Standup Showcase
The Backline will be showcasing both veteran and up-and-coming comedians every Wednesday at 7pm. Delivering a funny and diverse cast so anyone in our audience can find their new favorite local comedians! (Sometimes we'll have guests from other cities!)
Also, stick around after this show for our Open Mic at 8pm where anyone can get up on stage!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Open Mic
Brooke Barsell & Todd Dylan host The Backline Open Mic (standup) every Wednesday at 8pm. Each comedian will be allowed 4 minutes, and names will be drawn from a hat for those who show up before 8pm, people who show up afterward will be added to a 2nd list. Whether it's your first time or you perform weekly, why not try out your material in front of a great crowd at one of the best standup venues in town?
Since names are pulled at random, comics are encouraged to sit and watch everyone else, creating a fun and encouraging audience. 5 seconds of grace period before music plays you off. Prepare accordingly.
This show is FREE for everyone!
Cards of Destiny
An incredibly fast-paced improv competition featuring Omaha's best improvisers competing to be Omaha's top Improviser.
STRUCTURE:
Improvisers will each pick one card at a time, each card assigned to a different challenge. They will get a chance to succeed with this challenge and advance to the next round. You can play drinking games from the audience or even participate in the show yourself. Audience participation by volunteering only, so no worries if you want to be left alone.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Thu Jun 1 2023, 7:30 PM
Buy TicketsCards Against Comedians
A twist on the classic game Cards Against Humanity, where comedians will have to improvise jokes based upon the cards that are drawn. 6 comedians will go head to head to see who’s the funniest on their toes, until one comedian is left standing. Hosted by Julien Leisure every 1st Thursday of the month!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Thu Jun 1 2023, 8:30 PM
Buy TicketsThe ARENA
The ARENA is Omaha's #1 Improv Competition pitting together 2 improv teams to find out which Omaha team is the best. Each competition is followed by previous Champions that get their own weekly slot until someone beats their record! As an added bonus, the show will start off with a set from previous Champions!
Whichever team wins the votes of the audience comes back the next week to face a new Challenging team, each getting 20 minutes to win over your votes. The #1 team "4 Average People" has won 16 weeks in a row! Will a team ever beat that record? You decide!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Closing Night Debut
Everyone loves musicals, but they take so much time time to rehearse, cast, build a set, and more... or do they? In Closing Night Debut you will see a brand new musical, made up completely on the spot, just for you! Come watch the magic of improvised music, where we take suggestions from our audience to create an a whole Broadway show off the top of our heads! Hosted by two time OEAA award winning comedic ensemble Pandemic! @ the Disco.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Comedy Wars
Comedy Wars is a recurring three round standup competition show featuring a different special guest each month. The winner of those match-ups going head-to-head against The Champion of the previous Comedy Wars in the final round to potentially take their crown. You, the audience, decide who wins and who goes home!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Freestyles VS Punchlines
Prepare yourself for a night filled with laughter and lyrical genius at The Backline's "Freestyles vs Punchlines"! Witness two dynamic teams as they face off in an array of uproarious challenges that'll have you laughing so hard, you'll forget your surroundings. Ranging from on-the-spot stand-up routines to electrifying freestyle rap battles, each round earns points and keeps the excitement at its peak. Will the comedians outshine the rappers with their rhymes, or will the rappers leave the comedians in stitches? Discover the outcome at "Freestyles vs Punchlines!"
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Sat Jun 3 2023, 7:00 PM
Buy TicketsBroken Magic Comedy Hour
The Broken Magic Comedy Hour is a standup comedy series brought to you by founding OK Party Member and national touring stand up comic Zach Peterson. Featuring some of the best stand up comics in the Midwest and beyond, The BMCH is a professionally run stand up show that will have you coming back for more month after month.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Comedy After Dark
This show is Rated R for graphic language of adult situations.
A fearless standup show at Backline, but also one to avoid if you easily get rubbed the wrong way. We line up Omaha's top local comedians and give them a chance to perform some stuff they can't do at most shows. If this sounds like you something you would like, then you definitely will. If this sounds disgusting to you, we have other shows you should check out.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
SKIMP
'SKIMP' is a groundbreaking live comedy show that brings together many of the city's most brilliant sketch comedy minds for an evening of unparalleled entertainment. This unpredictable, high-energy show is a unique fusion of sketch and improv comedy, with each performance offering a brand new experience for the audience.
Audiences are guaranteed to be left in stitches as Omaha's top comedians spontaneously create hilarious, original sketches based on audience suggestions and real-life experiences.
'SKIMP' is a must-see event for fans of comedy who crave an evening of laughter, surprises, and sheer talent. Don't miss your chance to witness the magic of live comedy as it unfolds before your very eyes!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
House Improv Teams
Every second and fourth Thursday, you can catch The Backline's very own improv teams. They perform longform improv sets ranging from the Brown Onion to the Harold and every form inbetween. Come see what you too can accomplish if you take improv classes--wink, wink.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Comedy Open Stage
Like an Open Mic for improv & sketch, the Open Stage will offer 3 minutes of stage time for each performer. This can mean that a team of 5 can do an 18 minute set, or maybe the 5 people only need 5 minutes and they each use their remaining 2 minutes with other teams or ideas. Hosted by Todd Dylan and Dylan Rohde every Thursday!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Dad Jokes
Dad Jokes (featuring Michael Johnson, Michael Smith, Justin Edmonds, Taylor Grote, and Rachel Ware) has been voted as one of the best improv shows at The Backline. They don't tell 'jokes' and they aren't your dad, but you'll love them just the same. Their show is some of the best longform improv comedy you can find in Omaha!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Just Relax Comedy
Just Relax Comedy presents A Night Of Laughter. Join us for a night of great stand up comedy from the Just Relax crew. Featuring a new comedian each month joining them for an hour of laughter. Just Relax is a group of hilarious friends who have been traveling the Midwest since 2021. Tyrel Frazier, Noe Ramirez, Brent Bradley, and Rachel Ware have 15 years of combined experience on stage, and promise you a fun night of drinks, laughs, and unforgettable comedy.
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No Drink Minimum. 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.) Please arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given. Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime. Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm). No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
Level 6 Improv Show
Every class at The Backline has Class Shows! Come see this awesome class of Backline Alumni share what they've learned from Will Meinen's Chicago training!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Sat Jun 10 2023, 6:00 PM
Buy TicketsDate Night
Date Night is here!
Gather up your special someone (or any someone) and come see great two-person teams improvising their little hearts out. Whether you actually bring a date, this show will be just as fun to watch alone or with a group of friends. Who knows, maybe you'll meet a future date here.
Hosted by Justin Edmonds
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
The Strangers
"The Strangers" is a 2-person improv show featuring Timmy Tamisiea and Will Meinen; two people who at one time didn't know each other and now they do!
Timmy trained and taught in Chicago and LA and continues to perform around the country with the Westside Comedy theater. Will got his start at The Backline, and trained/performed in Chicago at the iO and Second City theaters.
Both Timmy and Will moved back home to Omaha during the pandemic and decided to start performing together, initially as strangers and now as friends.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
MASTER deBATES
Have you ever thought that a comedian should be president? Come out to the Backline, and we’ll show you why they definitely shouldn’t. This show takes the inherent absurdity in political theater and gives it a more honest environment: a comedy club on a Saturday night. If you’d love to see comedians sling mud and BS their way to victory, you won’t want to miss this!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Sat Jun 10 2023, 10:00 PM
Buy TicketsA Very Special Episode
It’s not your regularly scheduled programming!
Very Special Episode is an unscripted two-part sitcom show loosely based on one famous US sitcom each month!
See what happens when a talented cast creates a special two-part episode of an improvised sitcom show + a short newscast.
There aren’t reruns; each show has never been seen before and will never be seen again, so you don’t want to miss a single episode.
You provide the laugh track, so get your tickets now!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Thu Jun 15 2023, 7:30 PM
Buy TicketsInterrogated
INTERROGATED is easily one of the best improv shows in Omaha and features Backline's top improvisers (sometimes featuring special guests too!) This fast-paced and very much 'adult-friendly' improv where we'll ask you, the audience, to confess true stories from a time where you got away with something. Maybe you stole a brownie from a roommate, or spun cookies in a football field, either way we'll take them! Our performers will create scenes based off these stories in a structured 'game-based' style of improv you'll only see similar to in LA and NYC.
If you haven't been here and want a great introduction to what we do best, see this show!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Power Hour
This show is packed with Nebraska’s greatest comedians doing their BEST material. Each comedian only has three minutes to impress the crowd, and land the chance to come back and close out the show. If you’re looking for an hour of fast paced high energy comedy, Power Hour is the show for you! Rachel Ware hosts this notoriously sold out show every third Friday of the month at 10pm.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Yer Mom's Comedy Show
Yer Mom's Comedy Show presents standup comedians aimed at “Keeping parents sane one punch line at a time!” Join comic moms Kendra Karbowski, Patty Fanciullo & Anneliese Wright, as they bring up some of the best talent the Midwest has to offer. Special guest comedians will keep the entertainment going and we’ll end the evening with our “MomTime” comedy chat.
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Babes in JOYland
Babes in JOYLAND is Brooke Barsell’s monthly show featuring new up and coming comedians along with a hot fresh headliner. This is often a sold out show, so make sure to get your tickets in advance!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
A Drunken Night Out
This standup, storytelling and improv show started out in the Pacific Northwest, now has a home in Chicago, and is being taken all over the country!
Welcome to A Drunken Night Out! Comedian Ken Hamlett of Chicago hosts a lineup of comics from all over the country as they discuss their worst drunken nights out, do standup, and eventually end the night and perform a set…not so sober with an additional catch. The comics will be forced to do improv on crowd sourced topics. It’s part hangout, part show, part live podcast, and totally a fantastic time. It’s not a comedy show, it’s a Comedy Party!!!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Biscuits
Biscuits is layered with many of Omaha's funniest improvisers and ready to butter you up for a hot show. Often fast-paced and never flaky, Biscuits will always rise to the occasion! Improv like your grandma definitely didn't used to make. (Each show also features a guest team opening for them!)
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Double Dribble
"Double Dribble" is a 2-person improv comedy show, featuring Backline team “Talkin Bout Practice” (Danny Jablonski and Jordan Murphy) and a new hilarious guest team every month. It is fast. It is funny. This show has something for absolutely everyone. You can even bring your mom if you want. She’d be delighted you asked her and it would probably make her week. If she needs any convincing at all, just tell her “Talkin’ Bout Practice” won the 2023 Backline Improv Duo Competition! These guys are award-winning, as chosen by people exactly like you. You need to see this show!
DISCLAIMER: this show has nothing to do with basketball, but the performers reserve the right to talk about and/or partake in basketball-related activities at any point before, during, or after the show. Kobe!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Roastle-Mania
Roastle-Mania is THE monthly roast battle in Omaha! 8 contestants step up in this roasting tournament to determine our Omaha Roasting Champion! Come out to the Backline comedy and be part of the show, the audience decides our winners! Hope to see you, and get ready for about 75 minutes of pure laughter, and fun!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).
Laughter Hours
Prepare to be blown away by the the pure comedic talent of our local independent comedians and rising stars. Stay up past your bedtime and join us for a late night comedy showcase, where the jokes are fresh, the drinks are cold, and the laughs are contagious. This showcase features the best up-and-coming comedians in the local scene, so don't miss this opportunity to see the future stars of comedy right here in your own backyard. See you there!
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- Online sales end 30 minutes before showtime
- No need to print tickets, just give your name at the door.
- No Drink Minimum.
- 18+ (or under with parent or guardian.)
- Please
arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to showtime. Tickets may be
released for resale at that time, no refunds will be given.
- Parking available on the street (metered until 9pm).