Comedy Review: Lisa Ann Walter at Helium Comedy Club

Abbott Elementary’s Lisa Ann Walter brought her latest stand-up routine to STL at Helium Comedy Club. The comic, who has a knack for making her content relatable to audiences of all ages, performed for a sold-out show for her first of four special engagements in Saint Louis this weekend.

Getting to see the first of these shows was a special treat, as I got to be a part of an audience that was treated to a plethora of new material. The topics ranged in variety, but Walter hit some high notes on discussing dating, her previous marriages, being a mother, and a cultural dissection of generational differences. This was especially enjoyable as Walter interacted with multiple audience members, all of whom seemed to spring from a different generation. The delightful part about this is that Walter established these relationships with her audience members early on, allowing for several moments of comedic callback throughout her set that created a foundation of running jokes she had with the crowd.

Having spoken with Walter ahead of her engagement, I was especially looking forward to the musicality of her stand-up set but had no idea what to expect. She was joined on stage by her son about midway through her allotted time who accompanied her with a guitar while she performed some original music, and St. Louis was one of the first audiences to get the chance to see the material.

Her original songs were catchy and memorable, as the comic dueted with her son with a tune entirely about things she absolutely despises. The comic sprinkled a few more songs throughout her set, including a medley of well-known love songs, rewritten with the lyrical tribute to remaining single. My favorite was a recap of the actress and performer’s career, as she reflected on some of her more laughable professional moments, including a magic show on VH1 called Celebracadabra, a Lifetime flick titled Psycho Stripper, and her awkward guest-starring role in Nip/Tuck. The song then became anthemic as Walter embraced her lovable role as Chessy in The Parent Trap, celebrating how Queer audiences idolized Chessy and solidified her character as a Lesbian icon. Her set was so endearing, and it was enjoyable to be in such a diverse audience.

A little bit of laughter was meant for everyone, and the concept of relatability is no secret to Lisa Ann Walter. Her charming presence on stage is just as captivating as her presence on-screen as the beloved Ms. Schemmenti in ABC’s Abbott Elementary. If you get the opportunity to catch one of her live shows, it is truly a wonderful experience and no matter who you are or what style of comedy you might be more drawn to, I recommend seeing one of her sets. If your unable to, you can fall in love with her endearing sitcom character all over again as season 4 of Abbott Elementary just wrapped and the entire series can be found on Hulu.