Is it tool time or comedy time? 

Why not both? 

Tim Allen is coming to Embassy Theatre on Friday, Jan. 26, and if you haven’t purchased your ticket, good luck! There are a few available, but they won’t come cheap for this 18-and-older show. 

Breaking onto comedy scene

Allen broke out as the lovable father Tim Taylor and the fictional Tool Time host on Home Improvement. That run led to a bevy of other opportunities, including The Santa Clause films, Galaxy Quest, the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise, and the long-running TV series Last Man Standing. He also has his own racing team and tools. 

Allen got into the comedy world in 1975 when he was dared by a friend to participate at a comedy night at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Michigan. After realizing how much he enjoyed comedy, Allen continued to seek out opportunities, and the opportunities came his way. 

After a run-in with the law, he headed to Los Angeles and became a regular at the famous Comedy Store. This led him to appearances on late-night talk shows that took his career to a new level. 

Acting accolades

His comedy career may have begun in 1975, but his acting career took off when he got his own sitcom, Home Improvement. 

Home Improvement ran eight seasons from 1991-99, making a star of himself and turning a young Johnathan Taylor Thomas (aka JTT) into a teen heartthrob. While being the lead actor in the sitcom, he also got into executive producing in the last two seasons. 

Home Improvement was nominated for a bevy of awards ranging from best comedy to best actors. It was awarded by ASCAP as Top TV Series eight years in a row. 

While his acting career was skyrocketing, Allen took on his first big film role as Scott Calvin in the beloved Christmas classic, The Santa Clause. Not only did he absolutely nail portraying Santa Claus, he also took on the role of voice acting for the iconic Buzz Lightyear character for Toy Story in 1995, a role he has continued through four movies. 

Last Man Standing was another successful sitcom in Allen’s career. The ABC sitcom ran nine seasons through 2021 and was nominated for a multitude of awards. 

Ventures Off-Screen

On top of his acting career, Allen also partnered with Steve Saleen and created RRR Racing. 

His role as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on Home Improvement also led him to release his own signature line of tools in partnership with Ryobi.

One of his most recent adventures was partnering with his old Home Improvement co-star Richard Karn, who portrayed straight man Al Borland, and starring in their own tool show, More Power. 

More Power is an informational show about tools, their history, and the evolution of the power that they hold. 

Clearly, Allen has had a very fulfilling life of many adventures. 

But comedy is what kickstarted his career, and now you have the opportunity to see him live and in person. 

Allen is doing only a few shows in hand-picked cities, so you do not want to miss your opportunity to see the Tool Man himself.