By Lisa Morgan
You never know what to expect when you get the opportunity to interview someone who is at the pinnacle of success in their field of entertainment. Granted it was a phone interview, but one can feel pretty darn small during those minutes preceding a conversation to someone who seems a bit larger than life and to whom you’ve never spoken to before. “Hi, Lisa, this is Terry!” It took me a moment to register that the object of my interview was making his own phone calls! But from that point forward, we were talking like friends about the experience of being Terry Fator, the world renowned ventriloquist who was catapulted into fortune and fame upon winning the America’s Got Talent competition in its second season. I share this with you to help you understand how deeply enjoyable and down to earth this highly sought after entertainer is. Six years after his big win, his wife still has to remind him that he is a highly recognizable individual and should probably wear sunglasses when he goes out. He just plain “forgets” that he’s famous.
When Terry was growing up in Texas, his father, a very conservative Christian, had pretty much persuaded him to become a preacher one day. Being a naturally magnetic personality, Terry only knew that he wanted to inspire people and that he loved to make them laugh. “I wanted to be a light in the darkness and bring happiness and goodness into people’s lives, but deep down I knew that preaching was not my calling.” He was in the fifth grade when he “accidentally” stumbled onto a book about ventriloquism titled, Ventriloquism for Fun and Profit, by Paul Winchell. A few weeks later, he purchased a Willie Talk dummy from Sears. Almost immediately he began performing for friends and family and even won a local talent competition. Terry found his calling through entertainment. “That little hole in my heart is filled when I see people laughing,” he shared.
Today, Terry Fator has over 20 puppets, only 8 of which he can use in any given show due to time restraints. The friends he’ll be bringing along with him to Fantasy Spring will include Winston the Turtle; Walter T. Airedale, the country singer; Emma Taylor and her renditions of Etta James, Adele and Aretha Franklin; Julius the “soul singer”; the loveably flamboyant Berry Fabulous, known for his renditions of Cher and Barbara Streisand songs; Maylord Thompkins with his Elvis tribute; and Monty Carlo who will entertain with renditions of Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and the like. The trademark of Terry’s show is the stunning singing abilities he displays through his characters. He can impersonate famous female and male vocalists without moving his lips. I asked him why he never pursued a career as a vocalist; why include ventriloquism. His answer was simply, “Because I can.” His point is well made that a lot of people can sing, and many of them are really good at it. What made Terry stand out against the incredible skills of his competitors on America’s got Talent and in the entertainment business itself, is that he CAN do both and with great skill.
In his wildest dreams, Terry never imagined the success he’s seeing now. “When I entered the contest, I simply hoped to get exposure and be able to get jobs on cruise ships and bigger stages with a paying audience. I was working at county fairs and always got stuck in the back on tiny stages near the petting zoos. I even got heat stroke a couple of times. People would stay for one part of my act with one of my puppets and leave before I had a chance to set up the next character. I thought that if I could play on a cruise ship, I’d also be able to book bigger stages with a paying audience who would stay and see all of what I had to offer. The ventriloquist that preceded me on the show the season before didn’t win, but still got booked on the David Letterman show. I never expected to win, just get more exposure and hopefully better stages.”
When I asked him what his wildest dream was now, he said, “I’m amazingly happy and content right now. If anything, I’d like to maybe do a television show, not for my ego or anything like that. It’s just that family time in front of the television is pretty much gone. I’d like to bring something that’s not full of gimmicks, or that shows the worst part of human nature, but something that brings positivity to the world. Entertainment today has driven a wedge between families. Television shows are either full of so much dribble that only children can enjoy it or so full of sexual references that only adults can watch it. I’d like to provide something happy and enlightening that the family can enjoy together. I’ve pitched it, but no one’s bought it yet. I won’t give up on it though.”
The best part of Terry’s success, he explains, is the audiences. “I used to think it was the money, but it’s not. The greatest joy, deep down inside of every entertainer, is sharing their craft and seeing people enjoy it. That’s the best part for me now.” The toughest part of his fame is time limits. “I have less time to give to people. It doesn’t bother me when people ask for autographs, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time.”
As the headliner at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas for the past three years, Fator is dedicated to keeping his act fresh. So, if you saw him last year here in the desert, you’ll be in for an entirely new experience this year. And an “experience” is what this gifted entertainer aims to bring to every show. “I want it to be an almost spiritual experience that takes the audience out of themselves for a while. I don’t want the audience to walk away just saying they laughed so hard their sides hurt. I want them to say that they felt every range of emotion from utter laughter, to getting a lump in their throat. That, to me, is the perfect show.” If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing him perform, you know firsthand that Terry Fator is truly fulfilling his calling, bringing light and laughter to others one brilliant performance at a time.
Tickets are available to purchase online at http://tickets22-px.rtrk.com/buy/TicketPurchase, or call (877) 394-7668. Special room packages are available as well. For more information on Terry Fator, you can visit his website at http://terryfator.com/#top.
