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In honor of one of the greatest comedians of all time - Johnny Carson - the citizens of Norfolk Nebraska, with the help of Eddie Brill, is proud to present The Great American Comedy Festival.
During our weeklong celebration, 24 young comedians from across the nation will compete to become the winner of the festival's
Comedy Competition and win a grand prize of $5,000. Join us for our Saturday Night Showcase with appearances by comedian and entertainer Robert Klein - One of Johnny Carson's most frequent
guests - as well as Eddie Brill, chief talent scout for David Letterman. On Sunday, Adam Christing, one of the nation's top family comedians, will perform and Nebraska native and former "Tonight Show" writer Dick Cavett may make an appearance or two.
That's not all! High school students can participate in our Youth Comedy Camp and learn from the pros about stand-up and improvisational comedy. Give comedy a try by entering in our Amateur Night Comedy Competition. Contestants in our comedy competition will perform some adult comedy during our After-Hours Comedy Club. Want to learn more? Attend a Workshop or two! And don't forget all the other great community events happening around town!
For more information on Contest entry, Tickets, Lodging, and other details, please feel free to look around the Web site or click here for a quick information directory.
We look forward to making you laugh in 2008!
IMPROV, STAND-UP, SKETCH WRITING TO BE TAUGHT IN SUMMER CAMP
(Norfolk, Neb.) It’s called a youth comedy camp, but it doesn’t mean the students who participate necessarily have their hearts set on becoming a stand-up comedian.
Part of the inaugural Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk this summer, the camp is designed to help students develop their creativity through writing and performing.
"All people are born creatively equal . . . but we lose that side and don’t always tap into our abilities," said John Haynes, director of the Minneapolis-based Brave New Institute.
The camp — set for June 15-21 at Northeast Community College in Norfolk — will serve students well in almost any career they ultimately choose to pursue, Haynes said.
One of the focuses of the camp, for example is, improvisational comedy. Individuals who end up working in sales, who make presentations or who work with the public may not realize it, but they use improv skills.
"They will lean how to "take an idea from start to finish . . . to speak in the moment . . . to pitch ideas," he said. "It’s amazing how our students have utilized those skills."
Haynes will be among four representatives of the Brave New Institute serving as instructors at the camp. Joining them will be Dave Reinitz, a stand-up comedian and instructor from Los Angeles.
LuAnn Schindler of Ewing, a longtime speech and drama teacher in Northeast Nebraska, is serving as the camp director.
The Brave New Institute is the educational arm of the Brave New Workshop, which offers comedy theater and corporate entertainment. In its 50th year of teaching and performing, the Brave New Workshop is the nation’s longest-running comedy troupe and workshop.
Haynes said he hopes many Northeast and North Central Nebraska high school students will consider registering for the camp in order to develop their writing, improvisation and stand-up comedy skills along with stage presence and related skills. The participating students will end the camp with a performance. www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com or contact the Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 371-2932.
And at a cost of $399, the camp is a bargain, said Kent Warneke, chairman of the festival’s board of directors.
The registration fee covers a week’s worth of classes in stand-up, sketch writing and improv comedy, room and board at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, four tickets to the Comedy Youth Showcase, admission to one of the stand-up competitions during the festival and other activities during the week.
The registration fee recently was reduced thanks to a grant provided to the festival from the Nebraska Humanities Council.
"The council recognized the uniqueness of what this camp has to offer to high school students in Northeast and North Central Nebraska. They felt it was something important to offer speech and drama students and others — and we do, too," Warneke said. "And now we’re pleased to be able to reduce the registration fee to make it more affordable."
The camp is for anyone 19 years old or younger, but they must be at least a high school freshman. A limited number of partial scholarships to help with registration costs are available, Warneke said.
During the camp's sketch-writing classes, students will create "political and social satire" from the news of the day.
"We’ll look at world events, social culture, social news . . . we’ll look at those things through satire," Haynes said.
Students will learn how to trust their instincts when creating impromptu scenes during the improv workshop. And they will sharpen their writing and performing skills during the stand-up comedy classes.
The festival is designed to pay tribute to the legacy of the late Johnny Carson, who gave many young comedians their first big break by inviting them to appear on "The Tonight Show." The idea for the camp was to continue that Carson tradition by giving high school students a chance to learn about the skills that made Carson a comedic legend.
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Want to learn more?
For more information on the youth camp, students, teachers and parents can go the festival’s Web site at
CONTACT:
Kent Warneke, Comedy Festival chairman (402-371-1020)
Lora Young, Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (402-371-4862)
CONTESTANTS CAN NOW REGISTER FOR COMEDY FESTIVAL "AMATEUR NIGHT" COMPETITION
(Norfolk, Neb.) Johnny Carson got his start as an amateur comedian on a Norfolk stage.
Who knows what the future might hold for the 20 amateur comedians who perform in Norfolk as part of the inaugural Great American Comedy Festival in June?
"We couldn’t imagine having a comedy festival in Norfolk to honor the legacy of Johnny Carson without having an amateur night that would give aspiring stand-up comedians a chance to perform," said Lora Young, head of the Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau and a member of the comedy festival’s board of directors.
That’s how the Tuesday, June 17, amateur night competition at the Johnny Carson Theatre came to be. The show will begin at 7 p.m.
And the future of those budding comedians will be in the hands of audience members, Young said.
Audience members will determine the winner of the competition. The winner will receive a one-on-one career consultation in Norfolk during the festival with Eddie Brill, chief talent scout for David Letterman.
"What a potential career boost to have Eddie Brill sit down with you and discuss your strong points of a person’s act and where some improvement could be made," Young said.
The amateur night will be hosted by Dave Reinitz, a professional stand-up comedian from Los Angeles, and Barbara Holliday, the owner of a comedy club in Burbank, Calif.
Reinitz has been performing as a stand-up comedian for more than 10 years. He has worked as a master of ceremonies, feature and headline performer for corporate events and colleges across the nation. He also is the co-executive producer of H2F Comedy Productions, which is a comedy management and development company. He recently tied for first place in the San Jose Improv Comedy Contest.
Young said the amateur night competition is open to the first 20 people who register via the festival’s Web site at www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com.
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Want to learn more?
Tickets for audience members for the amateur night competition are $5 and are available at the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce office in Norfolk or by calling 371-2932. Information on the festival in general is available at www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com
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Interested in competing?
Here’s how people can sign up to participate in the Great American Comedy Festival’s amateur night competition set for Tuesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre:
— The competition is limited to the first 20 people who register.
— An amateur stand-up comedian is defined as six years or less of stand-up comedy experience.
— Registrations will begin to be taken online as of 12:01 a.m. as of Thursday, May 1, at
www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com. Registrations will be taken via the Web site’s contact page. Those interested in registering must submit their full name and contact information.
— A $25 entry fee will be paid by each participant on the day of the performance.
— All routines will be no longer than five minutes and content must be TV-friendly.
— Winner will be determined by a vote of the audience.
— All competitors will receive one ticket to the festival’s stand-up comedy competition finals on Friday, June 20.
— The amateur winner will receive a private one on one consultation with Eddie Brill, chief talent scout for David Letterman.
CONTACT:
Kent Warneke, Comedy Festival chairman (402-371-1020)
Lora Young, Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (402-371-4862)
NEBRASKA NATIVE DICK CAVETT TO RECEIVE FESTIVAL'S COMEDY LEGEND AWARD
(Norfolk, Neb.) Think baseball and apple pie go well together? How about comedy, Nebraska and Dick Cavett?
The native Nebraskan who has enjoyed a renowned career in the entertainment industry will be a featured guest this June at the inaugural Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk, Neb.
In recognition of his stellar career, Cavett will be first recipient of the festival's Comedy Legend award, which is designed to be an annual presentation to a person who has contributed greatly to the world of comedy. The Great American Comedy Festival is designed to pay tribute to the career of the late Johnny Carson, who grew up in Norfolk.
Cavett will be presented the award at the festival's showcase performance set for Saturday, June 21, at the Johnny Carson Theatre. The award is being created by Norfolk artist and sculptor. Karl Reeder.
While in Norfolk, Cavett also will serve as one of the judges for the stand-up comedy competition finals on Friday, June 20, also at the Johnny Carson Theatre.
On Saturday afternoon, June 21, he will be featured at question-and-answer session about his career, his association with Carson and other topics. The specific location and time of that appearance, which will be free and open to the public, have not yet been determined.
"We are thrilled to have Mr. Cavett be a part of this inaugural comedy festival," said Sheryl Schmeckpeper, vice chair of the festival's board of directors. "And for all he has done and accomplished in his career, he's a natural choice to be the first recipient of our 'comedy legend' award."
Robert Klein, the veteran comedian and actor who will headline the Saturday evening showcase at the festival, and Eddie Brill, the talent coordinator for David Letterman who is helping produce the festival, both said they are excited to learn that Cavett had agreed to be in Norfolk for the event.
"He's one of my idols," Brill said.
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Want to attend?
Tickets for all of the Great American Comedy Festival's events June 16-22 are on sale at the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce office, 405 Madison Ave., or by calling 1-877-371-2931. The festival's Web site is located at www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com.
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Eddie Brill, producer of the Great American Comedy Competition and Lora Young, Representive of the Festival Board will begin the second set of qualifications rounds the week of March 2, 2008. They will judge comedians in the following cities:
March 2 Washington DC - DC Improv
Allyson Jaffe 202-296-6988
1140 Connecticut Ave N.W. 20036
http://www.dcimprov.com/
March 3 New York – Gotham
Chris Mazzilli 212-367-9000
208 W 23rd New York
http://www.gothamcomedyclub.com/
March 4 Boston - Comedy Studio
Rick Jenkins 617-661-6507
1238 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA
http://www.thecomedystudio.com/
March 5 Chicago - Zanies
Bert Haas 312-339-2378
1548 North Wells Street Chicago, Ill
http://www.zanies.com/
March 6 Minneapolis - Acme
Louis Lee 612-338-6393
708 N First Street Minneapolis, MN
http://www.acmecomedycompany.com/
