Don Arden's Hello Hollywood: World's Largest Stage Show

In 1978, the largest show ever produced on-stage came to Reno and the world. Don Arden's Hello Hollywood, Hello featured a landing 737 jet, a massive earthquake, three-story waterfall, levitating space dome complete with aliens and an eerily beautiful Space Queen, not to mention a cast of 150 singers and dancers on a massive 1 acre sized stage! Hello Hollywood, Hello ran for nearly 13 years. It was seen by more than six million people. During its run, more than 600 different entertainers appeared in the show and featured such celebrity headliners as Carol Channing, Susanne Summers, Carol Lawrence and many more! Over seven million dollars was spent on the scenery and the 1,273 costumes. The producer, Don Arden, was considered the king of all show spectaculars. The dancers were hand-picked by Miss Bluebell herself Margaret Kelly - the grand dame of showgirls who first met Don Arden at the Lido in Paris.
The amazing sets were constructed off location, primarily in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. They were then re-assembled in Reno. It was a large operation with carpenters and assistants hired for weeks of assembly work.The San Francisco earthquake struck the grand stage nightly. The skyline was created out of boards and hinges, and to the accompaniment of fireworks, smoke and plenty of screams from the cast, the skyline trembled and fell — simulating the earthquake of 1906.
Also figuring prominently in the show was a Donn Arden staple, the grand staircase! There singers descended night after night, crooning love songs to the elaborately coifed showgirls.