There are more than a few brilliant moments in Bedlam Theatre’s production of "The Turducken," the scrappy troupe’s send-up of dinner theater, holiday-themed shows and Chekhov’s "The Seagull." I enjoyed the trio of singers who appeared in gaudy Christmas sweaters to croak off-colored tunes.

I also liked how Chekhov’s saddest character, Medvedenko, was remade in the image of a pierced young gay man. But the best thing about the show was the writing: Josef Evans’s script was packed with so many hilarious turns of phrase that I shrieked and whinnied my way through the entire first act.

About midway through the second act, the show ran out of gas but ambled forth nonetheless. The meandering, and less funny, second act could have been halved, to say the very least. But even so, "The Turducken" is the only show to accurately reflect how so many of us feel about Christmas: Even despite all the credit-card debt and cheesy songs, we can’t help but love the over-the-top holiday.

"The Turducken." Through Dec. 21. Bedlam Theatre. Tickets: $15 for show only. $35 in advance for dinner and show; $50 at the door.