A comedian is lucky if they have one character or sketch that makes them famous. But if they do get one, fans will enjoy, remember and quote it for years.
Anjelah Johnson doesn't have one of those. She has two.
The first is her MADtv character, Bon Qui Qui, an outrageously rude fast-food employee (who absurdly becomes a music star). Well, she's not totally outrageous: People identified with the character easily because we've all encountered someone like that. Not quite at Bon Qui Qui's level, of course. But that's what makes her so funny.
The other is her nail salon bit, which captures the atmosphere of a salon's casual upsell and discomfort at having everyone talk about you in a language you don't understand. The accent and dialogue are spot-on, and something people often quote to friends and family (though not as well as Johnson does it).
Those two characters alone justify her special engagement weekend at Tampa Improv April 28-30. But there's more to Johnson; She's had stand-up specials on Comedy Central and Netflix, and offers up plenty of funny stories based on her life experiences.
But she won't forget the characters that made her famous, either. And her fans certainly won't, as they're expected to keep the club busy over five shows that weekend.
Here's a clip of Johnson's stand-up.
$27-$30. April 28 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.. April 29 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., and April 30 at 7 p.m. Tampa Improv, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Tampa. 813-864-4000. improvtampa.com.
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 4, 2017.