Jeff Ross And Janelle James To Headline 6th Annual FLYOVER COMEDY FESTIVAL In St. Louis

Flyover Comedy Festival is returning to St. Louis Nov 9-11, 2023 with three days of stand-up, improv and sketch comedy. While the full, nearly 100 artist line-up will be revealed in the coming weeks, organizers are releasing a sneak peek and early ticket offering with the announcement of its Thursday night headliner, Sheng Wang, as well as its Saturday night headliners, Jeff Ross and Janelle James.

Wang will perform on Thursday, November 9 (8 p.m.) at Hot Java Bar (4193 Manchester Ave) in The Grove. Ross and James will perform on Saturday, November 11 (Ross 7 p.m., James 10 p.m.) at The Sheldon Concert Hall (2648 Washington Ave) in Grand Center.

Tickets go on sale Friday, August 11 at 10 a.m. at www.FlyoverComedyFest.com. A limited number of 3-Day Silver Wristbands (which include access to Ross and James at The Sheldon) are $85. 3-Day Grove Wristbands are $55. Attendees can also purchase tickets to individual shows.

Sheng Wang released his first Netflix comedy special "Sweet & Juicy" (directed and produced by Ali Wong) in September 2022. He was a featured stand-up on HBO's "2 Dope Queens" special and also wrote for the ABC show "Fresh Off the Boat."

Jeff Ross, iconically known as The Roastmaster General, is a 30+ year veteran of stand-up comedy, best known for his crowd work and participation in celebrity roasts (held by New York Friars Club, Comedy Central and Netflix). Ross has participated in the roasts of Drew Carey, Jerry Stiller, Pamela Anderson, William Shatner, Charlie Sheen, Bob Saget, Roseanne Barr, James Franco, Justin Bieber, Rob Lowe, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin and Donald Trump, to name a few. Most recently, Ross starred in Netflix's "Bumping Mics" (alongside fellow comic Dave Attell) and hosted a season of Netflix's "Historical Roasts."

Ross will be performing his new one-man show, "Take a Banana for the Ride," for his Flyover performance. The show celebrates the lives of his grandfather, his best friends, and his dog. This intimate and revealing show offers a glimpse underneath the thick skin of America's Roastmaster.

Janelle James currently stars as Ava Coleman on ABC's hit series, "Abbott Elementary," which has earned her Emmy, Critics' Choice and Golden Globe nominations, as well as wins at the NAACP Image Awards and SAG Awards. James began her stand-up career in 2009 and opened for Chris Rock on his 2017 Total Blackout tour. In 2020, James was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch and podcast, You In Danger Gurl, was listed as one of Spotify's top comedy podcasts. James' latest (Dec 2021) half hour stand-up special is featured on Netflix's "The Standups." 2023 is James' return to Flyover Comedy Festival, having performed in 2018 before her role in "Abbott Elementary."

Flyover's full 2023 artist lineup will be announced in the coming weeks. The festival takes place across multiple venues in The Grove neighborhood (Urban Chestnut, The Improv Shop, Hot Java Bar, Dogwood, Handlebar), with Saturday headliner shows at Grand Center's Sheldon Concert Hall. Additional details are available at www.FlyoverComedyFest.com

The Regional Arts Commission of St Louis' (RAC) cultural tourism initiative, StLouisArts.org, is a major sponsor of the Flyover Comedy Festival in 2023. Such support allows Flyover to cover travel and lodging for up-and-coming, submission-based traveling artists, as well as pay for homegrown, locally-based talent.

"Comedians are artists, but a lot of people don't think of them that way," said Jay Scherder, communications senior manager at RAC. "We are trying to change that perception. Comedians are writers. They are performers. Some even play music. Flyover Comedy Festival gives local artists a platform to perform alongside major headliners from across the country."

Flyover Comedy Festival started in 2017. Past performers have included Sarah Silverman, Ron Funches, Rachel Feinstein, Doug Benson, Todd Barry, Jeremiah Watkins, Kyle Kinane, Joel Kim Booster, Sasheer Zamata, Cameron Esposito, The Improvised Shakespeare Co, Shane Torres, Patti Harrison and hundreds more, including top regional talent and St. Louis-based favorites.

Follow Flyover Comedy Festival at www.FlyoverComedyFest.com or on social media at www.instagram.com/FlyoverComedyFest or www.facebook.com/FlyoverComedyFest.

To post a comment, you must register and login.