History LargeHam / Theater

* Snoopy in ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown]]''. The lesser-known SpiritualSuccessor ''Snoopy!!!'' gives him even more opportunities to ham it up, particularly in "The Great Writer", in which he types up an increasingly ridiculous {{Melodrama}} complete with a fistfight between cowboys.

* George Hearn, whose performance as Albin in ''La Cage aux Folles'' was parodied by ''Forbidden Broadway'':
-->"I ham what I ham\\
And when I ham, I get ovations..."
* Maureen in ''Theatre/{{RENT}}''. Off stage character until "Over The Moon", she takes over the show during that number and much of Act 2
* [[TheDevil Applegate]] in the baseball-themed adaptation ''Theatre/DamnYankees'' is ham-a-licious.

* The Engineer in ''Theatre/MissSaigon''. The show's dark comic relief, this guy steals the show from right under the 'main characters'' feet if played right

* Snoopy in ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown]]''.

* Big River, the musical of ''Literature/AdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn''. The Duke and King...when done best.

* The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGxryV6S2F4 Green Goblin]] in ''Theatre/SpiderManTurnOffTheDark'', widely considered the [[TroubledProduction infamous]] play's strongest point.
* The 2013 adaptation of ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' is set in a WorldOfHam -- which makes sense, given that in-story there's a lot of scenery that can ''literally'' be chewed on -- with Charlie and his parents the only characters exempt. But there's no contest as to the biggest ham of all once Willy Wonka reveals himself to the world with the Act One finale "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen", a song that was clearly written for the express purpose of rafter-rattling -- and Douglas Hodge is up to that challenge on the cast album.

* If you perform ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' and your Nick Bottom is not hammier than all three little pigs, you're doing it wrong.
** Bottom may be the hammiest ham ever hammed. His lines are specifically written to encourage acting like this, including a bit where he [[TalkingToHimself tries to play both]] of the ShowWithinAShow's StarCrossedLovers. He even claims that he wants a "part to tear a cat in, to make all split". That's Shakespearean for "I want to play a LargeHam."

* ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' has both the Princes as Large Hams. [[EarWorm AGONY!]] [[CrowningMomentofFunny FAR MORE PAINFUL THAN YOURS!]]

* The 2013 adaptation of ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' is set in a WorldOfHam, with Charlie and his parents the only characters exempt. But there's no contest as to the biggest ham of all once Willy Wonka (as played by Douglas Hodge on the London cast album) reveals himself to the world with the Act One finale "It Must Be Believed to Be Seen", a song that was clearly written for the express purpose of rafter-rattling.

* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'': A musical with melodramatic tendencies and a tip of the blood-spattered hat to the Grand Guignol shows. Mrs. Lovett's infamous meat pies often come with a side of ham. Just how much and for which characters depends on the production, but it's pretty much a given for Pirelli.
** The song ''A Little Priest", the Act I finale which is chock-full of ham, {{lampshade|Hanging}}s its own hamminess. The movie tried to do it without being hammy and thus demonstrates that [[TropesAreTools ham is sometimes necessary]].
** Pirelli just isn't Pirelli if he isn't played as ham with a side of bacon.

[[AC:Hamdrew Lloyd Weber]]
* Another female example: Carlotta in ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' (and by extension, many of the actresses playing her).
** She's a LargeHam InUniverse

* Even in the WorldOfHam that is Creator/CirqueDuSoleil, [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/brian-dewhurst-cirque-du-_n_1562498.html Brian Dewhurst]] is in a class of his own -- an Englishman born into a circus family in 1932, he had a huge list of credits in circus and cabaret long before he made his first Cirque appearance in 1990's ''Theatre/NouvelleExperience'' as the ostentatious Great Chamberlain, who manages to be a large ham even as he attempts to walk a slackwire. He played a similar role in ''Theatre/{{Fascination}}'', and after several years of behind-the-scenes work let his love of being a large ham lead him back into the limelight as ''Theatre/{{Mystere}}'''s principal clown. He was 68 when he took on the role of "Brian Le Petit", a ScrewySquirrel who tricks arriving audience members into thinking he's going to lead them to their seats, endlessly picks on the emcee, and will resort to the hoariest SoUnfunnyItsFunny gags to escape punishment; now in his early 80s, he's ''still'' in the role, and audiences love him for it. (Cirque being a SilenceIsGolden world, he primarily uses his face and body to "project" to the back rows.)

* Michael Crawford originated three roles in Creator/AndrewLloydWebber productions -- the title characters in ''The PhantomOfTheOpera'' and the ScreenToStageAdaptation of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', and Count Fosco in ''The Woman in White''. This says a lot about his performing style, which dates back to the time when he was best known as a light comedy actor (playing, among other roles, Cornelius in the film version of ''Theatre/HelloDolly'', Film/{{Condorman}}, and [[Series/SomeMothersDoAveEm Frank Spencer]]).

* Another female example: Carlotta in ''ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' (and by extension, many of the actresses playing her).

* Lloyd Webber loves his large hams. Pharaoh from ''JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'', The Rum Tum Tugger from CATS, and Herod from ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'' (especially the 2000 version) are some of theater's best hams.

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* Arguably Ben Vereen in the finale of ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}''. Mole! She has a MOLE ON HER FACE! YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR LIFE WITH A WOMAN WITH A MOLE ON HER FACE?!

* The entire cast of any GilbertAndSullivan operetta needs to be Large Hams. Even the chorus members.
** The works of GilbertAndSullivan can basically be described as overacting set to music. This is about 97% of their charm.
** Even allowing for this, the Pirate King and the Mikado are in a category all their own.
*** Though the Mikado faces, at the very least, stiff competition from Katisha.
**** Penzance (Pirates of) is probably the single hammiest, and my personal favourite (hammy in the best way). We have the Pirates ( 'for I am... a PIRATE KING!' [my capitals] is pure overacting in the best sense, so is 'With Cat-like Tread', which is a parody on the similarly ludicrous but played dead straight 'chorus' of abductors in Rigoletto act 2), the Major-General (The Very Model of A Modern Major-General, but also his breeze song, and the orphan/often joke, as well as the 'tombs of his ancestors' scene at the start of Act II, his daughters (Mabel, with her deliberately over the top colaratura, being the best known, but his other daughters do their share. The policemen (tarantara tarantara tarantara...) go without saying. A note - none of these parts are badly sung, or ought to be. They should, indeed be very well sung, but the lyrics (e.g. 'Pray Observe the Magnaminity' for the apogee (not a patter song as most of the tongue-twisters are) of the tongue-twisting) and style make it comedic. Simple rubbishy singing will ruin it.

* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil shows demand ''everyone'' to be ready and willing to ham it up if and when need be, and often without intelligible dialogue ([[Main/SilenceIsGolden if that!]]). In particular, the vast majority of comic characters/clowns are large hams.

* Even in the WorldOfHam that is Creator/CirqueDuSoleil, [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/brian-dewhurst-cirque-du-_n_1562498.html Brian Dewhurst]] is in a class of his own -- an Englishman born into a circus family in 1932, he had a huge list of credits in circus and cabaret long before he made his first Cirque appearance in 1990's ''Theatre/NouvelleExperience'' as the ostentatious Great Chamberlain, who manages to be a large ham even as he attempts to walk a slackwire. He played a similar role in ''Theatre/{{Fascination}}'', and after several years of behind-the-scenes work let his love of being a large ham lead him back into the limelight as ''Mystere'''s principal clown. He was 68 when he took on the role of "Brian Le Petit", a ScrewySquirrel who tricks arriving audience members into thinking he's going to lead them to their seats, endlessly picks on the usher, and will resort to the hoariest SoUnfunnyItsFunny gags to escape punishment; now in his early 80s, he's ''still'' in the role, and audiences love him for it. (Cirque being a SilenceIsGolden world, he primarily uses his face and body to "project" to the back rows.)

* Even in the WorldOfHam that is Creator/CirqueDuSoleil, [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/brian-dewhurst-cirque-du-_n_1562498.html Brian Dewhurst]] is in a class of his own -- an Englishman born into a circus family in 1932, he had a huge list of credits in circus and cabaret long before he made his first Cirque appearance in 1990's ''Theatre/NouvelleExperience'' as the ostentatious Great Chamberlain, who manages to be a large ham even as he (attempts to) walk a slackwire. He played a similar role in ''Theatre/{{Fascination}}'', and after several years of behind-the-scenes work let his love of being a large ham lead him back into the limelight as ''Mystere'''s principal clown. He was 68 when he took on the role of "Brian Le Petit", a ScrewySquirrel who tricks arriving audience members into thinking he's going to lead them to their seats, endlessly picks on the usher, and will resort to the hoariest SoUnfunnyItsFunny gags to escape punishment; now in his early 80s, he's ''still'' in the role, and audiences love him for it.

[[AC:Actors]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isadora_Duncan Isadore Duncan]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt]] was the original modern theatre Large Ham, even taking on Large Ham ''male'' roles. She was also a RealLife {{Determinator}} - nothing could stop her, even being one-legged with almost no mobility could stop her from being an acclaimed actress.

* "Never act with children, dogs or Denholm Elliott". (His film work however is much more subdued)

* Michael Crawford originated three roles in Creator/AndrewLloydWebber productions -- the title characters in ''The PhantomOfTheOpera'' and the ScreenToStageAdaptation of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' and the aforementioned Count Fosco. This says a lot about his performing style, which dates back to the time when he was best known as a light comedy actor (playing, among other roles, Cornelius in the film version of ''Theatre/HelloDolly'', ''Film/{{Condorman}}'', and [[Series/SomeMothersDoAveEm Frank Spencer]]).

* CirqueDuSoleil shows demand ''everyone'' to be ready and willing to ham it up if and when need be, and often without intelligible dialogue ([[Main/SilenceIsGolden if that!]]). In particular, the vast majority of comic characters/clowns are large hams.

* JesusChristSuperstar can have several parts with lots of ham. Caiphas in "This Jesus Must Die," for one, and Pilate in "Pilate and Christ" and "Trial Before Pilate." Judas is pretty hammy too.

* AVeryPotterMusical contains copious amounts of ham. "Did somebody say Ron? / Draco?", Cho Chang gets a special intro dance, the first scene Voldemort gets [[spoiler: with a body]], he gets a (literal) song and dance about it, Bellatrix spends her tenure running about, shouting, and getting wet over her dark lord, Umbridge needs to be seen to be believed, and Dumbledore's entrance is ridiculously long note on 'Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelcoooooooooome'.

* Practically a requirement for anyone playing Richard Henry Lee in ''[[SeventeenSeventySix 1776]]'', as the script has him constantly making "Lee"/"-ly" puns on adverbs and proclaiming he will single-handed-Lee deliver Virginia to the independence movement or may he be cursed forever. Lee's involvement in the play amounts to basically ''two scenes'' and the original Broadway actor ''still'' won a Tony because his musical number performance was just ''that'' memorable.

* Maureen in ''{{RENT}}''. Off stage character until "Over The Moon", she takes over the show during that number and much of Act 2
* [[TheDevil Applegate]] in the baseball-themed adaptation ''Damn Yankees''is ham-a-licious.

* The Engineer in ''MissSaigon''. The show's dark comic relief, this guy steals the show from right under the 'main characters'' feet if played right
* Large Ham: Now comes in CD form! Pick up a copy of the 2005 ''LittleWomen'' musical and skip ahead to "The Weekly Volcano Press." Words cannot describe the awesomeness of the entire cast (all... seven of them) hamming the life out of a pulpy, WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic fairy tale, clearly having far, far too much fun.
* Snoopy in ''[[{{Peanuts}} You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown]]''.

* This is practically a ''requirement'' for the LeonardBernstein operetta version of Voltaire's ''Candide''. Of special note for the level of salt-cured goodness, however, is Kristin Chenoweth's 2004 turn as Cunegonde, in which she was ''clearly'' having a grand old time. See an [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwzewHTcHewhere example]].
* Big River,the musical of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Duke and King...when done best.
* Basically every single last character in Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors if the production's any good. It's quicker to list lines that ''aren't'' pure ham than that are, provided you can think of any.

* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' has Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz University. Her performamce at the end of Act 1 is utterly ''scene-shredding'' when done by the proper actress:

* Arguably Ben Vereen in the finale of Pippin. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXZXjzh2s0&feature=related Mole! She has a MOLE ON HER FACE! YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR LIFE WITH A WOMAN WITH A MOLE ON HER FACE?!]]
* From the British production of ''MammaMia!'': "SHE'S STIIIILLLLLLL DONNA!"

* '''[[{{Hamlet}} HAM]]'''[[{{Hamlet}} let]]. It's right there in the name.
* Falstaff in Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''HenryIV'' duology. In ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' he becomes the ButtMonkey.
* If you perform ''AMidsummerNightsDream'' and your Nick Bottom is not hammier than all three little pigs, you're doing it wrong.

* Don Armado in ''LovesLaboursLost''.

** The song ''A Little Priest", the Act I finale which is chock-full of ham, [[LampshadeHanging Lampshades]] its own hamminess. The movie tried to do it without being hammy and thus demonstrates that [[TropesAreNotBad ham is sometimes necessary]].

* ''IntoTheWoods'' has both the Princes as Large Hams. [[EarWorm AGONY!]] [[CrowningMomentofFunny FAR MORE PAINFUL THAN YOURS!]]

* Lloyd Webber loves his large hams. Pharaoh from ''JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'', The Rum Tum Tugger from CATS, and Herod from "JesusChristSuperstar" (especially the 2000 version) are some of theater's best hams.
* In the London West End version of ''Cats'', Old Deutromony and Bustopher Jones were originally played by '''{{BRIAN BLESSED}}'''.
* Count Fosco of ''The Woman in White'', another AndrewLloydWebber musical. It's another {{Melodrama}} so everybody hams it up, but as the show's primary comic relief ''and'' a villain, he's a lot more fun than the other characters.
* Michael Crawford originated three roles in AndrewLloydWebber productions -- the title characters in ''The PhantomOfTheOpera'' and the ScreenToStageAdaptation of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' and the aforementioned Count Fosco. This says a lot about his performing style, which dates back to the time when he was best known as a light comedy actor (playing, among other roles, Cornelius in the film version of ''HelloDolly'', {{Condorman}}, and [[SomeMothersDoAveEm Frank Spencer]]).

* Walter in ''DontDrinkTheWater''. Marion meanwhile is a unique character in she can be played as either a large ham or a DeadpanSnarker.
* Most of the cast of cjaracters in ''{{Fools}}'', with special mention to Count Yousekevitch.

* Michael Crawford originated three roles in AndrewLloydWebber productions -- the title characters in ''The PhantomOfTheOpera'' and the StageToScreenAdaptation of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' and the aforementioned Count Fosco. This says a lot about his performing style, which dates back to the time when he was best known as a light comedy actor (playing, among other roles, Cornelius in the film version of ''HelloDolly'', {{Condorman}}, and [[SomeMothersDoAveEm Frank Spencer]]).

* In the London West End version of Cats, Old Deutromony and Bustopher Jones are played by '''{{BRIAN BLESSED}}'''.

* Michael Crawford, who originated the role in London, has become one of musical theater's great hams period - from ''Barnum'' to ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (he originated that role too!) to his concert performances, he puts his whole heart into everything he does.

* CirqueDuSoleil shows also demand ''everyone'' to be ready and willing to ham it up if and when need be, and often without intelligible dialogue ([[Main/SilenceIsGolden if that!]]) to boot. In particular, the vast majority of comic characters/clowns are large hams.

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* Pretty much all of {{opera}}. Inevitable when your medium is the narration of every little thing that happens to you via really loud singing.
And let's not even get started on any aria and solo parts, and especially the "buffo" role. Romantic operas, even more so.

* Any "buffo" role in opera ever.
** ONLY the buffo? Dude, if you're NOT hammy, you have no place in opera. Period.
*** But for starters one usually whet one's appetite with the Verdi mezzo soprano-contralto roles: Amneris, Eboli, Azucena and Ulrica had been stealing shows since their inception (in case of Amneris & Azucena, the ham is in fact written in the score. One scene for Amneris instructs the singer to exit like a certified crazy person, done very marvellously in this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skd37pmDZzI video]]).

Here the [[LargeHam hamming]] tradition begun. People in the cheap seats, take the fat off your faces.

* Basically every single last character in LittleShopOfHorrors if the production's any good. It's quicker to list lines that ''aren't'' pure ham than that are, provided you can think of any.

* "Never act with children, dogs or DenholmElliott"

* In British theater there was a saying, "Never act with children, dogs or Denholm Elliott" because of his scene stealing and admitted taste for being hammy.

* [[NoNameGiven The Two Men]] in ''KissMeKate''. "Brush Up Your Shakespeare", indeed.

* Basically every single last character in LittleShopOfHorrors if the production's any good. It's quicker to list lines that ''aren't'' pure ham than that are, provided you can think of any.

* From the British production of ''{{Mamma Mia}}!'': "SHE'S STIIIILLLLLLL DONNA!"

* Falstaff in {{Shakespeare}}'s ''HenryIV'' duology. In ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' he becomes the ButtMonkey.

* Don Armado in ''LovesLaboursLost''.

* Lloyd Webber loves his large hams. Pharaoh from ''JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'', The Rum Tum Tugger from CATS, and Herod from "JesusChristSuperstar" (especially the 2000 version) are some of theater's best hams.

* Walter in ''DontDrinkTheWater''. Marion meanwhile is a unique character in she can be played as either a large ham or a DeadpanSnarker.
* Most of the cast of cjaracters in ''{{Fools}}'', with special mention to Count Yousekevitch.
* Tito Merelli in ''Lend Me a Tenor'' is all about the operatic ham.

* The entire cast of any GilbertAndSullivan operetta needs to be Large Hams. Even the chorus members.

** Even better, '''Enjolras'''. ''[[EpicSong ONE MORE DAY BEFORE THE STORM!]]'' signals an escalation of ''One Day More'' to its theme of revolution.

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