Holiday cheer, Huntington traditions and brotherly shenanigans are all in store for the first show to take the stage at the newly-renovated Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center since 2023.
Candlenights, a live variety show, is an annual tradition for Huntington’s own McElroy brothers – Justin, Travis and Griffin – who co-host the popular comedy podcast “My Brother, My Brother and Me.” After a six-year virtual hiatus caused by the pandemic, Candlenights will return to the Keith-Albee Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., marking the show’s second appearance at the theater.
Although the event started as a live taping of MBMBaM in 2014, Griffin, Marshall alum and youngest of the McElroy brothers, said it has grown into something much greater, offering something for everyone.
“It’s a sort of conceptual, turbo holiday folded into everything, all holidays,” McElroy said. “We’ve described it as a pan-religious, pan-sexual, personal pan pizza holiday.”
While the event still features concepts specifically designed for MBMBAM, McElroy said there will be a number of new holiday-themed segments, including musical acts from local bands.
Since the podcast’s 2010 debut, MBMBaM has gained a devoted national following for its weekly episodes filled with comical advice, listener questions and recurring bits. McElroy said one of his favorite aspects of Candlenights is the opportunity to highlight all Huntington has to offer.
“People really do come from all over to come and see the show,” he said. “It’s nice getting to give people recommendations on places to check out while they’re in Huntington and people sending us pictures of them getting a dozen Jolly Pirate donuts.”
On the evening of Friday, Dec. 5, Candlenights attendees are encouraged to participate in the McElroy brothers’ scavenger hunt, which is in partnership with several local businesses.
“It feels very good being a native son of Huntington and getting to share what we think is so special about the city with people who probably would not have visited otherwise,” McElroy said.
Above all, though, McElroy said the heart of Candlenights is giving. Each year, even through the virtual years of Covid, all of the show’s proceeds go toward Harmony House, a Huntington nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness through housing and supportive services, where several McElroy family members volunteer.
Through ticket sales to the live and virtual events as well as Candlenights-themed merchandise, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Harmony House since it became a fundraiser.
“Especially now more than ever, where federal funding is not remotely as available as it has been in the past, organizations like Harmony House need more help,” McElroy said, “and the thing that we’ve found is the more that that is true, the more eager folks are to help.”
David Miller, the executive director of the Keith-Albee, said Candlenights’ mission has made it the ideal show to commemorate the theater’s reopening.
Having started his tenure in July, Miller said, “Bringing Candlenights back to an in-person event in Huntington was something I wanted to see happen from day one. Being able to celebrate and highlight talented artists from our region who have achieved national success is at the core of our values as a nonprofit theater.”
Candlenights tickets are currently on sale at keithalbee.com. Each ticket includes a digital access pass to the show’s video premiere Dec. 19, which will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content. The on-demand screening will be available through Jan. 3, 2026.
Baylee Parsons can be contacted at [email protected].
