Christmas comes in many forms. For many, it kicks off with a fervent shop-fest on Black Friday, with fistfights over $99 flat-screen TVs and angry eyebrows aimed at the latest Elmo doll - the last one on the shelf. If Christmas isn't about scoring that Elmo doll for your child, then what's it all about?

Why not take a moment to ponder what the Christmas spirit is really all about over a cheeky holiday show?

The Alternative Holiday Show seeks to poke a little bit of fun at the current state of our highly commercialized and a bit crazy holiday season. But don't count on finding any anti-Christmas scrooges here. The show is all in good fun.

"There are so many holiday shows that are repeated every year like The Nutcracker, or A Christmas Carol, or Scrooge, or here locally, Stardust for Christmas," said Producer Elizabeth Lord. "We decided to not ignore the holiday season, but rather celebrate it in our own quirky way. We want to highlight not just the Christmas holiday, but highlight what it means to be a human, living in the United States, enduring the holiday season. Our show is not all cheer. It is not a hallmark card. But it is funny."

Where The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol and other traditional holiday shows have a plot, The Alternative Holiday Show does not. It's not a play, but instead a variety show with multiple acts determined to keep you giggling. Acts range from musical numbers to skits and even to poetry readings. Still, the acts are not random. There is a clear message that ties them all together.

Performers are all seasoned and all will have several roles throughout the show, whether singing, acting, telling a story or playing some music. Featured are Elizabeth Lord, Lauren O'Neill, John Ficker, Leslie Baker, Dave Beacham and Lydia Beth Leimbach.

"This is a show for those who are sick of the traditional holiday shows, yet would still like to do something special during the holiday season," Lord said. "This is a show for those people with a sense of humor who aren't afraid to laugh at themselves. This is a show for people who want to be surprised, who like an edge. This is a show for folks who would normally never consider attending a holiday show, who would normally poo-poo the idea - this is a show for them."

Lord also thinks that if you prefer your holiday entertainment traditional, you'll still enjoy this quirky show. Kids are welcome, too, but the show is recommended for those 10 and older.

The show goes on Dec. 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12-$24 either at the door or through Brown Paper Tickets. The cost of admission serves as a fundraiser for Prodigal Sun and The Midnight Sun Performance Space, but even so, if you can't afford the ticket price, come anyway. Pay more if you can, pay less if you're low on funds. The show welcomes all!

The Midnight Sun Performance Space is located at 113 N. Columbia St. in Olympia.