Don't worry about getting his name right. You can call him Comic Doc, since he's a real otolaryngologist in Sarasota (treating ear, nose, and throat patients). On stage, he shares funny stories about his career and his Laotian heritage with plenty of wit and self-deprecation. In a few short years (probably less time than medical school) he's performed internationally, headlined comedy clubs around the country, and released a Dry Bar special with clips garnering several million views on various platforms. At least you don't need authorization from your HMO to see him tell jokes. comicdoc.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