‘Blue Collar’ man Ron White performs at the Mahaffey

The last time comedian Ron White came to town, on Jan. 2 of last year, he was running for president, in a semi-serious way. He criticized both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and the people at both extremes of the debate over gun laws.

So it will be interesting to see what the guy who goes by the nickname “Tater Salad” has to say about the current political situation when he returns to the area on Friday for two performances at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.

He may not have much to say at all, though. White, despite his presidential bid, has never been an especially political comic. He was one of the original “Blue Collar” comedians, along with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, and his comedy is more likely to deal with booze than foreign affairs.

Besides his stand-up career, White has built a career for himself as an author — his book “I Had the Right to Remain Silent ... But I Didn’t Have the Ability” hit the New York Times Best Seller list in 2006 — and as an actor on TV and in such films as “Sex and the City 2” and “Horrible Bosses.”

Details: 7 and 10 p.m. April 28, Mahaffey Theater, 401 First St. S., St. Petersburg. $47.75-$137.75. 727-892-5767, themahaffey.com.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 4:02 PM with the headline "‘Blue Collar’ man Ron White performs at the Mahaffey."