Peter Bisuito, the world’s first gay muscle bear comedian, will return to the stage on Monday, Oct. 30 with a new Halloween show, “My Big Funny Peter: Bat Shit Crazy!”
The show at Fort Lauderdale’s Sunshine Cathedral will feature all new material and, of course, a spooky Halloween theme.
“It’s the night before Halloween, after all,” the burly comic said in a telephone interview. And he’s definitely not concerned about conjuring up an act inspired by ghosts and ghouls in a church. “Leave it up to a bunch of gays to turn a church into a performing arts center.”
A portion of proceeds will benefit the church’s recent renovations, he pointed out, confident he won’t be punished with an eternal afterlife in someplace “very hot and sweaty,” no matter how much that might appeal to his gay sensibility.
And, the sanctuary will be decorated appropriately for the occasion, taking on a very “Hallo-weenie” feel for the show, he promised.
Bisuito, who recently wrapped up a run as the lead in “Muscle Bears the Musical” at Empire Stage, teased a musical performance from the entire cast during the show. Hilarious musical numbers have been a highlight of his recent acts. Other than that tip, he remained tight-lipped about the rest of the show.
Bisuito said his recent experience in the musical was particularly challenging.
“I had done musical theater for many years when I was younger, but literally hadn’t done another musical in 10 years. Fortunately, I took to it right away, but my singing was the tough part,” he said. “I’m not really a trained singer. I was coached and had some training to get warmed up.”
He added, “When you do comedy, it’s just me on stage, there’s no fourth wall. With a musical or a play, you have a cast of characters and the fourth wall. I really loved creating a character and playing off other actors, but it’s an entirely different experience.”
Since making his professional comedy debut just a couple of years ago, Bisuito has watched his career take off. He embarked on a successful European tour, amassed an international social media following and has been in talks with Hollywood producers about a reality series and a televised comedy special.
While the reality series has hit a snag, the comedy special appears to be on track, he said, and producers have connected Bisuito with a team of A-list writers who have worked with Joan Rivers and Margaret Cho.
These projects always proceed in fits and starts, he conceded optimistically.
For now, Bisuito said, “I’ve been working hard and having fun.”
Comedian Peter Bisuito performs “My Big Funny Peter: Bat Shit Crazy!” on Monday, October 30 at 8 p.m. at the Sunshine Cathedral, 1480 S.W. 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $18 – $60 at MyBigFunnyPeter.com/Halloween.
