By Rebekah Walhberg
COPY CHIEF
“Don’t inarrupt! Ruu!” Anjelah Johnson’s MAD TV character Bon Qui Qui has been making guest appearances across the nation for Johnson’s tour.
Johnson is funny, and her show at the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside Nov. 1 was no exception.
I had a great seat: orchestra, center and almost at the front. And though the theater was completely dark outside her spotlight, I had to wonder if she couldn’t see the huge grin plastered across my face the entire time.
The bulk—and funniest— of her material came from her married life and experiences with her husband. Johnson had the women in the audience in stitches with a story about a late-night emergency room trip because of her husband’s kidney stones. (“Oh, you have cramps? You poor baby!”)
Most affecting, though, was how her show felt tailored to her audience. Johnson told stories of her Mexican heritage and her teenage years —and her Southern Californian audience responded.
It’s a testament to her talent as a comedian that Johnson was able to gauge her audience’s reaction to her and adapt her material.
Johnson’s flawlessly integrated self-promotion was peppered with humor when she used the opportunity to pay homage to Bon Qui Qui and Tammy from the nail salon.
For more information on Anjelah Johnson and tour dates and locations, go to anjelah.com/tour.
