Jimmy Fallon Attends Almost Famous Musical — and Sits Next to Cameron Crowe: 'That Was Emotional'

Bruce Glikas

Jimmy Fallon enjoyed a nostalgic blast from the past.

The late-night talk show host, 48, attended Thursday night's performance of the Broadway musical Almost Famous, the stage adaptation of the 2000 film in which he portrayed Dennis Hope. Fallon made his film debut as Hope — a road manager for the fictional band Stillwater. The role is now played on Broadway by actor Jakeim Hart.

On Thursday, star Casey Likes (who plays William Miller) pulled Fallon on stage so he could join the cast for that evening's curtain call. Following the show, Fallon sat down with the stars and snapped pictures. He posed with Crowe, Lin-Manuel Miranda and songwriter Tom Kitt, who composed the musical's score and wrote lyrics alongside Crowe.

"I hadn't seen the movie Almost Famous since our premiere 20 years ago," Fallon said in a statement sent to PEOPLE of the special moment. "I still can't believe I was in the movie and went by myself to the Broadway performance, so I could go back in time, study all the actors and watch Jakeim Hart deliver my lines like they were supposed to be delivered."

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Bruce Glikas

Saluting the performance, he continued, "Every line in this show is brilliant. I was trying not to get emotional, but I kept thinking Cameron Crowe is a genius."

He then explained the "emotional" way Crowe, 65, ended up sitting next to him for a very significant part of the show.

"At intermission, an usher wanted to make sure the seat next to me was empty and told me someone would be sitting next to me for the second act. And then they lead this person to the aisle seat," said Fallon. "It was Cameron. He watched the whole second act with me — the scenes that my character was in. That was special. That was emotional. That is Cameron."

Fallon's appearance comes after Crowe, while a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November, invited him to attend a performance.

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Bruce Glikas

"Is my character still in the play?" Fallon asked Crowe, to which he replied: "I'm really glad you bring this up because, Jimmy, we love Dennis Hope of the movie."

"Of course it's in the play," Crowe continued. "My dream has always been to have you come and be the link between the two casts, the cast of the musical, who also became a really tight family, and the movie. So, I would like you to come on the Broadway stage and play your part again of Dennis Hope."

Fallon replied, "I'm in! Absolutely, I am in. Oh my gosh!"

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Crowe expressed to the comedian: "I wrote a new version of the scene for you, which turned out so great that that's what is in the play, and Jakeim does that version." He added, "It's got some new jokes that I bring to you."

Fallon said at the time that he was happy to accept the invitation. "I'm going to jam with the band," he told Crowe. Fallon has yet to make his Broadway debut; however, he is featured on a track from Miranda's Hamilton Mixtape album alongside the Roots.

Almost Famous is loosely based on Crowe's life as a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone. The story follows a young William Miller as he travels with the fictional band Stillwater for his story on the rock stars.

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Bruce Glikas

The musical will play its final performance on Jan. 8, just three months after it began performances in October at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. At the time of closing, it will have played 30 preview performances and 77 performances, according to producers Lia Vollack and Michael Cassel.

In a statement, Vollack and Cassel said, "Almost Famous, like the music it celebrates, will endure. We look forward to the release of the cast recording on March 17, and to the many productions in communities across the country and world, for years to come."

Directed by Jeremy Herrin with choreography by Sarah O'Gleby, the production stars Chris Wood (Russell Hammond), Anika Larsen (Elaine Miller), Solea Pfeiffer (Penny Lane), Drew Gehling (Jeff Bebe), Rob Colletti (Lester Bangs/Red Dog/Bonham) and Likes (William Miller).

The cast also includes Matt Bittner, Chad Burris, Gerard Canonico, Julia Cassandra, Brandon Contreras, Hart, Van Hughes, Jana Djenne Jackson, Claire Kwon, Katie Ladner, Danny Lindgren, Erica Mansfield, Alisa Melendez, Kevin Trinio Perdido, Andrew Poston, Emily Schultheis, Daniel Sovich, Libby Winters and Matthew C. Yee.