Janelle James Heads to the Theater at MGM

Welcome back 10 14 this morning and Emmy nominated actress and comedian Janelle James bringing her stand-up tour to the theater at MGM National Harbor this Friday just a few days away. She joins us live now to talk all about what fans can expect to see on stage. Hello good morning glad to have you here with us on Good Day D.C. Hey good morning thank you so much I appreciate it. Yes of course uh so talk to us a little bit about this uh your your tour what's going on I know you're going to different places but also making a stop right here in our neck of the woods. Yeah I mean I think uh a lot of people know me from the show from Abbott Elementary and uh this is my return to stand-up comedy. I've been a comedian for 15 years and so this has been amazing it's all been leading up to my first one hour special that I'm going to be uh releasing on Netflix this fall. I know I love that it's funny because like you said so many people know you from Abbott Elementary even myself I was like wait she's she's a comedian which makes sense because I get a little bit more about your character now and how those two kind of go hand in hand but I had no idea uh that you were so hilarious uh talk to us a little bit about your your tour what people can expect at it I mean what what kind of jokes do you form and where do they go? Well I'd say first please don't bring your kids to my show I know people keep them at keep them at Abbott but for my show I mean I hope that people uh expect to laugh and I um maybe see a different side of me um I would say you know check me out on I have other works on Netflix and if you love that then come through but I'm just uh hopeful and excited to let people know that I'm hilarious in all the ways. I love that uh you're I I think this newer special that you're uh doing right a little different than some of your past work and maybe in regards to allowing you to be a little bit more yourself? I wouldn't say that but I've definitely took uh more time okay um I really been I've been building this for about three years uh and um I've had this deal with Netflix for three years and and just touring every break that we get from Abbott and really like just building out the material and and and um so I've just had a longer time to develop this than I than I had previously. Gotcha looking forward to it I also know you have another project right uh Rock City tell us a little bit about that. Yeah that's a show I'm developing with David Kast who I worked with on a show called Black Monday years ago and it's uh loosely uh based on my life and and and tightly based on my dad it's very much about my dad and our um and how I grew up working with him in the Virgin Islands and I'm just excited about it because I've just always wanted to do a project that like showcases where I'm from and and how I grew up so yeah that's exciting. What about that do you think will attract some of those audiences getting to see a little bit more about where you're from the history the background I mean the Virgin Islands that in itself sounds like a fun time too. Yeah I mean what what what a con to write a show that's based on a beach like you know so that's good for me but yeah I mean I'm hoping what draws people through it is more me first of all and then um yeah just a different uh I've never seen a show based there and just um I think uh it's a place that is very tourism based and I've never seen a story with which is uh based from the locals point of view it's always the people who are who are visiting uh the story originates from theirs and this is from the people who are experiencing all these tourists coming in every year and and and what that's like. Well to go from Abbott Elementary to this project with uh Rock City and Hulu to your specials on Netflix your comedy tour I mean a wide array of different things that you're working on what does all of this mean to you personally? I mean I I feel so lucky I feel like I'm living uh not only my dream but a lot of the dream of a lot of artists and actors who want to be you know the the ultimate goal is to be on a long-running hit show and I've I've done that already and then that has enabled me to grow my fan base and and then to to uh be trusted to helm these other projects so I just want to be able to like you said be myself that's the the most important and like tell stories from my viewpoint and um yeah and just like Ava I like being in charge so that's great. I was gonna ask do you ever get people that come up to you and and say I can relate to you through Ava and what you guys are experiencing on Abbott Elementary? Yeah first and second season that um that was uh more problematic than it is now she's a nicer person she's more professional but when it was the first season and people be like I'm just like Ava I'm like I don't know if that's something you should should admit but yes it does happen a lot. Yeah okay uh one more folks can find you here you're gonna be here in the DC region in just a Yep um I'm gonna be at the MGM theater um I've been there before and it's beautiful and yeah we're gonna have a good time like I I'm as you know I am hilarious so I'm just uh making people laugh is my is my whole life's work I feel like I'm it's it's a gift that I'm supposed to share and I'm just so happy to do it. All right I also heard you like to come down to the areas and try the different fruit food so hopefully we can find you a good I mean that's the best part of Exactly I'm right there with you. There you go good to see you I'm sure there's plenty of what I'm supposed to eat in DC that'd be great. Okay awesome all right you folks at home you heard her send her a message let her know where she should stop by and what she should come uh grab to eat while she's here in the uh out at the theater at MGM good to see you thanks so much for joining us this morning. Thank you so much I appreciate it. All right Annie Mae let's check in with