Angela Johnson-Reyes

Hickory – Join us on September 15th for a fun, thought-provoking, comedic performance by Angela Johnson-Reyes. This show is being held as a special fundraising event by The Art of Compassion, in partnership with Imagine One Hospitality, and hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne University.

The Art of Compassion series was created to make Catawba County and surrounding communities a better place to live, work, and raise families. Promoting connections between people and organizations to demonstrate Acts of Kindness. Visit the website at theartofcompassion.net for information about our community partners and charitable organizations that are committed to making a difference through helping people in our community.

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes is one of the most popular comedians in the country today, and we are very excited that she will be appearing live here in our community as part of The Art of Compassion 2023. Her popularity has translated into six successful comedy specials: “That’s How We Do It,” “The Homecoming Show,” “Not Fancy”, “Mahalo & Good Night,” “Technically Not Stalking,” and “Say I Won’t.” She has displayed her acting prowess both on TV and in film. Some of her credits include: “Life & Beth,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Superstore,” “Moms’ Night Out,” “Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” and “Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Say I Won’t.”

The past 18 months have been busy for Anjelah. She published her first book, “Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams” (Worthy Books), a hilarious and touching memoir full of memorable anecdotes on how a Latina dynamo was able to forge ahead and become successful. She also was front and center competing on Fox’s dance competition show “The Real Dirty Dancing” and performed at the “Netflix is a Joke – Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: Live Gala” which is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition, Anjelah launched her wildly successful and sold-out “Who Do I Think I Am?” standup comedy tour across the U.S. encompassing over 75+ cities across North America.

Anjelah’s comedy is clean and compassionate. She reminds us that we’re all human and that growing up is hard and that adult relationships can be even harder. Anjelah’s view of human nature is hopeful and inclusive. She often uses her wit and wisdom to break down stereotypes and challenges us to let go of our ideas of self-importance, self-righteousness, and cultural superiority.

Anjelah’s comedy creates a sense of community by highlighting our shared experiences, those moments when we can say “I’ve done that,” or “that’s happened to me,” or “I thought I was the only person who thought that, or saw it that way.” Anjelah’s comedy also creates community through laughter, a laughter that reminds us that we all need to give each other the benefit of the doubt, give each other a break, and let our egos and insecurities go. She invites us to be compassionate and kind to each other and believe that things will be alright in the end.

Anjelah’s comedy perfectly captures the spirit of The Art of Compassion and our Acts of Kindness project.

Tickets are now on sale for the September 15th, 7pm, performance at the Shuford Arena at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Visit theartofcompassion.net for more information. We hope to see you there!