Feb 20—22, 2026
The Things Around Us
Ahamefule J. Oluo / from USA
With the timing of a stand-up comic and the sounds of a symphony, this profound, hilarious one-person show will remind you how the ordinary can be so extraordinary.
The Things Around Us is a musically astounding, hilarious, and surprising new one-person show from acclaimed musician, artist, and storyteller Ahamefule J. Oluo. Trumpet in hand, Oluo uses live looping to build layers of music until they brilliantly build to dizzying heights. These stunning songs are in direct conversation with a series of uncanny stories about strangers, acquaintances, and friends—full of unpredictable, delightful twists and turns—which Oluo delivers with the perfect timing of a seasoned stand-up comic.
As Oluo creates entire songs out of anything within arms’ reach, an expansive one-person symphony provides reflective moments for audiences to consider the profound nature of life before bouncing back to the laugh out loud stories and universal observations. The Things Around Us is a perfect 90-minutes that will draw you in and remind you of the beauty that surrounds all of the people and places, both familiar and strange, that we all hold dear.
The Things Around Us is the third in a trilogy of shows from Oluo, following Now I’m Fine and Susan.
Info
Venue
Robert J. Orchard Stage,
Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Dates
Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 22, 2026
Tickets
PACKAGES
Groups
Details
90 mins
Ages 13+
Access
Audio Described Performance
Sat, Feb 22 2:00 pm
NOTE: OUR PRICES HAVE NOT INCREASED! ALL-IN PRICING is now in effect. In compliance with the H.R.1402 bill , we now list the total price of tickets, with no additional mandatory fees added at checkout.
Performances
Artists
Composed, Written, & Performed by
Ahamefule J. Oluo
Produced by
Roya Amirsoleymani
Gallery
Photo Credit: Hanan
Photo Credit: Malique Pye
Photo Credit: Hanan
Photo Credit: Hanan
Photo Credit: Roya Amirsoleymani
Photo Credit: Robert Franklin
Photo Credit: Robert Franklin
Photo Credit: Alex Dugan
Photo Credit: Alex Dugan
Photo Credit: Alex Dugan
“Had the audience howling…As they’re layered on top of one another, the seemingly random stories Oluo tells generate kinetic energy like atoms heating up.”
— The Seattle Times
“Oluo presents monologues and anecdotes interspersed with immersive and incredibly transcendent musical numbers on trumpet, clarinet, and improvised instruments. If presented on their own, either would be a powerful and compelling show. Together, they create something mesmerizing, powerful, and innovative that is worth seeing…full of nuance, emotion, and the depth of personal experience, it’s a show that shouldn’t be missed.”
— The Sound On Stage
“A soulful and surprising gift”
— The Berkshire Eagle
“The result is a sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It was full, complex, genre-bending, and just so cool…Go treat yourself to something special and catch it.”
— Broadway World
“As both a speaker and a musician, Ahamefule J. Oluo specializes in mellow anxiety. It’s a smooth but layered style that makes them highly agreeable to listen to and at the same time unexpectedly moving. The concentrated emotional force lurking in their ease of manner sneaks up on you.”
— The New York Times
“Part monologue and part stand-up… [They’re] multitracking live, before our eyes, building three or four layers of trumpet one by one, and then harmonizing with the stack [they’ve] just made…It sounds so goooood…, [they] captivate the crowd with music, then knocks ‘em dead—and makes it all look easy.”
— Public Display
December 12, 2025
Symphonic Storytelling in The Things Around Us
When The Things Around Us arrives at ArtsEmerson in February, you’ll meet a storyteller, composer, comedian, and one-person orchestra all at once. Created and performed by Ahamefule J. Oluo, the...
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