Gilbert Gottfried Appears at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa, 12/6-8

Appearing this weekend at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa is star Gilbert Gottfried, set for December 6 - 8.

At the young age of 15, Gilbert Gottfried began doing stand-up at open mike nights in New York City and, after a few short years, became known around town as "the comedian's comedian." After spending several years mastering the art of stand-up comedy, producers of the legendary NBC late night comedy show Saturday Night Live became aware of Gottfried and, in 1980, hired him as a cast member. It wasn't until a few years later when his true notoriety would begin when MTV hired him for a series of improvised and hilarious promos for the newly formed channel. This led to several television appearances on "The Cosby Show" and "Late Night with David Letterman."

Gottfried's work in television soon led to roles in film. Most notable was his improvised scene as business manager Sidney Bernstein in the hit sequel "Beverly Hills Cop II," for which the New York Daily News said that, "Gilbert Gottfried steals the picture with a single scene." Aside from his glowing reputation in Comedy Clubs, Gottfried began to gain a reputation as the king of quirky roles in both movies and television. He appeared in such movies as "Problem Child," "Problem Child II," "Look Who's Talking II" and "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane." He was also the host of the very popular late night movie series "USA Up All Night."

After his stellar performance as the wise cracking parrot, IAGO, in the Disney classic "Aladdin," Gottfried became one of the most recognizable voiceover talents. His signature voice can be heard in several commercials, cartoons and movies. Gottfried also is the voice of DIGIT in the long running PBS Series "Cyberchase."

Gottfried has been a regular on the new "Hollywood Squares" and is a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Howard Stern Show." Gottfried appeared in the hit comedy documentary "The Aristocrats," with Entertainment Weekly saying that, "out of the 101 comedians who appear on screen, no one is funnier - or more disgusting - than Gilbert Gottfried."

Part memoir, part twisted social commentary, part scratches on the bathroom wall, "Rubber Balls and Liquor," Gottfried's hilarious first-ever book, was recently released. Also recently released on both DVD and CD is "Gilbert Gottfried Dirty Jokes" featuring 50 non-stop minutes of Gottfried telling the funniest and filthiest jokes ever. The show was filmed live at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. Also featured on the DVD is some of the funniest bonus features ever, including wild stories, indignant ranting and celebrity impressions that will leave viewers crying for more. For this live performance, Gottfried puts aside political correctness and fires an onslaught of jokes that know no boundaries. At the end of the show, Gottfried tells what is known among comedians as the "Dirtiest Joke of All Time," which is also the basis for "The Aristocrats."

Gottfried is one of the most sought-after comedians, and regularly performs live to sold-out audiences across North America.

View picture, web site link, and video at www.SideSplittersComedy.com.

Appearing next weekend is Michael Palascak, December 13 - 16.

After moving around the Midwest during his early years, Michael Palascak (Pal-a-sack) ended up in Wabash, Indiana--“The First Electrically Lighted City in the World.” He spent his formative years there, and then, after college, moved to Chicago pursue a career in comedy and living at home with his parents.

In the last two years, Michael debuted on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He also performed at The TBS LOL Lounge in the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Chicago. He also has performed at Caesar’s Palace in The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and was the winner of HBO’s Lucky 21 Stand-up Contest. He won the Chicago region of Comedy Central’s Open Mic Fight and went on to make his Comedy Central debut on Live at Gotham Season 3.

Desiring to perform all forms of comedy, Michael took sketch and improv classes at The Second City in Chicago, iO, and Annoyance. In Chicago, Michael debuted his one-person sketch show--Pursuing Happiness: A bunch of scenes about people that moved out of their parents' house, got a real job, and got married. Performed by a guy who didn't.

Michael connects to the youthful innocence in everyone as he relates his stories onstage. From growing up in a small town to buying his first car Michael's stories allow everyone to laugh a lot. Audience members quotes: "Really good job," "...funnier than Cosby or Seinfeld...," and, "You're just like my son."

Michael made his television debut on WGN—The Bozo Show, Age 9, Large Boot Relay Team Blue (Runner-up).

Side Splitters Comedy Club – Tampa is located at 12938 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Fla. Call  813.960.1197 or visit www.SideSplittersComedy.com for more information.