HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Former Miss China turned stand-up comedian Jiaoying Summers is on her way to Hawaii to perform two shows at the Blue Note Hawaii.
The shows are part of her international tour ‘Jiaoying: What Specie Are You?,’ which took her across Asia and Australia.
Tickets to her Blue Note shows are available for purchase here.
Summers is best known for her dark humor and deprecating jokes about herself and her family.
The comedian said performing is therapeutic, reflecting on her upbringing in China during the one-child policy era.
She also lives with bipolar disorder.
According to Summers, it took years to build the confidence to switch from acting to comedy.
“I struggled with trying to be likable, but I realized I’m not likable,” said Summers. “I just have to be honest, raw and specific about what affects me, and that made me find my voice, not to try to please anyone.
“The ‘stage high’ helps me feel better about myself,” she added. “I let all of the things I’m ashamed of out.”
Summers said one of her motivations for performing is providing a voice for others.
“I want my voice to be so big that I would be able to speak for people who have no voice,” she said. “Empowerment is a big thing for me.”
In 2023, Summers became the first Chinese comedian to headline and sell out the iconic Apollo Theatre in New York.
Her performances regularly go viral, garnering more than 1 billion views and over 4 million followers.
Summers credits her success to blending her finance background with her artistic endeavors.
“Whenever someone books me in a club, I exhaust every resource to make sure it’s a sold-out show for a good performance,” Summers said. “I just want to make whoever books me money.”
Summers said she also wants to help other comedians become successful.
“I have so many tips I could give to comedians who want to see how to get their numbers up on social media, promote a show, and have good relationships at a club because those are business skills as artists,” she said.
Summers is also set to debut her one-hour comedy special on Hulu on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Her performances at the Blue Note are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Summers’ second special may be on its way after filming began last month in Seattle.
“That’s my origin story. I’ll talk about my life, all the funny, all the battles I won, and all the times I failed and got back up,” she said.
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