Steve Martin and Martin Short are bringing their long-running stage show back to downtown Jacksonville, with a performance set for 8 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Moran Theater inside the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for “The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short” go on presale Wednesday at 10 a.m., with general public sales opening Friday at 10 a.m.
The show marks another Jacksonville stop for a duo who have made the city a regular tour destination. As reported by Action News Jax, the pair have toured together since 2015, when they launched their initial live show, “A Very Stupid Conversation.” Martin and Short previously played Jacksonville's Moran Theater on March 5, 2022, for their “You Won't Believe What They Look Like Today!” tour and on March 9, 2018, for “An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life,” according to The OJT 100, with both prior shows selling quickly.
The comedy pairing traces back decades before their touring partnership began. Per Action News Jax's reporting, Martin and Short first met on the set of the 1986 film “Three Amigos,” and their friendship now spans four decades. That history informs the tone of their live act, which blends rapid-fire jokes, self-deprecating humor, and roasting between the two performers, along with material mocking Hollywood and celebrity culture.
What's on the Bill at the Moran Theater
“The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short” isn't just stand-up. The show features musician Jeff Babko as well as the band the Steep Canyon Rangers, who back Martin during live musical sets. Beyond his comedic career, Martin is an accomplished banjo player who has recorded multiple Billboard chart-topping bluegrass albums with the Steep Canyon Rangers since 2011, according to Ticketmaster.
Short brings his own decorated theatrical résumé to the stage, having won a Tony Award for the 1999 Broadway revival of “Little Me” and an Emmy Award for his work on “SCTV,” per the same Ticketmaster listing. The duo's ongoing stage collaboration also spawned the 2018 Netflix special “Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life,” which landed four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, according to the Television Academy.
From the Stage to the Streaming Charts
Martin and Short's live chemistry has translated into modern streaming success as well. The pair co-created and star alongside Selena Gomez in Hulu's “Only Murders in the Building,” which debuted in August 2021 and was renewed for a sixth season set in London in October 2025, according to Wikipedia. The mystery-comedy series earned 21 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its third season alone, with both Martin and Short securing individual lead actor nominations, as reported by TheWrap.
The Jan. 16, 2027, Jacksonville date is presented locally through the FSCJ Artist Series, which manages major national touring theater, concert, and Broadway bookings at the downtown venue. Event information for the show was provided through a news release, according to Action News Jax's Amanda Winkle, the outlet's digital content manager.
A Venue With Deep Local Roots
The Moran Theater is the primary indoor performing arts hall within the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, with multi-tiered seating that holds a maximum of 2,910 to 2,950 patrons, according to venue facility documentation. Located at 300 Water Street along the St. Johns River, the complex originally opened in 1962 as the Civic Auditorium and operated as the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts from 1994 until its official renaming in March 2022, per Wikipedia.
The venue sits directly adjacent to a major downtown riverfront development zone, where the City of Jacksonville is constructing the new Music Heritage Garden featuring interactive musical installations along the riverwalk, as previously reported by Hoodline. The project is part of a broader push that has five downtown park developments active along the Northbank and Southbank.
