LAKE HAVASU CITY – Legendz Sports Bar was filled with contagious tears through laughter at the Jokes Gone Wild show. Jokes Gone Wild was brought to Lake Havasu by comedy producer Adam Orta. Orta has been producing shows since 2019. If you attended Latinpalooza in 2021 or Adam’s Kokomo Komedy Tour, Orta was the eyes and ears behind those shows.
Inspiration to create comedy shows came from Orta’s uncle Joey Medina. The famous standup comedian who has been writing, directing, and producing comedy acts, for over twenty years in Hollywood. Already having the necessary connections, Orta knew how to recruit comedians and decided to form a comedy team of his own.
One of those comedians was Jason Santiago. The two met at a comedy show in Phoenix about five years ago and decided to create a partnership where they could showcase local comedians at various venues in Arizona. Always wanting to be a comedian since childhood, the Bronx, New York native moved made the dramatic move from the big apple to Arizona in the early 2000’s. His first debut as a standup comic was at Tempe Improv in 2017. It was an experience of a lifetime and the needed fuel that made Santiago want to explore a career in laughter. Many of Santiago’s onstage humor are inspired by experiences he remembers of his father growing up in the Bronx as well as stories about his own children.
Another one of Orta’s comics is Hank Hilbert. Originally from Chicago, Hilbert has always had a knack for making people laugh. You may recognize Hilbert as one of the members of another comedy group, Mohave Comedy. He was bit by the funny bug in 2021 when he participated in one of Mohave Comedy’s open mic night. Mohave Comedy founder Anthony Mitchell invited Hilbert to join the group as an opener for future shows. Hilbert accepted the invite and remains a member of the group to this day. Already in one of Havasu’s comedy lineup Orta’s discovery of Hilbert’s was inevitable. Onstage, the comedian takes a storytelling approach that is relatable and humorous to audiences. All jokes aside, the comedian is not shy about letting audiences know that he is an avid supporter of Operation: Transition Outside the Wire Nonprofit.
The newbie of the routines would be Mike Krasner. The Long Island native took a six-week comedy course and discovered he loved being in the limelight of the stage. A friend of Santiago, Krasner was introduced to Orta and the rest is history. Krasner takes everyday life experiences and turns them into side splitting stories. He throws himself into hilarious scenarios that can put the toughest crowds in stitches.
Opening night of Orta’s Jokes Gone Wild event was on Friday, January 12. With Krasner as the headliner, the show also featured Santiago and Hilbert. The event was a sellout and the start of comedy shows that will be in Lake Havasu for the next few weeks. Orta wishes to bring more shows like these to Lake Havasu in the years to come.
Phaedra Veronique
