Do you hear what I hear? The First Annual Crossroads Comedy Theater Holiday Variety show is a month away! This year’s show is titled Winter Wonderjawn and features a who’s who of Philly comedy covering sketch, music, stand-up, storytelling, and more! Winter Wonderjawn is the successor to the The Sideshow Holiday Special which was produced for years at various venues in the city and was even done online last year due to covid. Wonderjawn also aims to scratch that itch left by the lack of a Secret Pants Holiday show for the last couple years. They swore 2019 was the last one, but maybe we’re just keeping the stage warm for a return.
I’m so very happy that the show will be hosted by the fantastic Geoff Jackson! I previously worked with Geoff in another jawn show – Nightmare on Jawn Street. This was a horror comedy sketch show I directed in 2019. Geoff was the glue that held the show together as a conspiracy theorist underground radio host. I’m looking so forward to how he emcees this jawn. Geoff also performs with our show Extree! Extree! Comedy Inspired By the News (next show Sunday 12/19 @ 7pm).
Winter Wonderjawn is stuffed like a stocking on Christmas morning. The show will run around 80 minutes and features sketch, stand-up, storytelling, character bits, burlesque, and more. I am basically the “more” here as I’ll be doing my yearly reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in close to 50 different hopefully recognizable voices. It’s something I’ve done since 2010 and dread / look forward to it each year.
There’s really something for everyone in this show, so we sincerly hope that you walk in to our Winter Wonderjawn. If you arrive hungry or thirsty we will have some drinks and snacks and probably some gelt available. Tickets are now on sale and if you buy online at least a day before the show you’ll save a few bucks (and no fees!). There’s no place like Crossroads for the holidays.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17TH @ 9:00PM
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS
ALYSSA AL-DOOKHI
Alyssa Al-Dookhi (they/them) is a Kuwaiti-American comedian, writer, and event host in Philadelphia. Alyssa’s mission is to create spaces for marginalized artists to flourish. You can see them on the Netflix karaoke competition show ‘Sing On!’ with Tituss Burgess, CNN’s “United Shades of America” with W. Kamau Bell, and as the warm-up comic on season 5 of Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye.’ Check out their podcast, “Make Up or Break Up.” Al-Dookhi has performed at Helium Comedy Club, Asylum NYC and has headlined at Punch Line Philly. You can follow them @thedookness.
WILFREDO DIAZ
Wilfredo J. Diaz is a Latino New York-based comedian, performer, and writer. Wilfredo has performed with numerous teams/shows in Philly including (IN SPACE), Oculum, Reservation For One, and ¿Qué?, an all Spanish-speaking improv team except for one. He has appeared in a Nightmare on Jawn Street, a horror comedy sketch show and currently performs with Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie at Crossroads Comedy Theater.
Wilfredo has also been featured in festivals such as We The People, SteelStacks, Mad Ethnic, Pittsburgh Improv Festival, and the New York Comedy Festival.
FIONA FIREBOMB
THE FLANNEL CHUCKS
The Flannel Chucks, Rob Alesiani and Betty J. Smithsonian, perform parody covers of 90s alternative songs. Think Weird Al for Nirvana fans. Come as you are. Whatever. The Flannel Chucks have been playing together since 2014. The have appeared at the Trocodero, opened for and performed with Martha Graham Cracker, and headlined their our own music festival Flannelpalooza Chuckoachella. All their songs are totally original and anyone who says they’re parody songs is a liar.
FRANK AND COURTNEY
Courtney and Frank are married. They are Sad People. They will be performing sad, married sketch comedy.
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MATT & JACQUIE
GEOFF JACKSON
Geoff Jackson is a comedian, host, podcaster and storyteller. He was born on the shores of the Red Sea and as a child he was ranked among the top ten skiers in the United States. He is a decorated haiku champion. He has told jokes and stories in coffee shops, bookstores, nightclubs, tiki bars, and punk-rock basements across the US, UK, and Canada. He has worked with and for WHYY, First Person Arts and SyFy and appeared in 2019’s horror-comedy “A Nightmare on Jawn Street”. Geoff Jackson is the host of Extree! Extree! at Crossroads Comedy Theater.
JESS AND KAIT
East coast natives, Jessica Ross and Kaitlin Thompson, are in town from LA to perform some sketch comedy.
THE MEAN WENDY BAND
The Mean Wendy Band is a Philadelphia-based comedy band with roots in both music performance and sketch comedy. Mean Wendy Band has appeared at musical and comedy venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and most recently performed at the People’s Improv Theater in New York City for Sketchfest 2016. The Mean Wendy Band would like you to know that if they don’t have anything nice to say, they don’t say anything at all….except when they’re singing. Despite the intentions of their name, they are really quite nice people. The Mean Wendy Band features Wendy Lenhart on vocals, Ryan T. Barlow on bass guitar, Brian Kelly on conga drum, Dan Kristie on lead guitar and Zachary Wiseley on additional vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar and whatever else he is asked to play. We’re just that kind of bunch.
MIKE MARBACH
Mike Marbach will regale us with a reading of the classic Christmas poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in a ton of celebrity voices of varying quality. Expect to hear voices from the 1930’s on up to today covering film, television, cartoons, politics, and beyond. A Marby Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Mike is the founder of Crossroads Comedy Theater and the director of Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie, Study Hall: Comedy Inspired By Lectures. He also hosts several podcasts at Crossroads.
AUNT NANCY AKA SAMANTHA RUSSELL
Your Aunt Nancy is coming for Christmas this year. It’d be nice if you’d be there.
Samantha Russell is a sketch comedian, vintage clothing enthusiast, and cat ambassador. She is a member of long running sketch troupe Secret Pants and the comedy duo Russell & Craig. Additionally, Samantha was the director of Goat Rodeo and a member of Youth Large. Samantha can be heard on the podcasts “Breaking Goodman” & “Canned Peaches” with Crossroads Comedy Theater and seen on Instagram in pictures with her cat.
STEVE SWAN VS JOE MOORE
Steve Swan vs Joe Moore is a bare-knuckled sketch comedy duo from just outside of Philadelphia (in either direction). They have appeared at Chicago Sketchfest, Philly Sketchfest, Hell Yes Fest and the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival.
TWO WOLVES COMEDY
Independent Researchers Nate Jones and Alejandro Morales have some helpful advice in case you run into an abominable snowperson in the wild, or at Target.
