INTERVIEW: Terry Fator brings his friends on the road
Photo: Terry Fator brings his touring show Friday, June 22 to the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Terry Fator / Provided with permission by the State Theatre.
It’s safe to say that Terry Fator is one of the best examples of the modern American dream. The comedian-ventriloquist received his big break when he won America’s Got Talent in 2007, and his life was changed overnight. He is the resident comedian at The Mirage in Las Vegas, and on the weekends, he is able to bring his one-of-a-kind act to theaters across the United States.
He brings his ventriloquism buddies Friday, June 22 to the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Audiences can expect many fan-favorite characters and that undeniably infectious comedy that comes with the Fator brand.
“It’ll be a whole new show, lots of surprises, lots of fun stuff,” Fator said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a very, very funny show, but it also has some nice heartfelt moments as well. … I think what you can expect is to go through your full range of emotions, walk out feeling exuberant and on top of the world.”
If audience members have seen his act in Vegas, no worries. The touring show is not only different from the Mirage show; it’s also unique when compared to previous tours he has launched across the United States. He is a comedian constantly working, constantly reshaping and constantly writing, and that means fans can enjoy a few classic bits alongside brand-new routines.
“It’s completely different than what I do at The Mirage,” he said. “When I come and perform on the road, I want them to be able to come and see me at The Mirage and see a totally different type of show as well, so it’s a much different show than what you’ll see on the road. But that’s not saying that the road show is not just as good. It’s just totally different.”
To create the touring show, Fator first focuses on a theme for his night of comedy. After that, he starts to pair his many characters up with the evening’s focus. That can be a time-consuming affair because Fator has a lot of beloved characters to choose from. Included in his arsenal are headliner Winston the Impersonating Turtle, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Elton John, President Donald Trump and a host of originals.
Fator fanboys and fangirls (Terry-heads? Fantors?) should be able to recite the originals by heart: Rusty the Robot, Duggie Scott Walker, Maynard Thompkins and Fernando V. Francisco, among others.
“It can be difficult because I have so many great characters that people love, and people say, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish that character was in this show,'” he said. “Well, I’ve only got 90 minutes, so I have to pick and choose. And I have so many different characters, and I’m constantly creating new characters and learning new impressions and writing new routines. We have to pick and choose who gets to come on the road and who also gets to be in The Mirage show as well.”
Love for impressions and comedy goes back to Fator’s childhood. He started singing at the age of 2, and ventriloquism came at the age of 10.
“I just determined from the time I was about 10 years old that that’s what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to be a professional ventriloquist and then, of course, grew up with my heroes — Jay Johnson from Soap; Edgar Bergen; Shari Lewis; Willie Tyler & Lester; Jimmy Nelson. These were the people that I watched and kind of idolized. Ronn Lucas was another one. I saw a video of him when I was in the mid-’80s that he had done for the Disney channel, and, man, he was so good. Jimmy Nelson was another one of those that was just such a fantastic ventriloquist and technically so perfect. They’re the ones that I emulated and wanted to be like.”
Fator’s success can be traced back to those days on America’s Got Talent, which gave him national exposure and eventually a record-breaking deal at The Mirage. The comedian looks back fondly on that talent show, which, with the help of America’s support, crowned him champion.
“I look it as an incredibly wonderful, positive experience,” he said. “When they ask me to come and perform, I always say yes and always will, just because I’m so grateful for the wonderful experience. Plus, it’s kind of like high school reunion. It’s a family reunion. We really got close to a lot of the people, so every time I go there, I get to see a lot of people that are still working on the show remarkably 11 years later.”
After America’s Got Talent, The Mirage deal came through — a multi-year deal worth an unprecedented amount of money — and Fator almost could not believe his good fortune.
“It was surreal,” he said. “It was so shocking that it actually took me about a week for it to sink in. It was like, oh, OK, cool. We just signed this big deal. In fact, at the time, it was the biggest deal in Vegas history. Then, all of a sudden, I woke up one day. I was in a hotel room. I was actually at The Mirage because we were doing a lot of press and doing other things, and then it just hit me the magnitude of what I had just accomplished. Then you had to scrape me off the ceiling.”
That success continues. Fator reports that he will be performing at The Mirage at least through 2022, and fans can check him out on the road as well.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Terry Fator will perform Friday, June 22 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
