NORFOLK, Neb. -- The year 2025 is a banner year for comedy in America. Saturday Night Live turned 50 years old in the same year that former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson would have turned 100 - and this year’s Great American Comedy Festival is celebrating both at the same time!

Legendary comedian Yakov Smirnoff will be headlining the festival’s annual Gala on Saturday, June 14th, while current Saturday Night Live cast member James Austin Johnson will headline the Friday night Comedy Showcase on June 13th.

“Johnny Carson was a comedy legend, and certainly SNL is in that same pantheon,” Festival Executive Director Pat Janssen said. “To have a member of the current SNL cast during the same year that we recognize Johnny's 100th birthday just feels so perfect.”

After escaping communist Soviet Union in the 1977, Yakov came to the United States with nothing but a dream. Before even learning the language, Yakov humbly began working as a bartender at the famous Grossinger’s Catskill Resort in New York, where he started telling jokes to his customers each night.

As his English improved, he quickly grew in popularity. He made a daring move to Hollywood where the owner of The Comedy Store, Mitzi Shore, spotted him and advised him to stay.

His lovable view of life through the eyes of a poor immigrant captured the hearts of America. He soared to the top of the comedy world, performing on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and countless other television programs, including as a regular character on “Night Court.”

He became a star of his very own show, named after his famous catchphrase, “What a Country!” Yakov branched out to the big screen where he starred in movies with Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Meryl Streep, and Jack Nicholson, to name a few. In 2016 and 2017 his TV special “Happily ever laughter” was voted “The best special” on PBS.

He has given command performances for 4 US presidents. “Johnny Carson made a lot of comedy careers. If Johnny Carson liked you, you had to be good. And one of Johnny's favorite and most popular guests was Yakov Smirnoff,” said Janssen. “Yakov has had nothing but incredible things to say about his time performing for Johnny.”

Living a life that is as exciting as ever, Yakov has married his sweetheart, currently has his very own 2000 seat theater in Branson, Missouri, and tours the world doing stand-up Comedy at performing arts centers.

James Austin Johnson will be making history when he takes the Johnny Carson Theatre stage. He’ll be the first active cast member of “Saturday Night Live” to perform at the Great American Comedy Festival. Johnson is originally from Nashville and a featured player on SNL.

The New York Times has called him “one of SNL’s most versatile celebrity impressionists.” His spot-on impression of Pres. Donald Trump paired with his improvisational ramblings about Weird Al, Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Scooby Doo have garnered over 5 million views, with profiles on James in Vanity Fair, Slate, Mashable and VICE to name a few.

“James Austin Johnson is a comic's comic,” Janssen said. “So many comedians I've talked to, who all have credits of their own, have reached out because they want to perform with him.”

As an actor, James' TV/Film credits include “Future Man”, “Baskets”, “Robbie”, “Better Call Saul”, “The Last Tycoon” and the Coen Brothers’ feature “Hail, Caesar!”. As a stand up, James has performed on the Vice series “Flophouse”, as well as Riot LA and Just For Laughs as a New Face.

The festival kicks off Thursday, June 12th, with the traditional family Comedy Magic Show. All three shows are at 7 p.m. at the Johnny Carson Theatre.

The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson, who was host of NBC’s “Late Night Show Starring Johnny Carson” for over 25 years.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now! For tickets and information, visit www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com.