From the time he first set foot on the sound stage to the time he walked out of the show some months later, he was never allowed to sing a note he left Hollywood less than fulfilled.

Impressed with his singing talent, the producers of the television series 'It's Always Jan' brought him to Los Angeles to do a continuing part in the show. The tour led to small but increasingly prestigious night clubs such as the Ruben Bleu and the Blue Angel, where his musical comedy act, which featured beginning sketches of several characters that would later make him famous, was extremely well received.

It is interesting to note that this, his first professional part, had him playing a 60-year-old man.

On a dare, he tried out for the road company of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES and, to his amazement, he found himself a working actor. He was continuing on his circuitous road toward a greater knowledge of fish when he interrupted his schooling to go to New York to work in public relations for a publishing house. He attended the University of Illinois in pursuit of a lifelong desire to be an ichthyologist, one devoted to the study of fish but since no such major was available there, Arte was forced to content himself with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in history. His parents, Abraham Lincoln Johnson, an attorney, and his mother, whose maiden name was Edith MacKenzie Goldberg, saw that Arte had instruction in music, and he now plays violin, saxophone, clarinet and all the woodwinds. Tyrone Horneigh, Pyotr Rosmenko, Wolfgang Busch, Rabbi Schanquar and many others were all born at the same moment in Chicago and collectively given the name Arte Johnson. Since that auspicious debut, he returned to Milwaukee to host – brilliantly – a Variety Club epilepsy telethon, as well as a testimonial dinner for the Milwaukee Bucks. Two weeks and fourteen standing ovations later, he found himself eagerly adopted by tent audiences who probably never laughed louder or longer at any 'big top' show. Photo by Richard Borgeson, courtesy of Sally Marks.Ĭast Biographies for FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1974)Īrte Johnson first came to Melody Top Theatre two years ago to play seven hilarious characters opposite Karen Morrow in LITTLE ME. The wedding of Sharon McLonergan and Woody Mahoney near the end of FINIAN'S RAINBOW at Melody Top Theatre. Photos from FINIAN'S RAINBOW, June 18-30, 1974

Marking Melody by R.E. Butler