{"id":135568,"date":"2026-03-11T16:18:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/135568\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:18:24","slug":"jonathan-van-halem-brings-stand-up-comedy-to-artsquest-bethlehem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/135568\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan van Halem brings stand-up comedy to ArtsQuest Bethlehem"},"content":{"rendered":"

BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Jonathan van Halem has performed in just about every room ArtsQuest has to offer. A movie theater. A multipurpose space. The Bethlehem Visitor Center. This month, he\u2019s back again.<\/p>\n

Van Halem, a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian and producer at \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,\u201d headlines the Bethlehem Visitor Center at SteelStacks on March 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $23.50 to $25.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve performed in every room they\u2019ve had just about,\u201d van Halem said. \u201cOne of these days I\u2019ll perform on a real stage that is intended for stand-up comedy, and I look forward to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show sold out last year. Van Halem said he\u2019s hoping for the same result this time around.<\/p>\n

Van Halem\u2019s comedy leans observational\u2014clean, relatable material that he says is built to work across all 50 states and for audiences ages 13 to 80. He tries to find aspects of life so universal that \u201ctruly everyone can laugh at them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recurring themes include class differences, nepotism, and \u201cthe rules we have that are fake and there is no punishment for breaking them.\u201d He cites John Mulaney, Mike Birbiglia and Jim Gaffigan as influences, comedians known for finding the absurdity in everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coolest thing a comedian could ever do is point out something that you didn\u2019t even realize you realized,\u201d van Halem said. \u201cYou just feel a little more seen, a little less alone.\u201d Ultimately, he hopes audiences leave his shows feeling their experience of life isn\u2019t all that different from anyone else\u2019s\u2014and maybe a little more comforted by that fact.<\/p>\n

He draws a straight line between his comedy and his career in television news. After graduating from college, van Halem worked at MSNBC and then at Fox News before landing a staff role on Stephen Colbert\u2019s streaming show, \u201cTooning Out the News,\u201d on Paramount+.<\/p>\n

When that show ended after three seasons, he applied for an opening at \u201cThe Tonight Show\u201d and has been there for three years, working on the producing side \u2014 primarily watching political speeches and flagging material for the show\u2019s writers and editors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have watched Trump speak every single time he\u2019s spoken for the last 11 years,\u201d van Halem said.<\/p>\n

Despite living in Brooklyn, van Halem said the Lehigh Valley has been a constant in his life. His family ties run deep\u2014his brother and sister-in-law lived in Bethlehem for 15 years, and he has an uncle in the area.<\/p>\n

He grew up attending IronPigs games, making trips to Dorney Park, and is a regular at Christkindlmarkt. Over the years, he has watched Bethlehem\u2019s transformation since the closure of Bethlehem Steel with appreciation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could have gone one of two directions,\u201d van Halem said of the city after the steel industry collapsed. \u201cThey made a concerted effort, tried hard, and I think they\u2019re enjoying the fruits of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Halem started doing stand-up in college in New Jersey, putting on shows in a friend\u2019s basement for $5 a head. He jokes that while he and his friends weren\u2019t very good, a great time was still had by all\u2014thanks, perhaps, more to the kegs of beer than their material.<\/p>\n

That first taste of performing, and the \u201cprofound euphoria\u201d of making people laugh, hooked him for good.<\/p>\n

He has since opened for comedians including Rory Scovel, Kyle Gordon, and Sabrina Wu, and his clips have drawn millions of views on Instagram (@jonathan_vanhalem)<\/a> and TikTok.<\/p>\n

His rant about the AMC A-List moviegoing subscription program was named one of Vulture\u2019s best comedy shorts of June 2024.<\/p>\n

For those weighing whether to buy a ticket, van Halem offered a direct comparison.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn Mulaney is the most similar, but a tenth of the cost of the ticket,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can see me for 20 bucks. Am I as good as him? No, but I only have to be a tenth as good for it to be a better financial proposition. And I think I\u2019m definitely more than a tenth as good.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also made a case for live comedy in broader terms \u2014 the show runs 60 to 90 minutes, during which, he said, no one is looking at their phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a joy that is in the Lord\u2019s year 2026,\u201d van Halem said.<\/p>\n

The show is ages 13 and up; anyone between 13 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Tickets are available through ArtsQuest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jai Smith is a lifetime Lehigh Valley resident on a mission to empower local underserved communities and inform the public while providing journalists and storytellers a platform to develop the next generation of news media.<\/p>\n