The Calta Comedy Circus, named after the popular local radio personality, features Calta and his morning radio crew, the audience will see nationally-touring comedians such as Ian Bagg, Josh Sneed, and Mike Cannon.
Oh, and Tom Wise, too.
If you don’t know Wise, he’s not a famous name. But he is a hard-working comedian who has performed in the area for about a decade. He’s also the winner of the Calta Comedy Circus competition held at Side Splitters earlier this month, which earned him an opening spot on the show.
“Comedy has been a great part of my life. I’ve met people I never would have,” Wise said. “I’m grateful to BT and Side Splitters for the opportunity.” Brian Thompson (“BT”) is the owner of Side Splitters Comedy Club, which has locations in Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
Tickets to the Calta Comedy Circus happening Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater are still available and start at $38.50.
The Comedy Circus is a separate event from Calta’s annual cruise, with the next one scheduled for next April. That long-running event also includes comedians and (usually) an associated competition for locals to win a spot. So while this probably won’t be the last chance for comedians to win an opening slot courtesy of morning radio, this one belongs to Wise, and he’s pretty excited about it.
“I’m excited for the show with the touring headliners! And I feel worthy and prepared,” he said. “I may never have an opportunity like this again, and I think my jokes will go over well.”
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2023.