FAITH SIEGEL
Copy Editor
With a name like Preacher Lawson, one might think he was destined for a life behind the pulpit. While Lawson may not be delivering sermons, he has still found his place on the stage.
“A bunch of people kept telling my mom, ‘When he gets older, he’s gonna be a preacher,’” Lawson said in his first appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” “Like, I don’t know if I was walking on my bathtub water, but that’s where it came from.”
The stand-up comedian will headline Chautauqua Institution’s evening entertainment at 8 p.m. tonight, bringing his clean, energetic, joy-driven humor to the Amphitheater. In Lawson’s description of his YouTube channel, he describes his comedy as “honest, physical, awkward, weird and occasionally way too personal.”
In an 2025 interview with The Record, Lawson said he began writing for stand-up at age 16 and began performing at 17. Because of his age, he would often sneak into bars to perform, while also finding alternate venues like “poetry spots, musical spots” or even an IHOP or Uber Pool to test out his jokes.
Eight years after he started performing, he entered the national spotlight on season 12 of “America’s Got Talent.” There, he became a finalist, finishing in the show’s top 10. Following his success on “America’s Got Talent,” Lawson went on to finish fifth place on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” His solo career has since taken off; Lawson has opened for comedian and “America’s Got Talent” judge Howie Mandel and been featured on NBC, “Netflix Is a Joke” and major comedy festivals.
Lawson has also released three stand-up specials: 2019’s “Get To Know Me!”, 2024’s “My Name is Preacher” and his most recent release, 2026’s “Keep Preacher Weird.” He comes to Chautauqua as part of his nationwide comedy tour promoting his latest special.
“He’s just going to be a delightful evening of comedy,” Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer Deborah Sunya Moore said. “One of the things that we have learned to love about Preacher is that he has, I would call it, humor for the whole family.”
Taking those words literally, Lawson’s mother — who often accompanies him to his shows — will open for him tonight.
Moore said Lawson highlights the humor in everyday life, and though some comedy can be rooted in spite or insults, Lawson’s humor is “absolutely joy-filled.”
Lawson’s Chautauqua debut is supported by The Mark Russell and Alison Kaplan Russell Endowment for Comedy, which was announced just last summer, according to previous Daily reporting.
The endowment’s focus is laughter, Moore said, and it will contribute to an uplifting night for Chautauquans.
“There are a lot of things going on in the world now,” Moore said. “I’m sure there will be a lot of tough things going on in the future, but if we can all sit under one Amphitheater roof and laugh together, then we are going to live better together.”
