Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt has never performed in Wyoming. He’s changing that with a two-night appearance at The Rialto Theater in Casper on May 16 and 17.
Oswalt will appear in “Effervescent” with fellow stand-up comedian Emo Philips. The comedians realized they had played in all but two of the 50 states in the United States. So, they booked a “mini tour” to cross Montana and Wyoming off their lists.
The duo will perform a one-night-only show at The Elm in Bozeman, Montana, before spending two nights onstage in Casper.
Jake Bigelow, co-owner of The Rialto, is excited to have a duo of big-name comedians on The Rialto’s stage. It’s the latest success in the growing momentum of Casper as a destination for stand-up comedians.
“We’ve been trying to bring in as many big names as possible, and we’re starting to find out that these guys are aware of us now,” he said. “We’re a downtown venue that has real acts every weekend.”
Booking Big Laughs
When Bigelow and the other co-owners of the Rialto, Pete Maxwell and Dennis Corr, bought the historic theater in downtown Casper, they wanted to revitalize it as a venue for live performances. Bringing in well-known stand-up comedians is a big part of their strategy.
“We wanted to make sure we were booking big names,” Bigelow said. “Casper has never been huge on the map for comedy, so we’re getting one of these big-name comedians at the Rialto once or twice a month while filling the other weekends with comedians that might not be as well known.”
Big names that have recently performed at the Rialto include Patrick Warburton, Adam Carolla, and Drew Lynch.
“We’ve got David Koechner coming in on June 27, and I just booked Tom Arnold,” Bigelow said.
Oswalt and Philips are helping sustain the momentum that The Rialto is working hard to maintain. Bigelow said the more big-name acts that perform there, the more connections the theater makes with talent companies and agents with other big-name acts.
“We didn't want to be a theater that brought in comedians that were just getting started on the Front Range,” he said. “The bigger the name, the more they cost, so there's certainly a risk that we’ve taken there, but we have not been disappointed yet.”
Comedian Patton Oswalt has never performed in Wyoming, so he's crossing the Cowboy State off the list with two nights of stand-up comedy at The Rialto Theater in downtown Casper. (Getty Images) 
Comedian Emo Philips has never performed in Wyoming, so he's crossing the Cowboy State off the list with two nights of stand-up comedy at The Rialto Theater in downtown Casper. (Getty Images)
Live Onstage
The Rialto Theater opened in 1921 as the New Lyric Theater, a vaudeville venue. It was Casper’s premier movie theater for nearly a century until it closed in 2020.
The theater reopened in July 2024 after an extensive renovation to turn the movie theater into a venue for live performances. The venue has a full-service bar and a stage with the latest sound and lighting equipment to meet the specs of the professional entertainers being booked there.
Bigelow said he and his partners are exploring the big and small possibilities for their theater. They hope it will grow in prominence as a venue for internationally renowned performers while also hosting community events throughout the week.
“When we don’t have a big-name act on the schedule, we’re filling the days with open-mic nights,” he said. “We're going to try to start doing some karaoke, trivia, singer-songwriter stuff, and other local things.
“The bar’s open to the public every night we don’t have a ticketed event, and the auditorium is open for people to come in and hang around. We’re trying to do it all.”
The open-mic nights have been particularly successful. Bigelow said one of the people who was a big hit during an open-mic night was asked to host for Cam Bertrand when he did his stand-up set at the Rialto.
“We’re trying to grow something big, and people are loving it,” he said. “We have some very committed customers.”
The biggest hurdle is getting the word out. Bigelow said the most common feedback he hears is people saying they weren’t aware that a big-name act came to Casper until they’ve already come and gone.
“No matter how much money we spend on ads, no matter how much marketing we try to do, you can't reach everybody,” he said. “We want to figure out how to reach more people, because we’ve got some great people performing at the Rialto.”
Rumblings In The Industry
When “big acts” perform in Wyoming, they are usually at Cheyenne’s Lincoln Center, Cheyenne Frontier Days, or the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.
The Rialto is the smaller venue that appeals to many big-name acts that aren’t selling out stadiums, and that could turn Casper into a go-to stop for stand-up comedians.
“We’ve definitely heard some rumblings about the Rialto and Casper,” Bigelow said. “We actually have people coming to us for bookings now, and we’re learning what we can do better for our customers every weekend.”
Bigelow doesn’t know how “Effervescent” will play out when Patton and Philips arrive at the Rialto. They might do their individual sets or play off each other for a unique night of stand-up.
“All I know is I’m excited for either one,” he said.
“Effervescent” with Patton Oswalt and Emo Philips starts at 9 p.m. at The Rialto on May 16 and 17.
Contact Andrew Rossi at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
