It was a Friday night, the vibes were high, and everyone made their way to New Haven to see comedian Jessica Kirson on Sept. 26. Laughs came early— and often— and the audience even got to see performances beyond the comedian herself.
You read that correctly. At the start of her act, Kirson did her usual routine of connecting with the audience, picking out people in the front row, and asking questions like their names and what they do for work. She spoke with two men who were a couple. One of them, a wedding singer, was invited to come on stage and perform.
He sang in front of the packed crowd at College Street Music Hall. Kirson asked what he wanted to sing, and he chose “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars— and performed it quite well, actually. Kirson is very popular with the LGBTQ+ community and has spoken out in support of them during many of her tour shows.
His partner came up next. A ballroom dancer, he and the singer danced to music on stage, and he even taught Kirson a few moves.
After these impromptu performances, she finally began her set, drawing laughs throughout the evening. After the ballroom dancing, she joked, “Is there a doctor in the crowd? I think I hurt my knee doing all that.”
She then began to talk about her family. She’s married with four kids— three of them young— and joked about being a late parent. She also addressed the stereotype that gay parents will “raise their kids to be gay,” following it up sarcastically with, “Of course it’s true.”
Cracking up, cackling, and nonstop laughter filled the hall for the three-hour show, as Kirson delivered joke after joke. She talked about her experience on a gay and lesbian cruise, including how she had to leave early due to illness and was recognized by someone saying, “Oh my God, is that Jessica Kirson?” She admitted it was a little embarrassing and shared more about the bizarre cruise experience.
Kirson also reflected on her profession, noting how many comedians say they “love doing stand-up.” She said she’s not one of those people. Instead, she loves giving people the chance to escape the harshness of the world for a few hours and to laugh together with friends, family, and strangers in a busy room.
Toward the end of the show, she brought out her partner, whom she described as “the best thing to ever happen to me.” Both have overcome traumatic experiences on their way to finding each other. Their story earned a loud “awwww” from the crowd. Her partner spoke about being an ally and expressed strong support for the transgender community.
Both Kirson and her partner have used their platform to speak out and stress the importance of advocacy and visibility. A wonderful night of comedy, with some important advocacy and friendship, made for a great show with lots of laughter, the way it’s supposed to be.
