No Joke: Club Makes Changes

By SEAN C. LEDIG The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 1, 2007

CARROLLWOOD - Standing room only is a thing of the past at Side Splitters Comedy Club.

With the opening of Sid's Lounge inside the club, patrons can sit and eat appetizers or quaff a few beers while waiting to see their favorite comics in the club's auditorium.

The lounge is one of several changes being made in conjunction with the club's 15th anniversary, manager Bridgette Martin said. They also have revamped the auditorium to improve the view of the stage.

"We're trying to bring [the club] into the big time, to show we have something nice and entertaining," Martin said.

Side Splitters, at the southwest corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue, opened in September 1992. To celebrate the anniversary, several special shows are planned for September, Martin said.

Scheduled performances include 3 Blonde Moms, featuring Maryellen Hooper, Joanie Fagan and Helen Keaney; Walt Willey, who plays Jackson Montgomery on the soap opera, "All My Children"; Todd Yohn, whose songs such as "The Feminine Hygiene Song" and "Daddy Please Don't Go" have been heard on Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime and HBO; Greg Hahn, who has appeared on Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, Make Me Laugh; and Carl LaBove, who was one of the "Outlaws of Comedy" along with the late Sam Kinison.

Patrons should have a better view of the comedians with the renovations in the auditorium, Martin said. Previously, a long aisle went through the middle of the auditorium, forcing audience members to view the stage at an angle.

"Instead of people to the left and the right of the stage, they are now centered in front of it," Martin said. "A lot of people say they really like it."

The changes also add 16 seats, enabling the club to accommodate as many as 250 patrons, said Side Splitters general manager Ted Smith. Those new seats have come in handy, he said.

"We've been packing them in this summer," Smith said.

In addition to giving patrons a place to relax before and after the shows, Sid's Lounge features a small stage that can be used for karaoke and open mic nights, Martin said.

Those changes haven't been lost on Barbara Welch of Wimauma.

"It's a lot nicer than it used to be," Welch said. "They've really cleaned it up a lot."

Welch's friend Cindy Portillo of Riverview shared those sentiments. A former regular patron of San Francisco comedy clubs, Portillo said she likes Sid's Lounge.

"A lot of clubs don't have this," she said. "It's a good place to relax."

The walls are covered with photos of stand-up comics who have graced the Side Splitters stage, including TV and film stars such as Brett Butler, Bobcat Goldthwait, Judy Tenuta, Ray Romano, Tommy Chong and Tim Allen. Several televisions also broadcast the stage show to the lounge patrons.

Jenna Sefchick of Hudson said the new lounge means not having to stand around with nothing to do while waiting for the show.

"It's nice to have something to do beforehand," she said while having drinks with her friend Tom Perricone, also of Hudson.

The lounge is a nice change for Debbie Novicka, a visitor from Livonia, Mich.

"A lot of clubs don't have separate bar areas," said Novicka, who said she and her husband, Jim, enjoy visiting comedy clubs in their home state.

In addition, Side Splitters bills itself as Tampa's first and only nonsmoking comedy club, which Smith said puts them ahead of the curve as more indoor workplaces go smoke-free.

"Comedy clubs are probably the last businesses to make the change" to nonsmoking, Smith said. "But it's inevitable."

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Side Splitters Comedy Club

WHERE: 12938 N. Dale Mabry Highway

SHOWTIMES: 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday

INFORMATION: Call (813) 960-1197 or go to www.sidesplitterscomedy.com.

Reporter Sean C. Ledig can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or sledig@tampatrib.com.