Before there was Jack, Johnny, Jay, Conan, or Jimmy, there was Steve Allen, the original host of The Tonight Show. Allen was also an actor, comedian, composer (he wrote more than 10,000 songs), an author, and a well-loved game show host.
In 1974 Allen appeared at the Historic Elitch Theatre with his wife, Jayne Meadows, in the play Tonight at 8:30.
“Director/actor/playwright Harold Kennedy recalled that during the 1974 production of Tonight at 8:30 with Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, Allen would unwind each night by playing with the local musicians at the Denver Continental Hotel. One night a gentleman recognized Allen at the piano and groaned ‘My God, what a shame to have him wind up in a dump like this.'”
[Lewis, Rosemary Elaine, “The Elitch Gardens Theatre, 1891-2008: America’s High Plains Summer Playhouse.” (Master of Arts in History, University of Colorado, Denver, 2009.)]
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1974
Elitch Theatre Productions/Roles:
- Tonight at 8:30
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
- Original host of The Tonight Show
Wikipedia Link:
