By far the most impressive aspect of "The President Show" is star Anthony Atamanuik's astoundingly accurate impersonation of the commander-in-chief. Despite how crowded the field of Trump impressionists has become since the real-estate tycoon first strong-armed his way onto the New York tabloid scene, Atamanuik manages to stand out among the crowd. Peter Grosz's take on Vice President Mike Pence, playing the "sideman" late-night trope, is similarly well-done, though the latter's less threatening personality means the former is the perpetual center of attention.
More important than accurate portrayals, poignancy, or information, is the comedic aspect, and in this too the writers hit the nail on the head. From his notorious fast food obsession, to his childlike jealousy, to the menagerie of yes-man surrounding and enabling him, no stone is left unturned when it comes to mocking the divisive 45th President and his staff. The material ranges from simple puns to more complex sight-gags that take an entire act to fully come together, and all are done in the right mix of ridicule and good taste.
The weakest link in the chain, so to speak, comes down to the third act interview. The guests all too often include figures that appeal to a certain type of affluent left-wing audience- such as commentator Keith Olbermann and New Age/"alternative medicine" advocate Deepak Chopra- which makes the show feel less like a satire and more like a hit piece. When the audience stops laughing and starts cheering, the fun really hits a brick wall, though Atamanuik makes the best of it with his as-always on-point aping of the Donald.
Overall, though, I still highly recommend "the President Show" to anyone who craves "comedy news" done with the biting humor of the "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report".
