Henry Cho returns for a family-friendly comedy show at Gulf Coast State College

PANAMA CITY — A nationally known comedian will return to Bay County for a night filled with clean standup comedy.

The Visual and Performing Arts Division of Gulf Coast State College presents "An Evening with Henry Cho" at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Amelia G. Tapper Center for the Arts, 5230 U.S. 98, in Panama City.

Tickets are available to purchase in advance at gulfcoast.edu/arts for $25 each. All proceeds from this event benefit the Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship fund at GCSC.  

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Cho, who has made multiple appearances on NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS's "The Late, Late Show," is known to perform clean-but-funny shows, making his acts appropriate for all ages.

"I'm squeaky clean," Cho told the News Herald in a 2015 interview. "I've never cussed on stage ever. None of my material is vulgar. I can control myself on stage, not that I am perfect offstage by any means."

For a glimpse of his work, the Nashville-based comic can be heard daily on Sirius XM, Blue Collar Radio and Pandora Radio. His one-hour Comedy Central Special, "What's That Clickin Noise?" is running on Netflix. He's also a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Cho has regularly visited Bay County to perform at local venues, including the Martin Theatre and Majestic Beach Resort, but this show marks his first appearance at GCSC. 

Jason Hedden — local comedian and current director of recruitment at GCSC — will open for Cho in the upcoming show.

"I've opened for Henry quite a few times in Panama City, and it went well, so I've done other shows out of town with him," Hedden said. "He's a real mentor for the next generation of comics and has given me my biggest breaks in my career as a comedian."

Hedden says he began stand-up comedy when his wife stopped laughing at his jokes at home. In addition to his work with Cho, he has opened for several comedians, including Ryan Niemiller, Aaron Weber, Jenn Weeks, Ben Brainard, Chris Cope and many more. Hedden said his clean comedy is right for any audience and funny enough for every audience.

"It's dry bar comedy, and this is one of those shows that's appropriate for any audience, so it includes that additional demographic," he said. "We hope everyone brings their family out."

The show will also feature Tampa-based comedian Rahn Hortman, who finds humor in tough, real-life situations, making him relatable and a crowd favorite. In 2019, he was named Creative Loafing's best stand up comedian.  

Hortman's versatility has led him to perform on stage at churches, colleges, clubs and corporate events. This year he went on his second national tour with Anjelah Johnson on her "Who Do I Think I Am" tour. He's also made television appearances on the Circle Network and JFL TV. 

Co-producing the show is Panama City Comedy, a local group that brings comedy nights throughout Bay County and other Panhandle counties. Hedden, who is also the co-founder of the group, said the comedy scene has been on a steady rise across Bay County. 

"Standup comedy is seeing a renaissance in the country right now, and we're certainly seeing that locally with Panama City Comedy," Hedden said. "Henry is one of the biggest comedians that we've ever helped, so it's just really exciting to be a part of that."