1 week Ago
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes is feeling grateful.Grateful that she didn’t give up when life was rough. Grateful for the people who supported her in her career.
Grateful that, after 17 years as a touring stand-up comedian, her shows continue to draw crowds.“I’m grateful that when everything in my life looked like it was going downhill, I held on,” she said in a recent interview. “Right around the corner was life-changing experiences.
I could have missed out on all of this.”An actress, stand-up comedian, former NFL cheerleader and “MADtv” cast member, Johnson-Reyes is one of the most successful comedians today, with multiple comedy specials, millions of YouTube views and a popular podcast.She brings her latest tour, Family Reunion, to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg on Saturday.
Johnson-Reyes promises a “family-friendly” show where all ages are welcome.“I talk a lot about my family and becoming a mom, and now I have a daughter, and talking about the things that have changed in my life,” Johnson-Reyes said. “I have many jokes in my previous hours about how I didn’t want kids, and then I decided the last minute, maybe I do.
And so, being a new mom, being an old mom. All of that.“Sure, there are some things I would love to say on stage that I’m going to opt out, because at this point in my career, the audience that I’ve built is appreciative of the fact that they can bring their grandma, their nephew, whoever to the show, and they won’t feel embarrassed or uncomfortable,” she added.
“And I love that. I love that anybody can come and feel welcome, and not feel embarrassed that they’re sitting next to their grandma while they’re watching this certain joke. I love that anybody can come and feel welcome, and I don’t have to give any warnings ahead of time.
”Actress, comedian and former MADtv cast member Anjelah Johnson-Reyes pauses back stage with her daughter. Johnson-Reyes brings her Family Reunion tour to the Sherman Theater on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Stroudsburg. (Courtesy Nate Magoon)Speaking of family, Johnson-Reyes’ husband, musician Manwell Reyes, and their 19-month-old daughter will be on tour with her.
“We’re going to be on a bus, traveling the country together,” she said. “Our own family reunions — it’s like a family reunion in Stroudsburg, a family reunion in Pittsburgh, in Philly.”Johnson-Reyes rose to fame with her viral “Nail Salon” skit, and her portrayal of fast-food employee Bon Qui Qui on “MADtv.
”She embraces the success those characters brought her. But ultimately, Johnson-Reyes considers herself a storyteller.“I feel like every hour that I’ve done has been about my life in that season,” she said.
“I’ve been very honest with whatever it was that I was going through. My last show, ‘Say I Won’t,‘ was like fish out of water, being a California girl living in the South. It’s what I was going through at the time.
“In my early [specials], I talk about dating and the way guys hit on me, because that’s what I was going through in my 20s. And so this hour is what I’m currently going through, and it’s learning to be a mom in my 40s, and how that has changed me as a woman, how my body has changed, how I’m getting older. All of that kind of stuff.
”Johnson-Reyes promises audience members lots of stories and laughs — but also some heartwarming moments.“I have a lot of stories to tell,” she said. “The stories that I tell on stage are comedic and they’re in a certain rhythm and a timing to get to a punchline.
The point of standup is to make people laugh. But I have some stories that aren’t just funny, they’re more heartwarming, or they’re deep, or they’re introspective. There‘s some really powerful stories, and some stories that really just would cause one to look at their life and be like, ‘Where can I do something like this, or do something like that?’ I feel like some parts of my story unlock other people’s stories.
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