Joe’s Pub. Photo: Joseph Augstein.
JOEโS PUB UPCOMING SHOWS FROM DECEMBER 5-23
CATCH JUSTIN HICKS WITH SURPRISE SPECIAL GUESTS, QUADRUPLE THREAT STORM LARGE, WRITER AND COMEDIAN ARTI GOLLAPUDI, A MUSICAL INSPIRED BY FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS, AND HAWAIIAN SLACK KEY GUITARIST MAKANA
GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT! IT’S ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCES, NOT THINGS โ GIVE THE UNFORGETTABLE GIFT OF A LIVE PERFORMANCE
THE 13TH ANNUAL NYC CHRISTMAS CONCERT RETURNS TO BENEFIT ARTS IGNITE WITH ORIGINAL SPINS ON HOLIDAY CLASSICS
PLUS MURRAY HILL, THE GREGORY BROTHERSโ ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA, JUSTIN VIVIAN BONDโS OH MARY! ITโS CHRISTMAS, THE L WORD: CHRISTMAS CAROL, TORI SCOTT, JANE JOHNSONโข HOLIDAY CONCEPTS, AND BRIDGET EVERETT
EXPERIENCE THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE YEAR-LONG RESIDENCY OF THE FOUR SEASONS OF JULIAN FLEISHER
MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY PLANS TODAY!

Love The Struggle Feat. Damon Daunno, Amber Gray, Grace Mclean & Margo Seibert
Monday, December 5 at 7:00 PM
Love The Struggle is a new musical inspired by the lives, loves & writings of twentiethโcentury French philosophers, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, who fell madly in love but rejected marriage as too confining. Instead, they committed to a pact of โessential loveโ that allowed them each to take โcontingentโ lovers, so long as they told each other everything about their contingent loves. The show follows the couple as their erotically charged writings draw the worldโs attention, challenging conventional notions of love, freedom and gender roles, while the contingent lovers grow increasingly insistent on testing the strength of their bond to one another. This special Joeโs Pub performance, presented in collaboration with Maestra, will feature a narrated concert of song highlights from the show.
Bridget Everett and The Tender Moments
Monday, December 5 – 7, and Monday, December 12-14 at 9:30 PM
Bridget Everett and The Tender Moments barrel back into Joeโs Pub! Bridgetโs legendary and take-no-prisoners live act is a perennial sold-out hit and has garnered a faithful cult following. She has been seen in a string of recent television shows and movies, but to experience Bridget is to experience her live. Her in-your-face comedy is mixed with one outrageous rocking and original song after another. Dripping with hard-earned sweat in her sparkling and revealing House of Larrรฉon dresses, she swigs from a bottle in a paper bag while telling stories about her dysfunctional family and her struggles with incontinence. Grab a ticket and hold on tight. Prepare yourself for motor boating, money notes, and Chardonnay-soaked memories. Shit is about to get ridiculous. This show is not for the faint of heart. Bring a chaperone. No two shows are the same, ever.

Tuesday, December 6 at 7:00 PM
Makana is a singer, composer, cultural educator, and master of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. His music combines deep tradition with unbridled innovation to breathe fresh intensity into the timeless sounds of Hawaiโi. The New York Times calls him “dazzling.” His music has been featured on three GRAMMY-nominated albums, including the soundtrack of the Academy-Award-winning film The Descendants. Guitar Player Magazine ranked him as one of the top 3 guitarists in America, and the Hawaiโi Academy of Recording Arts recognized him with the Slack Key Legacy Award. Slack Key is a unique style from the 1800s that simulates three guitars in one, performed in gorgeous tunings that open the guitar to a symphonic sound.
Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 PM
Vocalist and multimedia artist Justin Hicks returns to Joeโs Pub with a set that playfully screws with genre and spans a spectrum of songs, from unexpected classics to thoughtful originals, that highlight his distinctive delivery. Justin Hicks is a Drama Desk-nominated composer, vocalist, and sound artist. Heโs worked with notable artists such as Abigail DeVille, Meshell Ndegeocello, Hilton Als, Steffani Jemison, Joan As Policewoman, Charlotte Braithwaite, Mimi Lien, and Toshi Reagon. His work has been presented at Lincoln Center, The Public Theater, Baryshnikov Art Center, Festival steirischer herbst (Graz, AT), and Symphony Space He recently provided music for Lynne Nottageโs Clydeโs on Broadway and presented his commissioned work Outside as part of The Shedโs Open Call series. Hicks was a member of Kara Walkerโs 6-8 Months Space and holds a culinary diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
Joe McGinty & The Loserโs Lounge: A Night in XANADU
The Music of Olivia Newton-John & ELO
Thursday, December 8 – Saturday, December 10 at 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM
Honoring the incredible legacy of Olivia Newton-John, and the music of ELO, Joe McGinty & The Loserโs Lounge presents the return of one of their most requested productions: โA Night In Xanadu!โ Featuring a wide array of hits from the incredible career catalogs of both Olivia Newton-John and ELO, presented in a way that only The Loserโs Lounge can, Joe McGinty and his eclectic cast of performers pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John, and some of the greatest songs in pop music history for one weekend only. Come sing along. A Night In Xanadu promises to be pure Magic.

Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir
Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 PM
The activists-who-sing return to Joeโs for the 7th annual confrontation with the frenzy of Consumerism at the holidays. Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir bring humor and music to the Earthโs crisis, honing their unusual approach over their 20 year history. Change Without Us is the 8 song album from the choir, a perfect gift for defeating Xmas. Some of the songs were featured in the Joeโs Pub show of 2021, when the โchurchโ had just returned from Austria, Spain and the UK – and COP26 in Glasgow. The original activist songs are unique in that they are sung from the time we live in, the Sixth Extinction. But with the sorrow at what we have done there is also the complexity of this moment, with an uneasy humor and songs to love by.

The Gregory Brothers Annual Christmas Extravaganza
Sunday, December 11 at 7:00 PM
Best known for their viral creations ‘Auto-Tune the News,’ ‘Songify This,’ and ‘It’s Corn,’ The Gregory Brothers have been making comedy, memes, and music on YouTube for 13 years, with over 1 billion views to show for it. However, every year when a cold, crisp wind blows down from the North Pole, they don their warmest scarves and mittens, and play the coziest New York City Christmas show this side of the Arctic Circle. Inspired by the Christmas music they love โ everything from Aretha Franklin to Art Garfunkel โ The Gregory Brothers will put you into a Christmas Spirit so zesty that you’ll still be whistling โJingle Bellsโ when Memorial Day comes around.
13th Annual New York City Christmas: A Concert to Benefit Arts Ignite
Monday, December 12 at 7:00 PM
Arts Ignite (Formerly ASTEP) is celebrating the return of its annual benefit concert! Conceived, produced, and music directed by Drama Desk-nominated orchestrator Lynne Shankel (Cry-Baby, Altar Boyz, Allegiance), this annual celebration, now in its 13th year, will feature Broadwayโs favorites as they perform original spins on holiday classics! ALL proceeds from tickets to the show and album sales go to supporting Arts Ignite’s efforts to cultivate creative capacity, community, and courage in young people using the arts.

Murray Hill: A Murray Little Christmas
Tuesday, December 13 – Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 PM
Friday, December 16 & Saturday, December 17 at 9:30 PM
SHOW HO HO HO BIZ !!! NYCโs beloved comedian and larger-than-life personality Murray Hill (aka Mr. Showbiz) is back live, and still alive! Murray gives the much-needed gift of holiday cheer and showbiz denial to Joeโs Pub with his legendary Yuletide holiday show: A Murray Little Christmas. If there is anyone to get us in the holiday spirit and forget about the worldโs collapse, it’s Murray and his fun-loving pals (special guests TBA)! Have Yourself A Murray Little Christmas! This performance is presented as part of the Vanguard Residency Honoring the Memory of Barbara Maier Gustern.
The L Word Christmas Carol: A Live Reading!
Thursday, December 15 at 9:30 PM
In the 8 seasons of the hit series โThe L Word,โ weโve never seen anyone celebrate a holiday, until now! When Shane is revealed as a closeted Christmas-head, her friends rally to literally make the Yuletide gay. But Bette’s aversion to Christmas cheer threatens to ruin the holiday and dash Shane’s hopes of everyone coming together. Can three familiar ghosts persuade Bette to see the error of her ways and find some holiday spirit before it’s too late? Join a cast of New York City’s funniest queer comedians and performers (including Emily Dayton Evans, Jess Henderson, Melody Kamali, Kelley Quinn, Tessa Skara, Sabrina Wu, and more) for a live reading of The L Word Christmas Carol, written and hosted by Carolyn Bergier and Nayomi Reghay.

Justin Vivian Bond: Oh Mary, Itโs Christmas!
Friday, December 16 – Sunday, December 18 at 7:00 PM
Tuesday, December 20 – Friday, December 23 at 7:00 PM
Justin Vivian Bond and band close out the year of โMaryโ with a late-term celebration of Patriarchyโs favorite pinup and the babe she called Jesus – all that and myrrh!!! With Justin Vivian Bond, Matt Ray, Bernice โBoom Boomโ Brooks, Nath Ann Carrera, and Claudia Chopek. This performance is presented as part of the Vanguard Residency Honoring the Memory of Barbara Maier Gustern.

Tori Scott: Vodka is Still The Reason for the Season
Sunday, December 18 at 9:30 PM
Don’t miss this “soul-baring singer and sharp comedian” (Huffington Post) as she recounts her early childhood fascination with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, her time spent as a singing elf in an old folks’ home, and how life in the UK has changed the way she looks at Christmas in New York. Scott will take you on a festive autobiographical journey to celebrate what is truly special about this time of year (spoiler: alcohol induced blackouts). This holiday tradition includes songs by Dolly Parton, Madonna, Billy Joel, and more.
Tuesday, December 20 at 9:30 PM
Donโt miss a chance to see the Portland-based quadruple threat: a musician, actor, playwright, and author light up the stage. Storm Large will love, leave, and delight you with wicked charm and stunning vocals. Holiday Ordeal is a night of music, gags, and gifts, including tracks โ2000 Miles,โ โHallelujah,โ โSock it to Me Santa,โ and the greatest holiday song never written, โSomebody to Love.โ

Jane Johnsonโข Holiday Concepts with Jane and Pam
Wednesday, December 21 at 9:30 PM
Hey Clipperchicks! Ready to get a jump on that warm and cozy feeling?! Join Jane and Pam for a very special live taping of โHoliday Concepts,โ the beloved Stay at Home Shopperโข seasonal program. With brand new products, fabulous guests, plus new and inspiring ways to โcome out of that shell,โขโ see how the little things can make life merry and bright all year long. Written and performed by Shane O’Neill and Jill Pangallo, Jane Johnson is a multimedia project based on the fictional world of Jane Johnson โ iconic superstar seller of the Stay At Home Shopper Networkโข โ and her best friend, Pam Weldon.
Arti Gollapudi: Lackadaisical Loser
Thursday, December 22 at 9:30 PM
A show about feeling like absolute sh*t and trying to find a way to do something about it. Through poetry, music, and storytelling, writer and comedian Arti Gollapudi explores how to do the very difficult task of getting out of bed every morning to find that amongst an onslaught of bad dates and dread, there is always hope and beyond that–joy. Music co-written and produced by Canteen Killa and Talk Bazaar. Marcia Belsky will open and host this show.

Four Seasons of Julian Fleisher – Winter
Friday, December 23 at 9:30 PM
As Julian Fleisherโs year-long residence comes to a close, he returns to one of his many home-bases, Christmas. Thatโs right. Christmas. For reasons that cannot adequately be explained, 20 years in the trenches of New Yorkโs cultural life have yielded at least this much: that Julian is the producer of two of the most treasured seasonal favorites: Kiki & Herbโs โDo You Hear What We Hear?โ and Ana Gasteyerโs โSugar & Booze.โ Whatโs more, his own holiday standard โNothing Rhymes with Christmasโ is now in movies, on television, and soon to be a standard among high-school show choirs. That also gets a โThatโs right.โ And a “How did this happen?” Is it an accident? A twist of fate? A twisted ankle? Weโll tell you: we donโt know. Letโs just be thankful that at this joyful time of year, Fleisher and an ever-growing roster of fabulous friends will be celebrating the season as the final season of “Four Seasons with Julian Fleisher” โฆ and you should too. See you soon! (PS: โIsthmus” doesnโt count.)
JOEโS PUB, a program of the Public Theater, was named for Public Theater founder Joseph Papp. Since it opened in 1998, Joeโs Pub has played a vital role in The Public’s mission of supporting artists at all stages of their careers with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. Joe’s Pub presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community, and artistic freedom. In addition to one-night-only concerts and multi-night engagements, Joeโs Pub is home to the annual Habibi Festival, which hosts artists representing contemporary and traditional music of the SWANA (Southwest Asia/North Africa) region, and The Vanguard Award & Residency, a yearlong curation series that celebrates the career, and community, of a prolific and influential artistโincluding Nona Hendryx, Judy Collins, Laurie Anderson, and Barbara Maier Gustern. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe’s Pub presents over 700 shows featuring artists from all over the world and hosts over 100,000 audience members annually. Beyond public performances, Joeโs Pub also leads artist development programs like New York Voices, a commissioning program that helps musicians develop new performance projects, and Joeโs Pub Working Group, an artist-led development and collaboration cohort. Current commissioned artists include Daniel J. Watts & Nick Blaemire, Liza Paul & Bahia Watson, Sunny Jain, Vuyo Sotashe & Chris Pattishall, and treya lam. Joe’s Pub is supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connect with Joeโs Pub
www.publictheater.org/programs/joes-pub
www.youtube.com/user/joespubNY
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