Love, Laughter, and Hope, a musical tribute to Bob Hope, will premiere at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Egyptian Theater, 135 N. Second St.

FunME Events produces musical shows with celebrity impersonators and is recreating the Bob Hope United Service Organizations shows originally put on for American troops.

The 105-minute show will have a full big band, singers and dancers, said DeAnn Reynolds, media coordinator at FunME Events.

The tribute will feature Lynn Roberts, one of America’s top Bob Hope impersonators, Reynolds said.

DeKalb’s show will be a warm-up for the main showings at the Masonic Theatre in Ohio.

“We wanted to give DeKalb a chance to see the show before the big shows in Ohio. It’s kind of a dress rehearsal,” Reynolds said.

The Egyptian Theatre was selected because Michael Embrey, the producer and chief executive officer at FunME Events, is from DeKalb.

“We like to open somewhere smaller before the main performance. We wanted to support the Egyptian Theatre as well, so we thought opening it there was a good idea,” Embrey said.

The show’s concept is not new. Production was put on hold out of respect for Hope and his family, Embrey said.

“Bob Hope’s final years were not well. We decided to wait until he passed away and make the show a tribute to his life. You just remember [his shows] and laugh. He was just so funny and he was always able to make the people around him look good,” Embrey said.

FunME Events has done several musical tributes to legends such as Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra.

“We write lots of shows, anywhere from two to six a year. It’s fun working with young people. I really think the music is what sells our shows. Music is becoming a lot more visual now,” Embrey said.

Embrey is no stranger to producing musical theatre. He has worked at FunME Events for the past 20 years. Before that he was the director of bands at NIU. He has also produced halftime shows for football games, including the Bears and the Packers, as recently as August.

Bob Hope

Tribute Show

What: Love, Laughter, and Hope, a Bob Hope Tribute Show

Where: Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $15 in advance at all branches of the American National Bank of DeKalb County, or $30 at the door

Contact: 756-1263 for more information or tickets