Comedy scene continues to grow in Norfolk
In a town known for Johnny Carson and a yearly comedy festival in his name, comedy continues to find new ways to grow in Norfolk.
By News Channel NebraskaNORFOLK, Neb.--A northeast Nebraska comedy scene has taken off recently.
The District Event Center located in downtown Norfolk is currently on a roll when it comes to booking well-known comedians to come and perform.
Among the big names who have performed at venue are SNL alums David Koechner and Chris Kattan, and most recently, Seinfeld star Steve Hytner.
Now, even more well-known comedians will soon be following in their footsteps
In January, “Workaholics” star Erik Griffin will perform on the 20th and 21st.
Another big name arriving a month later is Caroline Rhea who starred in the hit television series “Sabrina The Teenage Witch.”
The person who makes it all happen, Andrew McCarthy, described the process.
“It’s a little easier than you think with that connection to Johnny Carson,” said McCarthy. “A lot of comedians grew up watching him and so coming to his hometown and getting a chance to be here is definitely a driving force.”
Comedy isn't entirely new in Norfolk, with the Great American Comedy Festival bringing in international headliners since 2008.
McCarthy also said it takes time to be able to build connections to make these celebrity appearances happen.
“It’s like anything else. You have to start from the bottom and work your way up,” he said. “You start with agents and booking agencies and then you build this database and then when you have a great reputation like we do with selling out, they request to come back.”
With the comedy scene that McCarthy is currently building within his own business, he said people are even starting to contact him about bookings.
“Now people are starting to reach out to us which is really really neat,” he added.
According to McCarthy, Nebraska is continuing to develop new places for comedy comedy.
“Comedy is really growing in Nebraska,” he said. “Hastings is doing a lot of comedy. Omaha and Lincoln are and now we’re even starting it to see it go out west to the Grand Island and North Platte. It’s just like anything else, you start at the bottom and you work your way up."
For a full list of upcoming shows at the District Event Center, click here.