Of all the comedy open mics, only one lets you see dinosaurs, superheroes, and uneven comedy all in the same building. Side Splitters' Wesley Chapel location is in a movie theater, which lets patrons catch a flick and see a comedy show in the same night. The open mic here is sometimes held on its own evening, and other times after a main show. But they get a real audience and a good number of performers as well. Does that make the comedy better? Not really: Open mics are always a hit-and-miss affair. But the combination makes for a solid open mic option for aspiring funny people and those who want to support them. sidesplitterscomedy.com—Michael Murillo
Arts & Entertainment
Finalists: Patrick Wilson, Arianna Williams
Winner: Dunedin Fine Art Center
Finalists: Morean Arts Center, FloridaRAMA Gallery
Finalists: Pride and Passion at Tampa Museum of Art, Suenos at The Dalí Museum
Winner: Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
Finalists: Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Creative Pinellas
Few performers can take a Broadway warhorse and make it sound brand new, but Matthew McGee does just that with “Some People” from "Gypsy." Where Merman belted, Lansbury crackled, and McDonald soared, McGee refracts the anthem through his own prism—funny, furious, and defiantly alive. He strips away decades of diva baggage and lets us hear the song as freshly as if Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim had written it yesterday. It’s a thrilling reminder that the Bay Area’s most beloved chameleon doesn’t just perform—he reinvents. freefalltheatre.com—Jon Palmer Claridge
Winner: MiniM
Finalists: The Wandering Hours, Whale Feral
Winner: Crossfire Creek
Finalists: The Wandering Hours, The Applebutter Express