For many fans, Boston’s comedy history starts with the boom in the ’80s that produced stand-ups like Denis Leary, Steven Wright and Lenny Clarke. But an exhibit at Emerson shows Boston had been producing comedy stars for decades before the boom, including a kid named Bill Dana from Quincy who became a sensation.
The exhibit, “Bill Dana: A Celebration of Life, Love, and Laughter!” is part of Emerson’s American Comedy Archives and traces Dana’s life story. He was 92 when he died in June 2017, and there’s a lot to cover. He’s most widely known for his character, José Jiménez, an everyday guy with a heavy accent of unidentified Latino origin, put in extraordinary situations in “man on the street” interview segments on “The Steve Allen Show.” Jiménez was an instant hit when he debuted in 1959 in a sketch coaching department store Santa Clauses. At the time, no one publicly questioned the idea of a Hungarian Jewish kid from Quincy playing a Latino character — that would come later.
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Before Boston’s Comedy Boom In The ’80s, There Was Bill Dana
