Changes to the 2010 Great American Comedy Festival

Contact:
Kent Warneke - 402.371.1020
Lora Young - 888-371-2932

Plans are being finalized for the third annual Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk next summer, and lots of changes are on the way.
“We’ve streamlined the festival to make it more practical for people to attend several of the events. And ticket prices will be lower, too,” said Lora Young, executive director of the festival. “But what isn’t going to change is the great comedy that will be brought to Norfolk for everyone to enjoy.”

The 2010 festival will be held Wednesday, June 16, through Sunday, June 20, and continues to be a way for Norfolk to honor the legacy of late-night comedy legend Johnny Carson, who grew up in Norfolk.

Dozens of nationally acclaimed comedians are expected to participate in the festival and vie for the $5,000 top cash prize. They’ll be selected via auditions in cities across the United States early in 2010 by Eddie Brill, the talent coordinator of the “Late Show with David Letterman” and the festival’s producer.

The festival will kickoff with the amateur finals on Wednesday, June 16. The performance will feature 12 comedians who won their time in the spotlight though a series of preliminary amateur competitions scheduled for earlier in the year. The amateur night also will feature a joke-telling competition involving audience members for a chance to win prizes.

On Thursday, June 17, and Friday, June 18, the two semi-final rounds of the professional stand-up competition will be held. There will be one show each night — featuring 10 comedians each — making it easier for audience members to attend as compared to previous years having two shows each evening.

The finals of the competition will be Saturday, June 19, at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.

The 2010 festival will also see the return of two late-night shows at the Divots Conference Center on Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19. A new late-night show for teenagers also is planned for Friday, June 18.

The festival will officially wrap up Sunday, June 20, at the Johnny Carson Theatre with a performance by national comedian and ventriloquist Taylor Mason.

For more information about the festival, including ticket packages that are new this year, go to www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com. Tickets will be available to be purchased in the coming weeks. People also can call 888-371-2932 for more information.
Amateur preliminaries scheduled

The Great American Comedy Festival has set the dates for four preliminary amateur competitions to be held in Norfolk, Grand Island and Lincoln in the months ahead.

The events are set for:
— Saturday, Feb. 20, at Divots Conference Center in Norfolk.
— Saturday, March 6, at the historic Rococo theatre in Lincoln.
— Saturday, March 13, at the Liederkrantz in Grand Island.
— Saturday, March 20, at the Times Square Events Center in Norfolk.

A maximum of 12 amateur comedians will compete at each of the shows with the top two, as voted upon by the audience, moving on to the amateur finals during the festival in June
.
Four “wild card” comedians also will be selected by festival representatives to advance from amateur competitions to the finals on Wednesday, June 16.

Amateur comedians already are signing up to compete in one of the four preliminary events. Those interested in finding out more about participating should call Lora Young at the Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 888-371-2932.

Tickets to the four preliminary competitions will be available at www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com in the coming weeks.