Welcome to the Show
Since 2016, Amanda Seales has been executing her Smart, Funny and Black tour for fans across the country. "You're always gonna get a different version," she teased. "It's always a new show. That keeps it interesting."
Trust the Experts
So what can fans expect? "We always have two Black experts that are funny folks from TV, film or comedy and they compete with games that I've created that test their knowledge of Black culture, Black history and the Black experience," Amanda shared. "Throughout the night, we break into song, we do improv and it's all in the name of celebrating Black culture in a beautiful, communal space."
Dream Production
While Amanda said there were plenty of female comedians to look up to when she was growing up, she believes her show is something that's truly original. "I purposely make sure to look around and see if there's anything like this," she said. "It really is a very unique space in the fact that we welcome everyone."
Come Together
Although every audience has different nuances, Amanda has learned that the people who see her show are more similar than different. "I think the biggest unifying factor is really that people genuinely want to see change for the good and want to see a general opportunity for people in the world to be able to live freely and with equality," she explained. "That is the foundation of my ethics. And no matter where I go in this nation, the people that come to my show genuinely want that and want to be able to laugh while they continue to work towards that."
True to Amanda
Amanda remembers the peers who told her to focus mainly on talking about pop culture and celebrity. But after seeing the 2013 movie 12 Years a Slave, Amanda said that she needed to use her voice for other topics. "When I came out of the theater, I remember saying to myself, ‘I'm gonna be as Black as I want to be and if I can't be in certain spaces because of that, then that's not the space I want to be in any way,'" she said. "I just live by that ethos."
She's Back
After being unable to perform in theatre for nearly two and a half years because of COVID-19, Amanda is so grateful to have a live audience again. "When you're on that stage and you hear the laughter, you also feel it," she said. "You feel people's joy in an actual tangible way."