Jay Leno, renowned host of late-night T.V., appears in Billings
Jay Leno, the acclaimed host of late-night T.V. and admired stand-up comedian, performs two shows at 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings.
Opening for him is All Naturals from Billings Skyview High School. The auditioned extracurricular a cappella group of 16 singers is directed by Amy Logan.
“We are excited to be selected to open for Jay Leno,” said Logan. “He’s an icon in the entertainment industry. That night is something we’ll always remember.”
During his reign on late-night T.V., The Tonight Show with Jay Leno garnered an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series.” Leno is also a best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist.
He produces and stars in his recent venture, Jay Leno’s Garage. The NBC creation, viewed at Jaylenosgarage.com and on CNBC, has gained an international following on the web, not to mention an Emmy Award and two additional nominations for Outstanding Special Class–Short-Format Nonfiction Programs.
Leno, himself, is the recipient of the People’s Choice Award and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, among other honors, and was selected by the Harris Poll as the most popular star on television.
Other personal highlights include his induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the Hasty Pudding Award at Harvard University – an honor whose sole prior comedy/talk host recipient was Johnny Carson – and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Emerson College.
Like Carson, Groucho Marx and an elite group of entertainment figures, Leno has been invited to have his papers installed in the Library of Congress. He also received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame (asking that it be placed in front of the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum where he was arrested for vagrancy when he first arrived in Hollywood).
He also has set several land speed records and become the first person to drive the pace car of all major NASCAR events. It’s no wonder Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.”
Tickets are $81, $71, $61 and $51 for students with valid I.D., and are available at the Alberta Bair Theater Box Office on the corner of Third Ave. N and N. Broadway, by phone at 406-256-6052 (box office hours are Monday through Saturday, noon-5 p.m.) and online at www.albertabairtheater.org.
About All Naturals
This auditioned extra-curricular group of 16 singers directed by Amy Logan performs all genres of a cappella music. From Madrigals to modern pop and jazz, these top-notch high school musicians tackle it all. Each sings in a curricular choir at Skyview High School and rehearses for All Naturals outside of school hours. With numerous performances at school and around the Billings community each year, All Naturals is proud to represent Skyview and its choir program to the highest level.