Nebraska’s favorite son, Johnny Carson, would have been 100 years old on Oct. 23. The Lied Center in Lincoln is celebrating with a night of magic and music, hosted by another Nebraskan, comedian Pat Hazell from Omaha, who appeared on the Tonight Show in June of 1989. Nebraska Public Media’s Dale Johnson caught up with Hazell and asked if he was funny as a kid.
Pat Hazell: I was a funny kid. I think I got encouraged, which was also nice. Who knew comedy was going to be my career? But my mom encouraged me to go to into dramatics because of how silly I was and that kind of a thing.
Dale Johnson: From where did magic come in this comedy personality of yours?…