janelle james tour 2023

• Weird But True
• Sex & Relationships
• Viral Trends
• Human Interest
• Fashion & Beauty
• Food & Drink
• Personal Care
• Health & Wellness
• Amazon Sales
• Mother’s Day Gifts
• Why Trust Us
• StackCommerce

trending now in Shopping

Dyson just launched a robot vacuum — snag one before they sell...

We found the 51 best Wayfair Way Day deals –– Shop furniture,...

Found: 146 best-selling products you need from Amazon

Bath & body works just launched fragrance dupes for all your....

19 best vanillas that are anything but basic — our top picks

Out of the 55 eye creams we reviewed, these are the 29 best for...

We spent years testing 30+ shampoos, and these have the...

Get that bag! Shop the 25 best purse brands of 2023 now

How much are tickets to see an ‘abbott elementary’ star do stand up.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

If you watch ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” it’s likely you’ve fallen in love with the inept, flirtatious and always hilarious principal Ava Coleman.

And while we wait for a third season, we’re happy to report that you can see the actress Janelle James that brings her to life onstage all summer long.

James, a very funny stand-up vet with a Netflix special under her belt, has 22 shows lined up all over the country from July 7 through Aug. 19.

Before that though she’s set to take the stage at New Orleans, LA’s annual Essence Festival on June 30 through July 2 alongside Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion , Salt-N-Pepa , Jill Scott and many more.

The following week, she’ll officially launch her tour at West Nyack, NY’s Nyack Levity Live with four shows on July 7 and July 8 .

Best of all, if you want to catch Ava be funny IRL, you can for reasonable prices.

At the time of publication, we found tickets going for as low as $35 before fees on Vivid Seats.

Want to find out how much it costs to see James bring the funny live near you?

Here’s everything you need to know about Janelle James’ 2023 stand-up tour.

All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

Janelle James 2023 tour schedule

A complete calendar of all upcoming Janelle James 2023 tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found below.

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Essence Festival 2023

If you’re planning on going to this year’s Essence Festival , there will be no shortage of stars on display at the three-day weekend.

Just a few of the biggest names set to grace the stage at the Caesars Superdome include Jagged Edge , Ice Cube , Ice T, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris and many more.

Need last-minute tickets?

You can pick them up right here .

Comedians on tour in 2023

Janelle James isn’t the only hilarious comic on the road these next few months.

Here are just five of our favorite acts you won’t want to miss live this year.

•  Kevin Hart

•  Katt Williams

•  Trevor Noah

•  Marlon Wayans

•  D.L. Hughley

Who else is touringr? Check out our list of the  51 biggest comedians on tour in 2023 to find out.

Share this article:

• Manage Account

Top 10 Highest Grossing Comedy Tours of 2023

Check out our recap of Billboard Boxscore's top 10 comedy tours of the year, featuring Taylor Tomlinson, Bill Burr and more.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment

Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts , ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. Here, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre . Today, we continue with comedy.

Comedy is an outlier as a Boxscore genre, as it obviously exists outside of the traditional music industry. That’s not to say that the two don’t intersect – Adam Sandler has been a highly influential in musical comedy since the 1990s – but generally, comedians are playing a different game than Taylor Swift or Beyoncé . Most recently, Bo Burnham ’s genre- and form-blending Inside hit No. 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has logged 125 weeks (to date) at No. 1 on Comedy Albums .

With smaller traveling production, touring comedians have simpler stage setups. That can allow them to float from theaters to arenas and from amphitheaters to clubs from night to night. They can also perform multiple shows per night without the physical and vocal tolls of headlining pop stars. Two of 2023’s top 10 comedians played more than 100 shows during the tracking period, which no other act in the entire all-genre top 100 did.

Comedy’s share of the top 100 tours’ overall gross dipped to 1.8% this year. In part, astronomically rising ticket prices for stadium acts are creating a bigger gap between the biggest touring musicians and comedians who have stayed closer to more conservative pre-pandemic prices. Routing is also key – John Mulaney , Sebastian Maniscalco and Hasan Minhaj had much lighter schedules than in 2022.

Scroll to check out the top 10 highest grossing tours by comedy performers, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Nov. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023, are eligible.

$13.4M / 198K tickets / 20 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: N/A

Jo Koy played a variety of theaters and arenas in the U.S., mostly promoted by Icon Concerts. He did best on the West Coast, with his six best grosses coming from California, Nevada and Washington.

Adam Sandler

$14.2M / 141K tickets / 15 shows

From the global film box office to Billboard Boxscore, Sandler remains one of the most bankable names in comedy. Austin, Dallas and Nashville were highlights on his 2022-23 tour, which continues into next year.

Sebastian Maniscalco

$16.8M / 130K tickets / 39 shows

Maniscalco has been a road warrior over the last decade, but found a home in Vegas. He played 16 shows at the Encore Theater at Wynn Resort, making up almost $3 million of his year-end total. Casinos in New Jersey, Florida and California add to his run.

Taylor Tomlinson

$17.5M / 296K tickets / 132 shows

Tomlinson played more shows than any artist on any of the 2023 Boxscore genre breakdowns. Often with multiple shows per night, she ranged from $1 million over two nights at Radio City Music Hall to $25k and 740 tickets in Brussels.

$20.5M / 276K tickets / 21 shows

Kay hits the middle of the top 10, almost exclusively from shows in England. He repeated throughout the year in major markets such as Manchester, Glasgow and especially in London – in all, he played 10 shows at the O2 Arena during the 2023 tracking period.

Nate Bargatze

$20.6M / 330K tickets / 113 shows

More than 100 shows between November 2022 and September 2023 led to Bargatze’s first hosting gig on NBC’s Saturday Night Live . The Tennessee native played shows in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Memphis and Nashville, plus more than 60 others during the year.

$20.6M / 231K tickets / 37 shows

A mix of theaters, arenas and casinos scored Burr his second consecutive year at No. 4 on the comedy breakdown. He peaked at $1.5 million on July 7-8 at the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, N.J.

Bert Kreischer

$32.9M / 460K tickets / 80 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 82

A scan of Kreischer’s top markets of 2023 doesn’t find New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or any other typically major market. His strongest showings were in Tempe, Ariz.; Gilford, N.H.; Tampa, Fla. and St. Louis, Mo.

Dave Chappelle

$36.6M / 254K tickets / 19 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 68

Chappelle made lemonade out of very few lemons, playing fewer shows than anyone in the top 10 other than Sandler. He did it by sticking to arenas exclusively, only dipping below 10,000 tickets at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. (9,862). Four shows at Madison Square Garden earned $7.9 million and moved 49,000 tickets.

$67.5M / 631K tickets / 82 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 29

Yet again, Kevin Hart takes the lead, making him the only act to repeat atop a Boxscore genre chart in 2023. Hart played as many shows as Kreischer and demanded high ticket prices like Chappelle and Sandler, amounting to an 84% lead over his closest competition. In all, he reported 27 engagements with more than 10,000 tickets sold, and 30 over the $1 million mark.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Get Up Anthems by Tres Expand get-up-anthems-by-tres menu

Honda music expand honda-music menu.

Janelle James

November 11, 2023, 9:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries 3648 Washington Blvd St. Louis , MO United States

Janelle James stars in the scene stealing role of ‘Principal Ava’ in the hit ABC series,  Abbott Elmentary . The show garnered wins for [Best Supporting Actress, Comedy] from the Hollywood Critics Association and Black Reel Awards as well as nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics’ Choice Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Independent Spirit Award. James’ latest half hour stand-up special is featured on Netflix’s  The Stand Ups . Previously, James has served as both a writer and actor for Showtime’s  Black Monday  and Apple’s animated series,  Central Park.  She has toured with Chris Rock, Amy Schumer and David Cross among others, and she took over the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival (now The Janelle James Comedy Festival) in Brooklyn. She was a “New Face” at the Just For Laughs Festival Montreal, named one of The 50 Most Funny People in Brooklyn, and recently featured as one of Variety’s Top Ten Comedians to Watch. James’ debut comedy album, Black and Mild, was released on all major streaming network in 2017 to rave reviews. Her podcast,  You In Danger Gurl,  was listed as one of Spotify’s top comedy podcasts for 2020.

This show is a special event of the 6th annual Flyover Comedy Festival in St. Louis. A limited number of 3-Day Silver Wristbands, providing access to this event and more are available at flyovercomedyfest.com.

To avoid service charges, ticket buyers have the option to purchase tickets in person at either the Fabulous Fox’s box office when they are open as well as at The Sheldon box office before Sheldon shows.

See All Events

• This event has passed.

Exclusive interviews, news, and inspiration–straight to your inbox.

• Skip to content
• Accessibility
• Buy Tickets
• Food & Drink
• Pass The Mic

Janelle James

• Date Oct. 08 , 2023
• Event Starts 8:00 PM
• Venue The Pabst Theater
• Doors Open 7:00 PM
• On Sale Availability On Sale Now

Event Details

An award-winning actress best known for her role as Ava Coleman in the acclaimed television series Abbott Elementary, Janelle James is also an accomplished comedian, having toured with Chris Rock and Amy Schumer, and is coming to The Pabst Theater this fall as a part of Milwaukee Film’s 2023 Cultures & Communities Festival. In this one-of-a-kind experience, James will perform a 45-minute comedy set accompanied by a 15-minute audience Q&A, offering a unique glimpse into her life and career.  Learn more about the 2023 Cultures & Communities Festival at  mkefilm.org/ccf

Parking & Directions

Discounted Parking

Group Sales

For group sales information, please email  [email protected]  or call (414) 286-6200. Inquiries can also be submitted via our  Group Sales Page .

Please note that group rates are typically offered for groups of 20 or more, but are sometimes offered for groups of 10 or more. Discounts range from 10-20% but vary from show to show (not all shows support a group rate due to high demand or other restrictions).

Hotel Information

Bag Policy & Prohibited Items

SMALL PURSES ONLY, PLEASE. PURSES ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH To efficiently create a positive and safe experience for all patrons, only small purses (13″W x 4″D x 9″H and smaller) are allowed into the theater and all are subject to search.

All other bags  including backpacks and oversized purses are  strictly prohibited  and  bag storage is NOT available  at The Pabst, The Riverside, Turner Hall Ballroom or The Back Room @ Colectivo.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PROHIBITED AND ARE NOT ALLOWED INTO ANY OF THE VENUES. Weapons, laser pens, signs, banners, electronic smoking devices (vapes, Juuls, etc.), oversized bags, backpacks, outside food and beverages including water, cans, bottles, alcohol, illegal substances, iPads/tablets, selfie sticks, laptops, professional audio recording devices (unless approved by artist), and any professional photography equipment. The use of vape pens inside the venues are prohibited as well.

PLAN AHEAD: LEAVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME Plan to arrive 30 minutes before you want to be in your seat  to allow time to go through our security check.  Please leave large bags at home or in your car.

We are not responsible for any personal property that is lost, stolen, or damaged.

Thank you for helping to make all of our events efficient, enjoyable and safe for all.

Janelle James, Spinderella to headline Cultures & Communities Festival

Milwaukee Film’s Cultures & Communities Festival is back for its fifth installment Oct. 5-12, and the organization this week announced a pair of headlining events for this year’s celebration.

On Oct. 8, actress and comedian Janelle James will bring her Newly Famous Comedy Tour to the Pabst Theater , performing a 45-minute set followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A that will no doubt cover her time as principal Ava Coleman on ABC’s Abbott Elementary .

James has earned an avalanche of recognition for the role, picking up a 2022 Emmy nomination; as well as wins at the 2022 Black Reel Awards for Television and Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, and the 2023 NAACP Image Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

A few days before James hits the stage, the festival will get things started with an Opening Night Party at the Cooperage featuring DJ Spinderella, a pioneer in hip-hop and behind the turntables as one-third of the legendary Salt-N-Pepa. She’ll topline a full slate of DJs — including Doc B, Homer Blow and Lo Lo — on a night hosted by Dame Ellzey and Radio Milwaukee’s Element Everest-Blanks.

“This is the fifth Cultures & Communities Festival, and each year we look forward to making it bigger and better,” Milwaukee Film chief innovation officer Geraud Blanks said in a release. “Whenever I tell someone we're bringing Janelle James or DJ Spinderella to town, their face lights up, making me think we're on the right track."

You can pick up tickets to the Janelle James show online and at the Pabst/Riverside box offices, and the Opening Night Party featuring DJ Spinderella on the Milwaukee Film website .

In addition to the pair of headlining events, Milwaukee Film is also on the lookout for streetwear artists, brands and enthusiasts interested in being vendors at “Culture By Design: A Sneaker & Streetwear Summit.” The event will take place from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Wisconsin Center and will feature a sneaker marketplace, clothing, accessories, pop-up exhibitions, activations and displays. If you’d like to participate, Milwaukee Film is currently accepting applications here .

Other Searches

• Find a Writer
• Signatory Lookups
• Undeliverable Funds
• Foreign Levies
• Minimum Basic Agreement
• Schedule of Minimums
• Other Contracts
• Submit Your Contract
• Start Button
• Get Paid on Time
• Free Rewrite Help Desk
• Legal Services
• Report a Violation
• What Writers Need to Know
• Discrimination, Harassment & Bullying
• Discrimination in Hiring & Representation
• Sexual Harassment
• Parental Leave
• Creative Rights
• Separated Rights

Notify the Guild when you start a screenwriting project

Obtain the 2017 MBA and Schedule of Minimums

Credits Forms & Info

Download: Official forms & manuals

• What Producers Need to Know
• Weekly Worklist Requirement
• Residuals Payment Report
• Submit Contracts
• Become a Signatory
• Strike/Unfair List
• Signatory Agency List
• Agency Agreements
• Become a Franchised Agency
• Submit Agency Docs & Info
• WGAW Rep Report

Search members by name or background

Agency List

See the Guild signatory agency list

Find signatory projects and companies

• New Members
• Constitution
• Working Rules
• International Members
• Communications to Members
• Dues & Earnings
• Good & Welfare Loans
• The Writers' Deal Hub
• WGA Platform
• Project Page
• Screenwriters Handbook
• Member Organizing
• TV Writer Access Project
• Showrunner Training

myWGA Account

Dues, declared earnings, residuals & more

Pension & Health

Get coverage & benefits info

Let's be friends

Get members-only updates on Facebook

• Guild Panels
• Guild Screenings
• In Memoriam
• Nominees & Winners
• Submissions
• Show Details

Guild Calendar

Attend an upcoming WGAW event

What's playing at the Guild Theater?

Writers Guild Awards

Nominees, winners, highlights & more

• Guide to the Guild
• Officers and Board
• Annual Report
• WGAW Theater
• Register Your Script
• Foundation & Library
• Get Involved & Organize
• Digital/New Media
• Docs & Nonfiction
• Inclusion and Equity
• Politics & Public Policy
• Political Action Committee
• Safe & Inclusive Workplace Initiative

Join the Guild

How to become a member

We’re Here to Help

Ask Us a Question

Find out if we have Foreign Levies for you

• Screenplays
• Funniest Screenplays
• Screenplays of the 21st Century (so far)
• Written by "> Written by
• 3rd & Fairfax Podcast
• FYI Listings / Ask the Expert
• Guilds & Organizations

101 Best Lists

What are the best written scripts & shows of all time?

Get writers’ behind-the-screen stories

3rd & Fairfax

Listen & subscribe

Member Dashboard

Log in to access mywga and more.

• Switch Accounts

My Favorites

• Board Minutes July 28

Janelle James to Host 2023 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles Ceremony

Los Angeles – Multi-faceted writer-actress-comedian Janelle James will host the 2023 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony on Sunday, March 5.

“I am honored to be hosting the WGA Awards this year,” said James. “I was told that I can say whatever I want. And after making sure that was true and that it would not be televised...that's exactly what I'm going to do.”

2023 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles ceremony Executive Producer Hugh Fink remarked, “A few years ago, when I first worked with the hilarious and fearless Janelle James, my goal was to get her to host the WGA Awards. To commemorate this amazing event, all nominees will be receiving a $10,000 cash gift, redeemable at all participating FTX Bitcoin Exchanges.”

James currently stars in the Writers Guild Award-nominated Abbott Elementary as the hilariously unprincipled “Principal Ava.” The breakout performance won James a Black Reel Award and a Hollywood Critics Association Award as well as nominations for Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

After launching her stand-up career at an open mic in a biker bar, James has gone on to tour with comedy legends such as Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, and David Cross. In 2016, James was named one of the 50 Funniest People in Brooklyn and was featured in Just For Laughs Montreal’s New Faces showcase.  

James released her debut comedy album Black and Mild in September 2017 across all streaming platforms. That same year, James got her first TV writing credits on The Rundown with Robin Thede . James would go on to write and have a recurring role on Showtime’s Black Monday and Apple TV+’s Central Park, and in 2020, her podcast You In Danger Gurl was listed as Spotify’s top comedy podcast. 

For a photo of Janelle James, click here .

The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, news (broadcast and digital), radio/audio, and promotional categories. The 2023 Writers Guild Awards (75th Annual) will be held on Sunday, March 5, 2023. For more information about the 2023 Writers Guild Awards, please visit awards.wga.org or wgaeast.org/awards . 

Please direct Los Angeles-based media inquiries regarding the 2023 Writers Guild Awards to Bob Hopkinson in the WGAW Communications Department at: (310) 801-8563 or email: Bob Hopkinson .

Please direct New York-based media inquiries regarding the 2023 Writers Guild Awards to Jason Gordon in the WGAE Communications Department at (212) 767-7809 or email: Jason Gordon .

The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) are labor unions representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media, and broadcast news. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America West, visit www.wga.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit www.wgaeast.org.   

Popular Dashboard Pages

• Dashboard Dashboard Residuals
• Dashboard Dashboard Guild Calendar
• Dashboard Dashboard The Guild Screenings
• Dashboard Dashboard Special Offers
• Dashboard Dashboard Pregnancy & Parenting Leave
• Dashboard Dashboard Code of Working Rules
• Dashboard Dashboard Credits Survival Guide
• --> Item one Dashboard -->