Wednesday, June 17
Midwest Comedy Bar Crawl
Thursday, June 18
Comedy/Magic Show
Friday, June 19
Improv with Bluebird
(Joe Canale, Marc Evan Jackson, Brad Morris, Matt Walsh)
Friday, June 19
Late-Night Bar Show
Saturday, June 20
Charlie Berens
Midwest Comedy Bar Crawl
Thursday, June 18
Comedy/Magic Show
Friday, June 19
Improv with Bluebird
(Joe Canale, Marc Evan Jackson, Brad Morris, Matt Walsh)
Friday, June 19
Late-Night Bar Show
Saturday, June 20
Charlie Berens
Saturday Festival Gala Headliner
Charlie Berens
Charlie Berens will be headlining the annual Gala on Saturday, June 20th at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk. Charlie is a comedian, New York Times Best Selling Author, Emmy-winning journalist, musician and creator of the viral sensation, The Manitowoc Minute, a comedic news show about the Midwest which first launched him into notoriety in 2017. Since then, Charlie’s been creating Midwestinspired sketch comedy videos that connect to a worldwide social media audience of over 10 million. “A key piece of what made Johnny Carson who he was as a performer was his Midwestern
upbringing. That's why I'm so excited to bring Charlie Berens to Norfolk,” Janssen said. ‘There's not a
more Midwestern comic out there today than Charlie. He's selling out massive venues, and people across the globe are hearing him give voice to our part of the country. I can't wait for him be here in northeast Nebraska and connect with our little piece of the Midwest.”
His ability to connect with audiences goes far beyond his home state of Wisconsin. Berens just
wrapped up his third sold-out nationwide stand-up comedy tour, the Good Old Fashioned Tour, which played 127 shows in 88 cities and was shot as a follow-up special to his 2023 one hour debut, Midwest Goodbye.
In his free time, Charlie hosts the Cripescast podcast where he has meaningful conversations
with a wide range of guests, including musicians, headlining comedians, dairy farmers, groundbreaking scientists, government officials, world-renown chefs, artists, business leaders, sports Hall of Famers, explorers, Olympians, and creators about their story and connections to the Midwest. In addition to Cripescast, Charlie also co-hosts the Bellied Up podcast w/ “Myles The You Betcha Guy” where the two of them belly up at a small-town bar every Thursday and take live calls from all over the Midwest and rest of the world.
His reach is about to get even bigger. Charlie’s 2021 New York Times Best Seller The Midwest
Survival Guide is being optioned for TV development.
Throughout all his work, Charlie aims to connect with people through comedy and authenticity.
“I frequently find myself on my phone watching different clips of Charlie's comedy,” said festival
executive director Pat Janssen. “I feel like he's really honed in on my individual experiences growing up in Nebraska. I've never even met the guy, but it sure feels like he observed my whole Midwestern
upbringing. I love our festival because it's a beautiful cultural exchange, but sometimes it's just nice for all of us to connect with someone who knows exactly what we've experienced and exactly what we're feeling.”
Charlie Berens will be headlining the annual Gala on Saturday, June 20th at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk. Charlie is a comedian, New York Times Best Selling Author, Emmy-winning journalist, musician and creator of the viral sensation, The Manitowoc Minute, a comedic news show about the Midwest which first launched him into notoriety in 2017. Since then, Charlie’s been creating Midwestinspired sketch comedy videos that connect to a worldwide social media audience of over 10 million. “A key piece of what made Johnny Carson who he was as a performer was his Midwestern
upbringing. That's why I'm so excited to bring Charlie Berens to Norfolk,” Janssen said. ‘There's not a
more Midwestern comic out there today than Charlie. He's selling out massive venues, and people across the globe are hearing him give voice to our part of the country. I can't wait for him be here in northeast Nebraska and connect with our little piece of the Midwest.”
His ability to connect with audiences goes far beyond his home state of Wisconsin. Berens just
wrapped up his third sold-out nationwide stand-up comedy tour, the Good Old Fashioned Tour, which played 127 shows in 88 cities and was shot as a follow-up special to his 2023 one hour debut, Midwest Goodbye.
In his free time, Charlie hosts the Cripescast podcast where he has meaningful conversations
with a wide range of guests, including musicians, headlining comedians, dairy farmers, groundbreaking scientists, government officials, world-renown chefs, artists, business leaders, sports Hall of Famers, explorers, Olympians, and creators about their story and connections to the Midwest. In addition to Cripescast, Charlie also co-hosts the Bellied Up podcast w/ “Myles The You Betcha Guy” where the two of them belly up at a small-town bar every Thursday and take live calls from all over the Midwest and rest of the world.
His reach is about to get even bigger. Charlie’s 2021 New York Times Best Seller The Midwest
Survival Guide is being optioned for TV development.
Throughout all his work, Charlie aims to connect with people through comedy and authenticity.
“I frequently find myself on my phone watching different clips of Charlie's comedy,” said festival
executive director Pat Janssen. “I feel like he's really honed in on my individual experiences growing up in Nebraska. I've never even met the guy, but it sure feels like he observed my whole Midwestern
upbringing. I love our festival because it's a beautiful cultural exchange, but sometimes it's just nice for all of us to connect with someone who knows exactly what we've experienced and exactly what we're feeling.”
Friday Night Headliners
Bluebird Improv
A group of some of the greatest talents in improv comedy are coming to Norfolk to bring a new twist to the Great American Comedy Festival. Bluebird Improv - featuring comedians Joe Canale, Marc Evan Jackson, Brad Morris, and Matt Walsh - will be the headliners of the festival’s show on Friday, June 19 at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.
“Long form improv is one of the truly great comedic art forms,” said festival executive director
Pat Janssen. “I'm so happy we get to honor it this year with one of the best improv teams on the planet.”
Matt Walsh is a two-time Emmy-nominated actor from HBO’s award-winning comedy series
Veep, and cast member of Apple TV’s acclaimed limited series Manhunt. He is also a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Recently, he appeared in Hulu’s Unplugging, which he cowrote, and starred alongside Eva Longoria. He can also be seen in The Good Half starring Nick Jonas. Walsh has appeared in memorable roles in several popular comedy films including Life of the Party, Old School, Starsky and Hutch, Ted, and Keeping Up With The Joneses.
"Virtually every great improviser and sketch comedian this century has been trained by Upright
Citizens Brigade,” Janssen said. “He is - and this is no exaggeration - one of the most influential people in comedy."
Joe Canale has been improvising around the world for the past 30 years, including stints at Boom
Chicago in Amsterdam and The Second City Mainstage in Chicago among many others. While he’s not made appearances in film and television his greatest pleasure is derived from performing live improv for an audience.
“Joe is perhaps the fastest and most light-on-his-feet improviser I've ever seen,” Janssen said.
“He’s a whip-smart comedian who brings energy so effortlessly. Plus, his dad used to teach at UNL, so he's a huge Husker fan. That's got to earn him some extra points with our audience!”
Marc Evan Jackson is an comedian, writer, improvisor and actor best known for his work on
NBC's The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His recent film credits include Jumanji, Kong: Skull
Island, and 22 Jump Street. He moved from the Second City Detroit to Los Angeles in 2001. He has
taught improv at Second City Hollywood and in 2003 formed a long-form improv group of other Second City alumni called The 313, an homage to Detroit. He is also a contributor to the after-school literacy program 826 LA.
“Marc is is a consummate performer,” Janssen added. “He's had some of the most memorable
roles in some of the best television shows of the century.”
Brad Morris is a veteran tv and film writer, producer, actor, director and improviser. An alum of
four of Chicago’s Second City’s Mainstage revues, the iO Theatre and The Annoyance, Brad is a
member of the renowned long form improvisational groups, The Reckoning and Uncle’s Brother with Tim Meadows. Brad has improvised around the world with the Second City National Touring company and Matt Walsh and Friends for the USO. As a TV writer, Brad spent three seasons as a producer on the TBS comedy, Cougar Town, was a producer on the Showtime series, Dice, and was co-ep and head writer for seasons 1 and 2 of the critically acclaimed series for Paramount and Seeso, Bajillion Dollar Properties.
“It's no stretch to say I've seen Brad Morris perform more than any other improv comedian, and
that's because he's been an integral part of so many great teams,” Janssen noted. “When I lived in LA, I'd watch him perform every week and just be blown away every time. I'm so happy he'll be here in
northeast Nebraska.”
Bluebird is an improv team with several talented and highly-regarded members. These four
comedians represent the likely lineup, but it is subject to change with the possibility of some team
members being added or removed ahead of the show. Since it is an improv show, it can be wildly unpredictable. Festival organizers are suggesting parental discretion.
The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson,
who was host of NBC’s “Late Night Show Starring Johnny Carson” for over 25 years. It begins with the
family comedy magic show on Thursday, June 12th, and continues with the Friday Theatre Show on
Friday June 13th along with the Friday Late Show at Norfolk’s District Events Center.
A group of some of the greatest talents in improv comedy are coming to Norfolk to bring a new twist to the Great American Comedy Festival. Bluebird Improv - featuring comedians Joe Canale, Marc Evan Jackson, Brad Morris, and Matt Walsh - will be the headliners of the festival’s show on Friday, June 19 at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.
“Long form improv is one of the truly great comedic art forms,” said festival executive director
Pat Janssen. “I'm so happy we get to honor it this year with one of the best improv teams on the planet.”
Matt Walsh is a two-time Emmy-nominated actor from HBO’s award-winning comedy series
Veep, and cast member of Apple TV’s acclaimed limited series Manhunt. He is also a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Recently, he appeared in Hulu’s Unplugging, which he cowrote, and starred alongside Eva Longoria. He can also be seen in The Good Half starring Nick Jonas. Walsh has appeared in memorable roles in several popular comedy films including Life of the Party, Old School, Starsky and Hutch, Ted, and Keeping Up With The Joneses.
"Virtually every great improviser and sketch comedian this century has been trained by Upright
Citizens Brigade,” Janssen said. “He is - and this is no exaggeration - one of the most influential people in comedy."
Joe Canale has been improvising around the world for the past 30 years, including stints at Boom
Chicago in Amsterdam and The Second City Mainstage in Chicago among many others. While he’s not made appearances in film and television his greatest pleasure is derived from performing live improv for an audience.
“Joe is perhaps the fastest and most light-on-his-feet improviser I've ever seen,” Janssen said.
“He’s a whip-smart comedian who brings energy so effortlessly. Plus, his dad used to teach at UNL, so he's a huge Husker fan. That's got to earn him some extra points with our audience!”
Marc Evan Jackson is an comedian, writer, improvisor and actor best known for his work on
NBC's The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His recent film credits include Jumanji, Kong: Skull
Island, and 22 Jump Street. He moved from the Second City Detroit to Los Angeles in 2001. He has
taught improv at Second City Hollywood and in 2003 formed a long-form improv group of other Second City alumni called The 313, an homage to Detroit. He is also a contributor to the after-school literacy program 826 LA.
“Marc is is a consummate performer,” Janssen added. “He's had some of the most memorable
roles in some of the best television shows of the century.”
Brad Morris is a veteran tv and film writer, producer, actor, director and improviser. An alum of
four of Chicago’s Second City’s Mainstage revues, the iO Theatre and The Annoyance, Brad is a
member of the renowned long form improvisational groups, The Reckoning and Uncle’s Brother with Tim Meadows. Brad has improvised around the world with the Second City National Touring company and Matt Walsh and Friends for the USO. As a TV writer, Brad spent three seasons as a producer on the TBS comedy, Cougar Town, was a producer on the Showtime series, Dice, and was co-ep and head writer for seasons 1 and 2 of the critically acclaimed series for Paramount and Seeso, Bajillion Dollar Properties.
“It's no stretch to say I've seen Brad Morris perform more than any other improv comedian, and
that's because he's been an integral part of so many great teams,” Janssen noted. “When I lived in LA, I'd watch him perform every week and just be blown away every time. I'm so happy he'll be here in
northeast Nebraska.”
Bluebird is an improv team with several talented and highly-regarded members. These four
comedians represent the likely lineup, but it is subject to change with the possibility of some team
members being added or removed ahead of the show. Since it is an improv show, it can be wildly unpredictable. Festival organizers are suggesting parental discretion.
The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson,
who was host of NBC’s “Late Night Show Starring Johnny Carson” for over 25 years. It begins with the
family comedy magic show on Thursday, June 12th, and continues with the Friday Theatre Show on
Friday June 13th along with the Friday Late Show at Norfolk’s District Events Center.
Thursday Comedy/Magic Shows
Juliana Chen
Juliana Chen was born in Hunan, China and graduated from the Academy of Arts in China. After training be a ballerina, she transferred to the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe. In 1982 , she decided to become a magician, Since then she has won many awards, including Best Magician of China(1985), First Prize I.B.M.(1992),Grand Prix at Spain's XXI Congreso Nacional De Magic (1996), and Germany's Magic Hands(1996). In 1997 she become the first woman and first magician of Chinese heritage to win a world Championship in the 50-year history of FISM. Since this she has performed all over the world, and her magic continues to inspire young magicians everywhere.
Juliana Chen was born in Hunan, China and graduated from the Academy of Arts in China. After training be a ballerina, she transferred to the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe. In 1982 , she decided to become a magician, Since then she has won many awards, including Best Magician of China(1985), First Prize I.B.M.(1992),Grand Prix at Spain's XXI Congreso Nacional De Magic (1996), and Germany's Magic Hands(1996). In 1997 she become the first woman and first magician of Chinese heritage to win a world Championship in the 50-year history of FISM. Since this she has performed all over the world, and her magic continues to inspire young magicians everywhere.
David Kovac
David Kovac combines sophisticated humor with cleverly crafted magic routines. The Chicago Tribune named him a Trickster Hero, and he has been featured on the cover of Genii Magazine. His deft, dapper performance style is drawn from the best traditions of vaudeville and refined variety theatre, and he was critically acclaimed in the role of Applegate The Devil in the hit musical Damn Yankees! Credits include Chicago’s Second City, Nashville’s House of Cards, Magicians Agency Theater in San Antonio, Dickens Parlour in Delaware, Marvyn’s Magic Theater in La Quinta, CA and Kanpai Magic in NYC. Mr. Kovac currently serves as a Trustee at The Magic Castle, where he was recently nominated for Stage Performer of the Year.
Press Quotes:
“A Trickster Hero!” — Chicago Tribune
“An unusually multi-talented individual.” --- Genii Magazine
“Intentionally absurd and ridiculous … very funny.” — The Isthmus
“David Kovac represents polish, dash and energy …” — Chicago Sun-Times
“An engaging storyteller, and his magic is impressive.” --- The Reader
David Kovac combines sophisticated humor with cleverly crafted magic routines. The Chicago Tribune named him a Trickster Hero, and he has been featured on the cover of Genii Magazine. His deft, dapper performance style is drawn from the best traditions of vaudeville and refined variety theatre, and he was critically acclaimed in the role of Applegate The Devil in the hit musical Damn Yankees! Credits include Chicago’s Second City, Nashville’s House of Cards, Magicians Agency Theater in San Antonio, Dickens Parlour in Delaware, Marvyn’s Magic Theater in La Quinta, CA and Kanpai Magic in NYC. Mr. Kovac currently serves as a Trustee at The Magic Castle, where he was recently nominated for Stage Performer of the Year.
Press Quotes:
“A Trickster Hero!” — Chicago Tribune
“An unusually multi-talented individual.” --- Genii Magazine
“Intentionally absurd and ridiculous … very funny.” — The Isthmus
“David Kovac represents polish, dash and energy …” — Chicago Sun-Times
“An engaging storyteller, and his magic is impressive.” --- The Reader
The Evasons
The Evasons—Jeff and Tessa Evason—are internationally acclaimed mentalists whose astonishing demonstrations of telepathy have amazed audiences in more than 40 countries. One of the very few married couples in history to master the rare art of Second Sight, they create the eerie impression that two minds are working as one.
Their mind-reading performances have been featured on television hits including Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Powers of the Paranormal, Masters of Illusion, and The World’s Greatest Magic. They also served as consultants on Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed film Nightmare Alley.
Honored with many of the highest awards in magic and mentalism, The Evasons deliver an unforgettable theatrical experience that leaves audiences thrilled, mystified, and talking long after the curtain falls.
The Evasons—Jeff and Tessa Evason—are internationally acclaimed mentalists whose astonishing demonstrations of telepathy have amazed audiences in more than 40 countries. One of the very few married couples in history to master the rare art of Second Sight, they create the eerie impression that two minds are working as one.
Their mind-reading performances have been featured on television hits including Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Powers of the Paranormal, Masters of Illusion, and The World’s Greatest Magic. They also served as consultants on Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed film Nightmare Alley.
Honored with many of the highest awards in magic and mentalism, The Evasons deliver an unforgettable theatrical experience that leaves audiences thrilled, mystified, and talking long after the curtain falls.