NORFOLK, Neb. -- It's a celebration for the late talk show host Johnny Carson, who would have been 99 years old. To pay tribute, many live acts were brought into his childhood town of Norfolk. But these were not just any performers; these were careers that had been launched by Johnny himself. 

“His favorite magician, his favorite jugglers, his favorite ventriloquist, jazz vocalists, and comedians,” said Pat Hazell, Co-Host Executive Producer - Carson Tonight.  

Among many of the live acts and classic Johnny Carson clips, they have added a 22-piece orchestra.

“So they're playing music from the charts that Doc Severinsen had on ‘The Tonight Show’,” said Hazell. “It's kind of a nostalgic throwback, but it has all the energy of a big variety show."

Putting on such an iconic show isn't always easy, since some performers have moved on to be Las Vegas headliners. So how does one get such a top-tier cast? 

“We had to get them to agree that a reunion was going to be fun, number one, and then get them to do a portion of their act,” said Hazell. “And then we had the logistics of flying them all in, putting them all up, and having rehearsals with the orchestra. So it was kind of a pretty big deal for just a couple of nights.”

If he wasn't already bigger than life, Johnny was also generous with giving back to Norfolk in many ways. 

“The hospital has been enhanced, the arts have been enhanced, and that's thanks to the philanthropic nature of the Carson Foundation,” said Hazell." 

With a successful career that will live on forever, Vicky describes why he is still able to touch so many hearts. 

“Johnny was very much a man of the people,” said Vicki Blattert, Board Secretary of the Elkhorn Valley Museum. “We could relate to the things that he talked about.”