Magicians announced for Great American Comedy Festival opener

The opening night of the 2026 Great American Comedy Festival will feature a world-class group of magicians on the Johnny Carson Theatre stage, festival organizers announced Tuesday morning.
Juliana Chen, David Kovac and the Evasons will headline the comedy and magic show on Thursday, June 18, in Norfolk.
“All four of these performers have been raved about by other top magicians and comedians,” said festival executive director Pat Janssen. “Everyone I talk to says, ‘Holy cow, what a trio of acts.’ We have former GACF performer Ben Seidman to thank for that. He spends a lot of time advocating on our behalf, and I rely on him to help curate the show. He has knocked it out of the park this year.”

Chen was born in Hunan, China, and graduated from the Academy of Arts in China. After training as 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 at the International Brotherhood of Magicians (1992), the Grand Prix at Spain’s XXI Congreso Nacional de Magic (1996) and Germany’s Magic Hands (1996). In 1997, she became the first woman and first magician of Chinese heritage to win a world championship in the 50-year history of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, the world’s leading organization for the art of magic. She has performed all over the world, and her magic continues to inspire young magicians everywhere.

Kovac specializes in combining humorous monologues with cleverly crafted magic routines. He has spent two decades honing a variety of performance skills in Chicago. Kovac portrayed 10 different characters — including a magician — in his critically acclaimed solo show, “Fooling Buddha.” Kovac has been nominated for stage performer of the year at the Magic Castle. He resides in Los Angeles and serves on the board of trustees for the Academy of Magical Arts.

The Evasons — Jeff and Tessa Evason — are internationally acclaimed mentalists whose demonstrations of telepathy have amazed audiences in more than 40 countries. One of the few married couples in history to master the rare art of second sight, they create the impression that two minds are working as one. Their performances have been featured on television shows 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 film “Nightmare Alley.”

“My favorite thing in the world is when I nervously approach all these high-profile performers and they ultimately tell me that they’re excited and have been waiting for this call for years,” Janssen said. “There are so many different people who have worked on this festival over the years. The way people talk about this festival is a tribute to each and every person who has donated their time, whether they’re still a part of the festival or not.
“It’s also a massive credit to the audiences who come out and support what we’re trying to do each and every year.”
The magic show kicks off the festival Thursday, June 18, with two nights of comedy headlined by Bluebird Improv on June 19 and Charlie Berens on June 20. All three shows begin at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre.
The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk native Johnny Carson, who hosted NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” for more than 25 years.
The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with support from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

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