Downtown Naples' Norris Center in Cambier Park Unveils 2025 Season

Downtown Naples' Norris Center in Cambier Park is the place to go for comedy as the 2025 tourist season takes over Southwest Florida. Located in Cambier Park near the corner of 8th Avenue and 8th Street, the downtown tourist crowd and locals have long enjoyed its convenience, comfort and constant source of entertainment.

Tuesday nights are the new Friday with alternating shows beginning January 14 with the longest-running comedy in Southwest Florida history. Satirists Compton & Bennett have had audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter for more than two years with their hit A Cracker at The Ritz. The 7:00pm curtain makes for the perfect midweek date night.

Earlene, the Queen of the Crackers (Betsy Bennett) has been here for four generations, and each generation has prospered on everything from cattle to condos. It's a 75-minute roasting of Florida in song and sketch comedy. Songs include "Snowbird Come (and He Won't Go Home)", "Swampland Scam" and "Florida Man". And John Morgan (Rick Compton) shows up with a lawsuit that's sure to suit everyone. This Florida duo can be hard to catch locally as they are often busy touring.

Cracker will alternate with another long-running comedy Southern Gothic Novel which starts on January 21. The show originated Off-Broadway and has popped up around the country more than 200 times since, having played the University of Arizona just prior to the Naples run.

Gothic is a solo comedy play featuring Drama Desk Award-nominated performer and playwright Frank Blocker playing 17 characters in Aberdeen, Mississippi, caught up in a romance novel and all the dirty dealings that go with it. The New York Times hailed the show as "flawlessly executed" and "hilarious." The show lasts just over an hour.

For the weekend crowd looking for great stand-up, Venturino's Comedy Club will be at the Norris Center on select Saturday nights. Lineups feature nationally touring, professional comedians. Look for these shows on February 8 and April 12.

Larry Venturino performs around the country at major comedy clubs including Improv, Funny Bone, Zanies, and Comedy Zone locations. Locals may have seen him performing with Howie Mandel at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers.

It's comedy coming home to Naples as these aforementioned funny people are all local by residence, yet all tour professionally.

The Norris Center continues to serve the community with a variety of cultural offerings including Around the World in 90 Minutes with Voyces and A Night At The Ryman with The Nashville Impostors, among the variety of choices offered.

To post a comment, you must register and login.