriff of Mayberry with Koch as Gomer and later as Miss Andy Taylor . Gommels is Hysterical as Aunt Bee!

Photo credit: Chris Bennion

Other Great moments were Schmeck Attack (a Jackie Mason style duo performing offensive material at an office Holiday Party). and The Seatles (a Beatles Tribute Band with Koch as Paul Allen, Platt as Chihuly,  Coates as Jean Enerson, and Gommels as Bill Gates) was my Fave.

I loved Lisa Koch singing with a message and compassion, it really gave the show a message.

I also loved the campy and cheesy Music videos from the 60's including this one from Bobby Vee, being played during costume changes.

"Ham for the Holidays performs through December 22nd at ACT. For tickets or information contact the ACT box office at 206-292-7676 or visit them online at www.acttheatre.org.