Just for The Culture – July 13-28, 2022

Just for Laughs presents

Just for The Culture (formerly known as The Ethnic Show)

Just for The Culture (formerly known as The Ethnic Show) is a complete celebration of diversity, inclusion and funny people. You’ll laugh as a variety of comedians take the stage to talk from their perspective about what culture means to them. Hosted by Alonzo Boden and featuring Dave Merheje, Jessica Kirson, Paul Rabliauskas, Sheng Wang, Yannis Pappas and Zainab Johnson!

Alonzo Bodden

A regular panel member on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, Alonzo Bodden has been making audiences around the country laugh for more than 20 years.

In August 2019, Alonzo starred in his fourth stand-up special, Heavy Lightweight, which premiered exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. In the special he touched upon a range of topics from slavery, cell phones, and the #MeToo movement, to millennials, Kanye West and Taco Bell. As he says, “he likes to mix it up and hopes that audiences will join him for a laugh and a think, or two.”

Alonzo’s first big comedy break came when he was on the “New Faces of Comedy” showcase at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. However, it was as the season three winner of NBCʼs Last Comic Standing, where Alonzo was first introduced to America. Since then, he has starred in two comedy specials for Showtime: Historically Incorrect and Who’s Paying Attention. His television appearances include ABC’s Dr. Ken and Fresh Off the Boat, Dr. Phil, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and Californication.
In 2018, Alonzo released his fifth comedy CD titled Man Overboard, and currently hosts the podcast Who’s Paying Attention? where he gives his unique take on what’s going on in the world.

Jessica Kirson

Jessica Kirson is a powerhouse on stage. She’s a hilariously relatable performer of sheer silliness, vulnerability, and ridiculous characters. Her countless comedic character videos have racked up over 50 million views on social media. Her audience is multigenerational, creating an excuse for large groups of friends and families to spend a night out together. In an era where only 10% of all touring comedians are female, Jessica stands out as one of the strongest comedians regardless of gender.

Jessica produced FX’s Hysterical, a feature-length documentary that premiered at SXSW 2021. The film explores the changing landscape of women in stand-up comedy and features Margaret Cho, Nikki Glazer, Chelsea Handler, Fortune Feimster, and other notable comedians. Her one-hour special Talking to Myself was executive produced by Bill Burr and debuted on Comedy Central. She is a regular on This Week at the Comedy Cellar and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View, HBO’s, Crashing, and Kevin Can Wait. She also recently acted in and served as a consultant, producer, and writer on the Robert De Niro film The Comedian.

Jessica’s highly anticipated prank call album, The Call Girls, also featuring Rachel Feinstein, was released on September 24th. Recorded virtually during the depths of quarantine, the album features characters such as old Jewish grandmothers, sexy co-eds, a conservative mother and her gay son, and more.

She was awarded “Best Female Comic” by the MAC association in New York City and received the prestigious Nightlife Award for “Best Stand-up Comedian.” In her spare time, Jessica is a regular contributor to The Howard Stern Show, where she produces and stars in prank calls for the program.