Comedian Jeff Allen will be making his first visit to Jamestown on Friday, May 15. He has a reputation of being a “clean comedian,” someone the whole family can enjoy.

JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua Lake Men of Integrity want to see guys take their girls out on a date, whether they’re newly dating or been together for 40 years. They’ve set up the entertainment. Comedian Jeff Allen will be performing at the Reg Lenna on Friday, May 15.

Allen likes the idea and believes couples will have fun.

“I do all the talking, so it’s a perfect date night,” Allen said with a laugh. “You don’t have to say anything that would put your foot in your mouth. I’ll do all the talking. And if I upset her, you can agree with her!”

Allen is currently on his “First Final Farewell comedy tour,” and recently took a few minutes to be interviewed by The Post-Journal/OBSERVER.

Friday will be his first visit to Jamestown, Lucille Ball’s hometown. When asked about her, Allen chuckled, thinking about Lucy’s scene working with Ethel at a chocolate factory. “Oh my gosh, she was one of the best – actually she was probably the best comedy actress,” he said, adding “The fact that she was an absolutely beautiful woman made it even better.”

At 69 years old, a lot of Allen’s comedic influences are of a certain generation. “Bill Cosby, George Carlin, those are the guys I grew up with. I actually wanted to be Richard Pryor when I started. The fact that I was a white suburban kid, nobody knew I was doing Richard Pryor,” Allen chuckled.

Allen started in comedy back in the 1970s.

“I was watching Steve Martin in my living room and I was obnoxiously laughing. I’d fall off the couch and fall on the ground. I would look up and my father was standing there watching him. My father looked at Steve Martin, looked at me, shook his head and left,” he shared.

He also admires the late Robin Williams, especially how Willams was able to do stand-up, television and movies.

Allen has a movie coming out soon called “My 7 grandmas.” Release details are still pending. He also recently filmed a pilot for a TV show based on a book he wrote. “The television pilot, they’re editing it now and then we’ll shop it, probably in June. We have a couple studios interested,” he said.

But even if the TV show doesn’t get picked up, there’s no sitting around for Allen.

Allen’s “My first, final farewell tour” officially began March 7 and stretches through Nov. 1, before the tour transitions into a Christmas Tour, followed by additional dates in 2027.

“The phone keeps ringing and I love what I do. I hope that shows when I perform,” Allen said. “It’s all gravy from here. When the phone stops ringing I can retire.”

Allen knows a lot of comedians who peaked in their 30s or 40s and have limited success in the following decades. That’s not him.

His rapid-fire humor, which centers on marriage and family, is a hit with all ages. He has appeared everywhere – on Comedy Central, Showtime, TBN, CBN, Family Net, Dry Bar Comedy (their most viewed comedian with seven comedy specials), America’s Got Talent, HBO, Amazon Prime, Huckabee, Pureflix, VH-1, The Today Show, and starred in the films Apostles of Comedy and My 7 Grandmas.

He has performed for U.S. troops on aircraft carriers and ships in the Indian Ocean. Allen has also performed at three Presidential Inaugural Galas. Millions have seen him across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

In fact, his publicity team says he has had nearly one billion views online.

But that fame hasn’t stopped him from living a regular life. During his phone interview with The Post-Journal/OBSERVER, Allen was stopping at a local bank. “My agent, you know he wants me to take pictures of checks and send them to him. I said I’m mailing them to you. I’m putting it in an envelope. I’m putting a stamp on it. When I’m dead and gone you can get other artists that are younger than me!”

Allen has a reputation of being a “clean comedian,” joking about everyday life that the whole family can enjoy.

“I just want to be funny, you know. I know what I am. I’m a distraction. I hear it all the time. ‘It’s the first time I’ve laughed since my mother died.’ ‘It’s the first time I’ve laughed since my husband passed.’ Laughter releases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain killer. God gave us the ability for the body to heal itself and laughter is part of that healing process,” he said.

Friday’s performance is set for 7 p.m. Visit www.reglenna.com for tickets.