Conan's kind of town

Eighteen years after David Letterman played there -- and ruined his relationship with Oprah Winfrey -- Conan O'Brien is coming to the legendary Chicago Theatre in May.

"LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN" TO HIT THE ROAD IN MAY FOR
A WEEK OF SHOWS IN CHICAGO

       NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" is taking its show on the road.  The top-rated, critically praised late night show will travel to Chicago to broadcast for the week of May 9-12 (NBC, 12:35 - 1:35 a.m. ET).

"Late Night" will broadcast from Chicago's legendary Chicago Theater. Erected in 1921, the classic vaudeville venue has hosted generations of luminaries from Bob Hope, Duke Ellington and Jack Benny to Aretha Franklin, Prince and Beck.

Said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night and Primetime Series, NBC Entertainment, "It's always exciting to take the Conan show on the road -- for viewers, for the staff and crew, and especially for the fans who will be in the Chicago Theater audience each night.  We can't wait."

Though based in New York, "Late Night" has deep Chicago roots, from the numerous writers on the show who have honed their craft in Chicago at the famed Second City and Improv Olympic theaters to the show's recurring "live" Central Time Zone New Years Eve Countdown.

"Late Night" went to Los Angeles in 1999 and did an enormously popular run in Toronto, Ontario Canada in 2003.   The show has also shot remotes all over the world, from Ireland, Amsterdam, Sydney and India to the show's most recent and most talked-about trip Conan's recent visit to Finland, which yielded a unique and highly rated hour-long special March 10.

Guests and other details for the weeklong Chicago trip will be announced at a later date.  Conan will give viewers ticket information when the show resumes first-run episodes March 28.

        "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" is from NBC Studios in association with Broadway Video.  Lorne Michaels and Jeff Ross are the executive producers.  Mike Sweeney is head writer.