Not your everyday ventriloquist
It didn't appear promising when "America's Got Talent" judge David Hasselhoff rolled his eyes after ventriloquist Terry Fator was introduced.
However, Fator didn't despair after witnessing the dismissive facial expressions.
"I knew I had them right where I wanted them," he said in a recent interview. "Their expectations were low. They had this misconception of what I'm about. I wanted to prove to them that I was not what they expected."
Not only did Fator, 45, convince Hasselhoff and company that he is a talented comic, singer and impressionist, but the charismatic ventriloquist also wowed the arbiters of taste and won season two of "America's Got Talent."
"I'm not your average everyday ventriloquist," Fator said while calling from his Las Vegas home. "I do a musical variety show. It's unpredictable. It challenges the audience. I'm doing something different."
Fator, who will perform Monday at the Kansas State Fair, admits that he hasn't single-handedly brought back the art of ventriloquism.
He notes that Jeff Dunham, who is selling out arenas, has opened up a huge door for ventriloquists.
"Jeff has reinvented the art form via stand-up comedy," Fator said. "He uses puppets to deliver the jokes. I use puppets but I do a musical variety show that is like what 'The Muppet Show' was. Just like Jeff Dunham, I'm trying to take this art form to new heights."
A variety show might conjure negative imagery of '70s-era entertainment, but Fator insists that his show is different from the hour-long family television programming from the Watergate era.
"I'm not doing what 'Sonny & Cher' did," Fator said. "I'm doing a one-man show that's different."
Fator does spot-on impressions of such entertainers as Etta James, James Taylor and Garth Brooks. His puppets include Maynard Thomkins, an Elvis impersonator who doesn't know any Elvis songs, and Vikki the Cougar, who keeps turning 49 and sings Pussycat Doll songs.
Fator has signed lucrative deals to perform in Las Vegas. He is currently a headliner at the Mirage Hotel and Casino.
"I love playing Las Vegas but I get letters all the time from places around the country," Fator said. "That's why I'm coming to Kansas. The people want to see me there and I'm more than happy to perform there now that I have some time off. If not all the fans can come to Las Vegas to see me, I have to come to them."
If you go
terry fator
What: Ventriloquist, singer, comic and impressionist
Where: Sprint Grandstand, Kansas State Fair
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday
How much: Tickets $33, available at Fair box office, at kansasstatefair.com or by calling 800-362-3247.
This story was originally published September 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Not your everyday ventriloquist."