'Laughter is good for everyone': Panama City Comedy bringing full schedule of shows in July
BAY COUNTY — Panama City Comedy has taken the area's comedy scene to a new level.
The group, featuring regional and national talents, is bringing nights of laughs and entertainment throughout Bay County and other Panhandle counties throughout July.
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In painting the big picture of Panama City Comedy, co-producer and comedian Jason Hedden, describes it as a rapidly-growing comedy group that now hosts weekly open mic events and sold-out shows.
“We started with just one show a month and added more as venues became online. Our main goal is to bring entertainment to the community and bring business to our local venue partners,” Hedden said. “There’s a lot of heaviness in the world right now, and I encourage people to come out and have a laugh because laughter is good for everyone.”
Hedden said he recently celebrated his fourth anniversary as a comedian — where he dived into the comedy scene with his former student and now co-producer, Justin Butler. Hedden launched Panama City Comedy with his former colleague, Emma Franco. The two got Bay County’s comedy scene rolling almost two years ago when they started booking frequent shows and bringing in regional talents.
Butler, a Panama City native, said that after his start with comedy in 2014, the scene grew more prominent than expected but quickly disintegrated after Hurricane Michael. Despite this, he and Hedden’s determination led to growing the comedy scene bigger than it ever has been.
“We’re doing more shows than we ever had, and we’re having more comedians come into town,” Butler said. “Things are exploding in the region's comedy industry, and it took a lot of work, but it was all worth it.
Panama City Comedy now has a full schedule of shows throughout the region in July, with local and regional talents taking the stage at popular venues.
Alicia Simmons-Miracle
Simmons-Miracle started with comedy at a small store in Los Angeles and often trained daily with professional comedians to grow her skills. After moving to Bay County in 2016, she noticed the local comedy scene wasn’t on par with the West Coast and took part in helping revive it.
She participated in stand-up shows around Bay County, including at the Martin Theatre and House of Bourbon. And now, she’s glad to see that the industry is taking off in the right direction.
“When I first moved here, it seemed like nothing was in the comedy scene. But now, it has built up to something so great that people flock here for that entertainment,” she said. “I feel so fortunate that this scene landed in Bay County at the time it did because it bonds so many of us that have different views about things.”
Simmons-Miracle now hosts an open mic comedy night event each Monday at Dockside Bar, Market & Grill, 5550 N. Lagoon Drive, from 8-10 p.m.
Janet Fortune
Fortune, a Florida native, became a comedian about three years ago, launching her career in Jacksonville before moving to Bay County in 2020. She now travels to different markets across the Southeast, where she shares laughs with her audiences. Fortune’s main goal from her shows is to ensure she creates a night filled with enjoyment and uncontrollable laughter.
“When I moved here, there were no comedy shows being produced and no comedy whatsoever, but now it has grown a name for itself,” Fortune said. “Our job as comedians is to make light of all the negative things going on in the world and its importance of not taking it too seriously.”
Fortune hosts an open mic comedy show every Wednesday at Lie’brary on Beck, 1123 Beck Ave., from 8-10 p.m.
Upcoming shows
July shows will kick off July 7 and last until July 23. While most shows are free admission, some require a cover charge. Tickets can be purchased on the Panama City Comedy website.
Panama City Comedy will continue hosting scheduled shows each month. For upcoming dates and show time announcements, follow Panama City Comedy on Facebook.
Here's a look at the full schedule for July:
July 7, Newby’s Comedy Night: Newby’s Brew & Booze House, 7800 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach. 7 p.m. Free admission.
July 8, Taproom Comedy: Taproom, 1010 Beck Ave., Panama City. 7:30 p.m. Free admission.
July 10, The Lookout Laughs: Lookout Lounge & Package, 8066 U.S. 98, Port St. Joe. 1 p.m. EDT. Free admission.
July 21, Third Thursday Comedy: House of Bourbon, 1201 Beck Ave., Panama City. 7:30 p.m. Admission: $10.
July 22, Hole in One Comedy: Dogwood Lakes Golf Course, 1934 Country Club Drive, Bonifay. 7 p.m. Admission: $15
July 23, Comedy or Bust: Buster’s Hangar 67, 5900 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach. 7 p.m. Admission: $10.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Comedy hosting July shows in Bay, Gulf, Holmes counties
