Off Cabot's 'Ha Ha for the Holidays:' A Festive Night of Laughter and Cheer

Ha Ha for the Holidays was a festive success at Off Cabot on December 12. Dressed in their best red outfits and Grinch slippers, Thomas Smoker and Jacyn Tremblay passed infectious cheer to audiences. The evening was a spectacular blend of musical delights, comedy, and fun activities.

“Christmas is here again,” Tremblay said on the Off Cabot stage, adorned with festive Christmas decorations. “The season is here and we’re trying to get things done.” Smoker continued, complaining about traffic during the holidays, a statement everyone agreed with. As exciting as holidays are, they bring stress, which this night relieved people with holiday galore.

To kick off the festivities, Tremblay and Smoker took song requests for a little skit. With titles like, ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ and ‘Last Christmas,” Smoker and Tremblay invented a clever wordplay scene. They put the ‘ha ha’ in the holidays keeping the audience engaged.

Starting with a tune reminiscent of ‘I Got You Babe,’ a famous tune from Groundhog Day (1993), Tremblay and Smoker wrote a song about spreading cheer for the holidays called ‘I Got You Dear.’ The duo were excellent, sharing rich vocals and comical moments.

Boston-based comedian Emily Ruskowski took the stage next. Ruskowski has a unique ability to find humor in personal matters. She enlightened the room with relatable observations, including a lighthearted commentary on the diversity of body shapes. We should be happy about our bodies and others should mind their business.

Ruskowski’s hilarious tales of roller coaster nightmares and the perils of sitting in a middle seat on the plane stories had audiences cackling. She got to keep a ‘school photo load’ of pictures from the rollercoaster experience. Later in the evening, Ruskowski brought up her bag with cheese galore and amused the audience with her many cheese accessories.

The evening featured an enjoyable variety of acts that highlighted the talents of other individuals, like Beverly resident Tom Edmonds who sang ‘Santa Baby.’ Christmas tunes filled the air, with Smoker performing a fast-paced version of ‘Jingle Bells,’ ‘The Man with the Bag’ sung by Tremblay, and Chris King and Christina Cataldo singing ‘White Christmas.’

This year’s Ha Ha for the Holidays introduced a new routine with Essex Improv Group. The team was hilarious, making up skits on the spot and taking audience requests. They switched off in mini-scenes, creating scenes of elves rioting, decorating a tree, and returning a doll (which was my favorite skit). It was impressive how quickly they created dialogue.

Have you ever wished you could bottle laughter to listen to it again? That’s exactly what the audience reaction was like. The audience was involved all night, laughing, clapping, and singing along. It was also a night to dress up in holiday outfits from sweaters and one person wearing reindeer antlers.

They also got involved in fun activities like hilarious Mad Libs readings and an ornament-making session constructed from paper materials. As one person said, one creation resembled Jacob Marley’s shackles. Prizes were also given out to winners.

Off Cabot makes a fitting setting with its cozy atmosphere. Continuing with the setup of the stage, colorful lights beamed on a living room setting and a menorah sat on a table. The menorah was a kind gesture to anyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas.

Ha Ha for the Holidays was a lively and festive night that had attendees caroling while leaving. Off Cabot fosters a true sense of community, making audiences feel connected to the performance. It’s a place where entertainment brings people together for a memorable time.