Great American Comedy Festival Officials Announce Amateur Contests In Area

by Pat McGann

Who couldn't use a laugh amid the dead of winter in northeast Nebraska?

Fortunately for northeast and north central Nebraskans, that's what the Great American Comedy Festival is set to provide.

The festival again will be sponsoring three shows featuring about 10 amateur stand-up comedians who hope to persuade audience members to vote for them and advance them to the amateur competition finals next June in Norfolk during the comedy festival itself. The 2014 festival is set for Wednesday, June 11 through Saturday, June 14.

The amateur shows, all of which start at 8 p.m., are set for:                    

' Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Majestic Theater in Wayne.

' Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Divots Conference Center in Norfolk.

' Saturday, March 22, at the O'Neill Community Center, in conjunction with that community's annual St. Patrick's Day festival.

Each of the amateur shows will be hosted by a professional comedian with ties to the Great American Comedy Festival.

The Wayne show will be hosted by Michael Issac of Chicago, who was a professional finalist at the 2013 festival in Norfolk. In February in Norfolk, Eddie Brill of New York City, the warm-up comic for David Letterman and the festival's artistic director, will serve as the host. In O'Neill in March, Pat McGann of Chicago, who was a finalist at the 2009 comedy festival, will take on the role as host.

At each show audience members vote for their favorites to see who advances to the festival finals in June.

In addition to those qualifiers, the Great American Comedy Festival has grown in popularity and stature to the point that separate amateur competitions take place in other cities, with the winner advancing to the finals. The Comedy Works Club in Denver has provided a finalist for several years. In conjunction with the OK Party Comedy of Omaha, a competition was held there in December for the first time to select a finalist. It's possible that similar competitions will take place this winter and spring in Chicago and Minneapolis.

'We continue to be pleased that so many amateur comedians see our festival as a way to advance their careers,' said Lori Williams, the festival's executive director.

Want to attend? Tickets to the three amateur shows in Wayne, Norfolk and O'Neill will soon be available to be purchased online at www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com and also will be available at the door the evenings of the performances.