Let Joy be unconfined: Geneva Joy and the Black Girl Giggles Comedy Festival (photo by Jon Reynolds)
Geneva Joy Hughes is one of the city's best comedians. You can see her at shows all over town and on June 29th, she is producing the annual Black Girl Giggles Comedy Festival. We caught up with Geneva between meetings to find out more.
For anyone that doesn’t know you, tell us a bit about how long you’ve been in NOLA and how you came to live here.
This Halloween eve will be 8 years! I was seduced during my first visit to the city, in 2009. I came to work at Essence Fest and had too much fun! I came back a few more times, then one day I found myself trying to decorate my kitchen with a Cafe Du Monde theme and realized I should just move here.
What would you say are the biggest differences between your home town Philadelphia and New Orleans?
Philadelphia and New Orleans have a lot in common and a lot of shared history. We have matching Gold Joan of Arc Statues and everything! There are also so many Philadelphians that call New Orleans home, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan A. Hutson, is also from West Philly. We even have a tradition that borrows from Mardi Gras, in its on way. They both have great food scenes too.
The weather is the biggest difference and I hate being cold! I couldn't take it anymore. When I was scheduled to move here I almost didn't. I got scared. Then the two days before I was watching the news and they mentioned early snow for the Halloween forecast and I started packing immediately! So I love the weather here and the tropical plants. One big difference is how celebrated creatives are here, especially Black creatives. It's so encouraging. That if I introduce myself as 'a comic', no one asks me about my day job, I love that.
What was the weirdest/hardest thing to get used to moving here?
The driving. So many driving customs here throw me for a loop.
Who were your early comedic influences?
Sinbad was one of my Mom's favorite comic and we would watch his specials over and over. I loved Whoopi and Eddie Murphy. Then when I was like 12 Comedy Central came out and I was hooked. I started seeing comics from all walks of life and it was amazing! I remember loving Maraget Cho and Ellen early on.
What would you consider to be some of the highlights of your comedic career so far?
Seeing my name on the marquee at the Apollo was surreal. It wasn't my best show *facepalm* but it was still amazing! I got to open for Bob the Drag Queen at the Limestone Comedy Festival, it was so exciting. My first cruise booking was amazing too! I really want to play at resorts - I got a taste of that life and I want more!
You produce as well as perform, tell us about some of the shows that you put on in New Orleans.
The Ace hotel has extended my residency of the humbly named 'Geneva Joy's Comedy Celebration!' on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Each month's show has a theme that all the performers have to have a joke about. Sexy Bing-Oh happens the last Saturday of the month at 12 Mile Limit. It's an adult game night that I started in Philadelphia at 2008, where I give out saucy toys and force my supporters to costume and indulge my love of themes!
What are your favourite rooms to perform at in town?
Allways Lounge, the stage is beautiful and makes me feel famous! Although a train will ride through your performance, Bar Redux is fun! Hi Ho - I love the owners so much, I could sit at the end of the bar with them for hours!
Tell us about the BGG festival. How long has it been running?
It started in 2017, this is the first full year since the pandemic. Black Girl Giggles is a festival that celebrates and showcases Black Women in Comedy. It was the first of its kind and is considered a must do for Black Women Comics. I love providing a space for these performers to network and flourish.
What are you most excited for/the highlights of this year’s event?
Every year we celebrate a famous Black comedienne and this year we are honoring Jedda James aka Ms Dupree. She is a New Orleans Native who has been on Def Jam and Comicview. She was also a regular on the Tom Joyner Morning Show for years! We are doing our first Clean Comedy Brunch! Grits & Giggles! I'm so excited about it.
Before you go, tell us your favourite street joke.
I can't believe I told these jokes as a 10/11 year old but here you go: Little Johnny was a devil worshipper and every night before going to sleep would say his prayers and then say goodnight to someone and the next day they would die. So the first night he said his prayers "Now I lay me down to sleep - Goodnight Grandpa" ...The next day his Grandpa died. That night he said his prayers "Pray the lord my soul to keep. Goodnight Grandma". The next day his Grandma died. The following night he said his prayer "And if I should die before I wake, pray the lord my soul to take, Goodnight Daddy." The next day Johnny comes home from school and his Mom is sitting on the couch crying. Johnny says "Mom why are you crying?" His mom said "The mailman just died."
Buy tickets and see the festival schedule at www.blackgirlgiggles.com or on Eventbrite
Please consider supporting Geneva Joy and the work she is doing - read more here
See Geneva Joy at the AllWays Lounge on July 8th
For anyone that doesn’t know you, tell us a bit about how long you’ve been in NOLA and how you came to live here.
This Halloween eve will be 8 years! I was seduced during my first visit to the city, in 2009. I came to work at Essence Fest and had too much fun! I came back a few more times, then one day I found myself trying to decorate my kitchen with a Cafe Du Monde theme and realized I should just move here.
What would you say are the biggest differences between your home town Philadelphia and New Orleans?
Philadelphia and New Orleans have a lot in common and a lot of shared history. We have matching Gold Joan of Arc Statues and everything! There are also so many Philadelphians that call New Orleans home, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan A. Hutson, is also from West Philly. We even have a tradition that borrows from Mardi Gras, in its on way. They both have great food scenes too.
The weather is the biggest difference and I hate being cold! I couldn't take it anymore. When I was scheduled to move here I almost didn't. I got scared. Then the two days before I was watching the news and they mentioned early snow for the Halloween forecast and I started packing immediately! So I love the weather here and the tropical plants. One big difference is how celebrated creatives are here, especially Black creatives. It's so encouraging. That if I introduce myself as 'a comic', no one asks me about my day job, I love that.
What was the weirdest/hardest thing to get used to moving here?
The driving. So many driving customs here throw me for a loop.
Who were your early comedic influences?
Sinbad was one of my Mom's favorite comic and we would watch his specials over and over. I loved Whoopi and Eddie Murphy. Then when I was like 12 Comedy Central came out and I was hooked. I started seeing comics from all walks of life and it was amazing! I remember loving Maraget Cho and Ellen early on.
What would you consider to be some of the highlights of your comedic career so far?
Seeing my name on the marquee at the Apollo was surreal. It wasn't my best show *facepalm* but it was still amazing! I got to open for Bob the Drag Queen at the Limestone Comedy Festival, it was so exciting. My first cruise booking was amazing too! I really want to play at resorts - I got a taste of that life and I want more!
You produce as well as perform, tell us about some of the shows that you put on in New Orleans.
The Ace hotel has extended my residency of the humbly named 'Geneva Joy's Comedy Celebration!' on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Each month's show has a theme that all the performers have to have a joke about. Sexy Bing-Oh happens the last Saturday of the month at 12 Mile Limit. It's an adult game night that I started in Philadelphia at 2008, where I give out saucy toys and force my supporters to costume and indulge my love of themes!
What are your favourite rooms to perform at in town?
Allways Lounge, the stage is beautiful and makes me feel famous! Although a train will ride through your performance, Bar Redux is fun! Hi Ho - I love the owners so much, I could sit at the end of the bar with them for hours!
Tell us about the BGG festival. How long has it been running?
It started in 2017, this is the first full year since the pandemic. Black Girl Giggles is a festival that celebrates and showcases Black Women in Comedy. It was the first of its kind and is considered a must do for Black Women Comics. I love providing a space for these performers to network and flourish.
What are you most excited for/the highlights of this year’s event?
Every year we celebrate a famous Black comedienne and this year we are honoring Jedda James aka Ms Dupree. She is a New Orleans Native who has been on Def Jam and Comicview. She was also a regular on the Tom Joyner Morning Show for years! We are doing our first Clean Comedy Brunch! Grits & Giggles! I'm so excited about it.
Before you go, tell us your favourite street joke.
I can't believe I told these jokes as a 10/11 year old but here you go: Little Johnny was a devil worshipper and every night before going to sleep would say his prayers and then say goodnight to someone and the next day they would die. So the first night he said his prayers "Now I lay me down to sleep - Goodnight Grandpa" ...The next day his Grandpa died. That night he said his prayers "Pray the lord my soul to keep. Goodnight Grandma". The next day his Grandma died. The following night he said his prayer "And if I should die before I wake, pray the lord my soul to take, Goodnight Daddy." The next day Johnny comes home from school and his Mom is sitting on the couch crying. Johnny says "Mom why are you crying?" His mom said "The mailman just died."
Buy tickets and see the festival schedule at www.blackgirlgiggles.com or on Eventbrite
Please consider supporting Geneva Joy and the work she is doing - read more here
See Geneva Joy at the AllWays Lounge on July 8th