Saturday Night Gala Spectatular

It’s impossible to know who got the loudest laughs Saturday night at the Viaero Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk.

The chortles and chuckles, giggles and guffaws started when host Larry Miller joked about the previous logo on the state’s license plates that boasted Nebraska has “the good life.”

“I liked the motto. Now no matter where you live . . . even if you have healthy kids and good jobs, you can say, ‘We’re not living the good life. Maybe we should move to Nebraska,’ ” said Miller, an actor and comedian who has appeared in more than 50 movies, including “Pretty Woman” and “Princess Diaries.”

He’s also appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, “The Late Show” with David Letterman, “Seinfeld” and many other televisions shows.
After expressing his desire to move to Nebraska, Miller started poking fun at other state mottos, including New Jersey’s description of itself as the garden state, he said.

“The garden state?” he exclaimed. “Have you ever been to New Jersey? There they plant human bodies that didn’t pay their bookies.”

The laughter ended 2-hours later when Joe Wong of Boston was named winner of the comedy competition, which involved eight comedians who had made it through the first rounds of competition on Thursday and Friday nights.

“I’m Irish,” Wong deadpanned in a decided Asian accent when he started his competition monologue.

The single line sparked an outburst that continued as Wong wondered what it would be like to live in Alaska.

“Half the year is day and half the year is night. What does that do to overnight delivery?” he asked.

Mike E. Winfield of Sacramento, Calif., took second place in the competition. He opened his set by saying he loved Norfolk’s Salvation Army store, where he had shopped its Saturday half-price sale.

“I’m having the best day of my life,” he said. “I bought this jacket for $3.25 . . . and I don’t mind the cigarette burns.”

Auggie Smith of Portland, Ore., took third place honors.

Among the show’s many highlights was the presentation of the festival’s Comedy Legend award to Ed Asner.

The veteran actor was joined by Eddie Brill, the festival’s producer, on a stage set designed to resemble what Johnny Carson used on “The Tonight Show.”

Asner was to originally have arrived in Norfolk on Friday but had to change his plans at the last minute because of a new television sitcom pilot he is filming.

Instead, he arrived Saturday afternoon just in time for the evening performance.

But with a smile on his face, Asner offered a different explanation for his delay in arriving.

“I was supposed to be here yesterday, but because of the betrayal, I thought I might not do it (at all),” Asner said as he scolded the audience of around 1,100. “You pulled out of the Big 12, you bums.”

The Kansas City native has appeared in a variety of movies and television shows, including 1977’s award-winning miniseries “Roots,” in which he played the captain of a ship that transported slaves to America.

“I did not have fun (making the film), but I worked for a noble cause,” Asner said. “The world saw the depth of black talent that we have here.”

Asner may be best known for his portrayal of the character Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and in the spinoff series “Lou Grant,” in which he played a hard-nosed newspaper editor. More recently, he provided the voice for the lead character in “Up!” and played Santa in “Elf.”
“I loved being part of ‘Up!’, which I think is a gorgeous piece of art,” he said.

During the interview, Asner and Brill tossed malfunctioning microphones back and forth.

“These things must run on ethanol,” Asner joked at one point.

The jokes continued after Asner received the award.

“I was so afraid it would be the Conan O’Brien Award and I’d have to give it back in six months,” he quipped.

Asner was referring to comedian Conan O’Brien, who took over Jay Leno’s spot on the “Tonight Show” for six months before he was forced to leave so Leno could return to the show.

Among the special guests at the Saturday show were Dick and Karlyn Carson, brother and sister-in-law of the late Johnny Carson.
Like his brother, Dick Carson had a 40-year career in the television industry, working as a director on three of television’s most well-known shows — “The Tonight Show,” “Merv Griffin Show,” and “Wheel of Fortune.” That work earned him five Emmy Awards.

Carson said he and his siblings, including his older sister, always talked about Norfolk and the good times they had while living here as children.

“Norfolk has always been our hometown and always will be. All of the Carson family is proud to know the festival was founded in our hometown,” he said.