International group of magicians coming to Norfolk for comedy festival

The 2025 Great American Comedy Festival will begin with a lineup of magicians that spans generations and the globe.

Gabriella Lester, Joe Monti and Mat O’Neill have been announced as the lineup for the Family Magic Show on Thursday, June 12, at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.

“I'm never unimpressed with our lineup of magicians,” said festival executive director Pat Janssen. “We lean heavily on one of our former performers, Ben Seidman, to help curate our magic show and connect us with folks from that world. Ben has a fantastic eye for the magic show, and as one of our former performers, he knows exactly what we're looking for. This magic show is such a gem, and I'm always so glad it's part of our festival programming."

Joe Monti
Monti is a name that has resonated in the industry for over three decades. With experience as head consultant for Criss Angel's “Mindfreak,” Monti has performed for clients in 40 countries across the world, including more than 300 colleges and hundreds of Fortune 500 events. He has performed thousands of shows and was named the winner on the 10th season of Penn & Teller's hit series “Fool Us.”

Mat O'Neill
O'Neill is a Los Angeles-based mentalist and magician with a passion for blending mystery, psychology and illusion to create truly unforgettable experiences. His performances go beyond traditional magic, using a deep understanding of the human mind to read thoughts, influence decisions and leave audiences questioning the boundaries of possibility.
In February 2024, he was invited to perform in Blackpool, England, at the world’s largest and most prestigious magic convention. Although he was on the bill with the top magicians in the world, O’Neill became the talk of the conference with standing-room-only crowds. 

Gabriella Lester
Lester is a 21-year-old internationally award-winning magician from Johannesburg, South Africa. Known for her quick wit and sardonic charm, she's quickly become one of the fastest-growing names in the industry.

Lester is one of the youngest performers to ever do Houdini's daring suspended straitjacket escape (at the age of 14), she's performed on some of the biggest stages in Las Vegas and is also a frequent headliner at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.
Most recently, she appeared on Penn and Teller's hit show “Fool Us,” which was featured in The New York Times, and performed more than 500 shows in 2023 while solo touring in both Europe and North America. Aside from live performances, Lester worked as a magic consultant for Hallmark while filming movies such as “We Need a Little Christmas.” Last year, she became an associate producer on Penn and Teller's “Fool Us.”

“Gabriella, Mat and Joe will fit our festival perfectly and give Northeast Nebraska a heck of a show,” Janssen said. “I love this collection of performers, and I'm beyond thrilled that they'll be here this summer. The diversity of skills, backgrounds and perspectives will create a show with something everyone can love. This will be an amazing way to kick off our festival."
The magic show kicks the festival off June 12 with two nights of comedy headlined by James Austin Johnson on Friday, June 13, and Yakov Smirnov on Saturday, June 14. All three shows are at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre.

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 more than 25 years.
"Obviously, magic was super important to Johnny Carson,” Janssen said. “That was his very first medium as a performer. To honor and respect his love for the art form is really important to us as a festival and as a community."

The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.