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NORFOLK – For Nebraska-born comedian Pat Janssen, the move back to the Cornhusker State from Los Angeles felt like the end of his comedy dream. Dealing with the harsh COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertain future of the entertainment industry, Janssen left L.A. behind.
“We decided, you know what? There’s a housing crisis; we’re approaching middle age. Who knows what the industry is going to look like after this? How about we just come back to Nebraska?” Janssen said.
Upon returning to his home state, Janssen found work with News Channel Nebraska, where a comedic opportunity presented itself. Eric McKay, his morning anchor, discovered Janssen’s comedic background. McKay was a board member of the Great American Comedy Festival and wanted Janssen to be involved.
“My initial reaction was, 'I don’t know,'” Janssen said. “I feel like I just kind of gave up on that just now and there was a bit of me that was sad, but then there was a part of me that viewed it as an opportunity to stay connected to that and then also to see some of my friends to be completely honest with you. And so, I agreed.”
The Great American Comedy Festival was founded in 2008 to celebrate Johnny Carson’s legacy in Norfolk. Carson moved to the city when he was 8, eventually graduating from Norfolk Senior High School in 1943. The festival board chooses a panel of comedians, both well-known and up and coming, to perform at the Johnny Carson Theatre. This year’s festival took place June 12-14.
Janssen, as acting president of the board, has booked acts such as Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson, Preacher Lawson and Yakov Smirnoff. All comedians selected are meant to reflect the Johnny Carson era.
"We always try and have someone who comes from that Carson generation or if not from that generation, someone who we know Johnny would have loved and would’ve invited over to the couch on his show,” Janssen said.
Finding the Carson generation of comedians has become harder, shifting the board's attention to up-and-coming comedians. Janssen has begun scouting for Nebraska comedians. Last summer, Janssen invited Omaha comedians Steve Berg and Rachel Ware. This year he invited Omaha’s Cameron Logsdon.
“I've lived in Nebraska my entire life, and I've been doing comedy for a while. So, you know, to be invited here and to be to represent. Kind of not only honestly this region but also specifically the state,” Logsdon said. “To feel like it wasn’t a handout, but that I deserved to be here. It felt like a good nod."
The Omaha comedian has amassed a million followers on Instagram for his celebrity impersonations. He made the two-hour trip from his hometown to network with other comics, as well as displaying his talents to a new audience.
“It's wild. I mean, there are just so many fantastic comedians that have been a part of it. And when I talk to comedians about Nebraska across the rest of the country, a lot of times they'll ask about this festival,” Logsdon said.
Johnny Carson’s 30-year run on air ended more than 30 years ago. The Hollywood star passed away in early 2005. However, he continues to inspire comedians today, Logsdon said.
"The things that Carson was doing on The Tonight Show have exploded into a billion different mediums now. And I think for all comics, we're very much walking in those footsteps,” Logsdon said.
Carson's influence reached beyond comedy and into philanthropic gestures for his community. Festival attendee and Norfolk-raised Mo Bailey attended Norfolk Senior High shortly after the Johnny Carson Theater was built. She says the theater is a huge part of his legacy within the community.
“For I think like my generation, we're just a little bit removed from Johnny Carson, right? But think that I have been proud to claim him as their own,” Bailey said.