Edgar Bergen became famous as a ventriloquist on the radio. On the radio? How can that even be possible? You can't even see if they are moving their lips.
It turns out, that wasn't even an issue. Edgar's characters were so defined they became personalities in their own right. People tuned in to hear the interaction between Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Or Edgar and Mortimer Snerd,or even Mortimer and Charlie. They liked the characters and didn't care that it was Edgar doing the talking.
That is the powerful skill of a seasoned ventriloquist. The ability to help people suspend their reality and accept the imaginary, even if just for awhile.
It has been a long time since there has been a ventriloquist on the radio, but now there are three.
Ken Groves, Mark Wade and I are introducing a brand new podcast that features stories from our careers, tips about ventriloquism and tons of laughs. We invite you to check it out!
If you are looking for ventriloquists for your next event, give my office a call. We'd love to help you create a laugh-filled time your guests will never forget.
Someone recently sent me a link to the list of ventriloquists on Wikipedia and asked why I wasn't listed.
I have no clue.
At one time someone had added me, and apparently someone else removed my name. The Wikipedia list includes names of people who are not ventriloquists, several amateurs and some who no longer perform.
So I felt it was time to put up a list of ventriloquists that I have.
IMPORTANT – Just because a ventriloquist is on this list does not mean they are recommended for performances. Some people on this list are amateurs or beginners who have only done a few shows. If you are searching for a ventriloquist for your event, please contact our office for assistance.
Australia: Dean Atkinson*
Desmond Bradley, South Australia Darren Carr, New South Wales
Phillip (Pip) Michael Carter, New South Wales
Christie-Lee Henderson, New South Wales
Stephen Hansen, New South Wales Lindi James* Sarah Jones London and Lawton, Queensland
SHOWKO Entertainment, VIC
Dennis Murphy, New South Wales
Glenn Pearce, New South Wales
Eric Read, Victoria
Andrew Ready, South Australia
Peter Richter, South Australia
Ben Veenkamp, New South Wales
Austria:
Ralf Thaller
Belarus:
Maria Kravchenko, Minsk
Canada: Neale Bacon, British Columbia
Gary Barlotta, Alberta
George Bazios, Ontario Don Bryan*
Gayle Chiykowski, Ontario
Tony Cole, British Columbia
Dave Dixon, Manitoba
Ronald Elliston, Ontario Michael Harrison* Valerie Jean Hilliker, Alberta John Hopman*, Sarnia, Ontario
Surendra Jugdave, Ontario
Bob Layton, Edmonton, Alberta
Judith MacNeil, Ontario
Patrick Murray, British Columbia
Barbara Phoenix, Ontario
Elizabeth Underhill, Ontario
United Kingdom:
Dave Andrews, London
Jamie Clark, West Sussex
Nina Conti
Rodney Davies, England Roger De Courcey* Colin Dymond, Gloucestershire Max Fulham*, Surrey Steve Hewlett*
Martin Newman, Berkshire
John Orr, Dumfries and Galloway
Alec Powell, West Bromwich
Kieran Powell, Gloucestershire
Peter Pullon
Owen Reid, Buckinghamshire
Paul Roach, Derbyshire
Bob Thomson, Kent
Neil Walker, Devon
Shane West, Coventry
Colin Spencer
Paul Zerdin
United States: Alabama:
Mark McClintock
Darrell Osborn
Arkansas:
Danny Jones
Arizona:
Tamara Hamada
Dan Horn
Susan Johnson
Israel Juarez
Jeanne Missey Osgood
Aleida Quick Wilma Schwartz*
Edward Siller
California: Steve Axtell
Robert Bunton
Grant Carter
Jack Dill Jeff Dunham
Charles Flanagan
Dirk Golden
Tommy Goodwin
Pesach Greenberg
Carol Greene Andy Gross*
Gregory Hinman Jay Johnson
Kevin Johnson Mallory Lewis* Ronn Lucas*
William Passmore
Dan Sachoff David Strassman
Mark Truman Justin Ver Burg*
Andrew Vondersaar
Colorado:
James Chaput
Meghan Casey
Joy Morrison
Andrew Mrkvicka
Liz VonSeggen
Connecticut:
Donald Beebe
Peter Dzubay
Joseph Lantiere
Florida:
Arthur Barrett
Tanya Belasky
Ronald Bohn
Michael Brown
Kevin Butler
Bob Carlson
Margaret Davis
Thomas Dahl
Warren Eck
Wayne Fitzpatrick Miguel Fox*
Charley Mack Jackie Manna*
John Morgan Jimmy Nelson Mike Palma
Charlie Tomlinson Jimmy Vee Mark Wade
Lee Wolfson Donald Woodford
Georgia:
Steve Aldridge Willie Brown*
Catherine Dee Holly
Keith Karnok
Scott Kays
Jeffrey Knight
Gary Koepke
William McCorkle
Mark Merchant
Virginia M Petersen
M. Towne
Cole Tucker
Iowa:
Dave Allen
Barb Gregersen
Richard Jenkins Lisa Laird
Christopher Ortiz
Steven Parker Timothy Silcott*
Idaho:
Micki Simpson
Illinois: George Bellefeuille*
Janice Hartmann
Anthony Hughes
Robert Isaacson
Kevin Kelly
Charles Lyons
Anne Wilson
Indiana:
Fred L. Church
Tommy Conner
Lee Cornell
Christie Hazen
Heather Hazen
Barbara Kalvelage
John Lutton Sr
Jack Marshall
Sharon Poby Olson
David Pendleton
Kenneth Sherman
Kansas:
Bobby Franklin
Phil Grecian Harris Deutsch*
Diana Rockwell
Kentucky:
Barbara Baxter
Lori Bruner
Tony Garcia
Lew M. Newton
Steven Todd
Louisiana: Brian Cockerhm*
Andy Partington
Charles Pichoff
Maine:
Christopher Morin
Winfield Pipher
Massachusetts:
Lydia Beebe
Harold Crocker
Steven Devitt
Richard S. McKinney
Louis Toledo
Michigan:
Daniel Batten
Marshall Brown
David Fowler
Chris Johnson
Rick Morse
Ken Watts
Minnesota:
Janis Edwards
Beth Salo
Mike Stenberg
Mississippi:
John Lowe
Missouri:
Jim Barber
Paul Cotter
David L. Farris
Louis Grabow
Brenda Hahne
Evelyn Hickam
Angela Hollenberg
Sammy King
Bob May
Kerry Joe Miller
Michael Niehaus
Todd Oliver
Ronald Scherer Jimmy Smith*
Esther Sweigart
Nebraska:
Jeffrey Buttars
New Hampshire:
Eleanor Horne
New Jersey:
Bob Conrad
Bonnie Corcia
Dr. Joan “Cookie” Jensen
Taylor Mason John Pizzi*
Alan Semok
Michael J. Terletzky
New Mexico: Kevin T Boekhoff*
Thomas Myers
Kent Shelton
New York:
Robert Baker April Brucker* Kenny Byrd
Wallace Campbell Sylvia Fletcher*
Robert McNeill
Pete Michaels
Pete Michaels Jr. Steve Petra
John Piper Carla Rhodes*
Jay Straus
Michael Terzella
Nevada:
Ed Cima Terry Fator
Duane Echols
Joseph LaPenna
Keny Stewart
North Carolina:
George Boosey
Steve Brogan
Robert Cisneros
Jeff Duckworth
Theresa Gardner
Joseph Mazzola
Danny Reeves
Ohio: Bob Abdou*
David Crone
Tom Farrell
Ken Groves
Tristan Hostetter
J Wayne Keyser Gary Lare
Michael Miller
Michael Night Daniel Robison
Donald Turner
David Weyrick
Oklahoma:
Darin (Doodles) Baughman
Gary Ray Howell
Del Wilson
Oregon:
Kenny Croes
Martin Sipes
Pennsylvania: Matthew Bailey* Ryan Bomgardner*
John Bobik
Del Burkholder
Wallace Cady
David Carruth
Christopher Donahoe Dan Freed
Phil Hughes
Susan Klein
Douglas Morrison
Wesley Mullen
Patricia Nissel
Steven Pataky Bob Rumba
Laverne Seibert
Dorothy Seitz
Jim Swogger
Ken Tucker
Bruce Weaver
South Carolina: Conrad Hartz*
Phillip Jones
David M. McClurkin
Barbara A. Smith
James Williams
Tennessee:
Jim Bryson Gene Cordova
Randall Ervin
Bob Hamill Stephen Knowles*
Nancy Rosekrans
Kyle Scribner
Ronald Spears
Roy Stone William D. Turner
Texas:
Jenna Caraway Timothy Cowles*
L.A. Hudson Meghan Miller*
David Pitts
Rodger Riggs
Thomas Rogers
Susan Wilhelmi
Thomas Rogers
Ventriloquist comedy acts combine the delivery of a stand up comedian with a universal fascination of puppetry.
Think about the crazy ad-lib antics of Robin Williams in a Muppet-style puppet. Add in a straight man and you have a winning stand up ventriloquist comedy act.
Using lip control and puppet manipulation, ventriloquists create the illusion their characters are alive. When blended with acting, showmanship and great comedy, the illusion is complete. Audiences forget that only one person is on-stage and begin to believe the puppets are real. The first time an audience laughs at something the puppet says, a ventriloquist has achieved the magic of ventriloquism.
Ventriloquist Tom Crowl is a master of the art. His show has opened concerts for major recording artists. Tom has appeared on television, including the hit NBC show, Last Comic Standing. In the ventriloquist community, Crowl is known for his unique teaching methods. He has developed several courses that help others learn to perform and hone the skills of ventriloquism.
To keep his ventriloquist comedy skills sharp, Crowl works a variety of venues. One of the most challenging is street performance. Several days each summer, Tom entertains at BeachStreet USA in Virginia Beach. It is a difficult challenge to draw and hold an audience on the street. Some performers juggle fire or knives, or offer flashy magic. Standing on a street corner with a puppet talking to yourself almost creates a “homeless” vibe. To his credit, Crowl draws large audiences for his performances. Each show becomes unique as the puppets interact and comment on what is happening around them.
His ad-lib skills are what draw audiences into Tom's performance. He uses this ability to his client's benefit when working corporate programs. The company's guests, executives, event and product or service become integrated into the program. Crowl excels at interaction as his characters begin talking with members of the audience. This completes the illusion creating personalized ventriloquist comedy.
Audience participation is a key ingredient in Crowl's program. In one of his most popular routines, he invites two volunteers on-stage to become Human Puppets. Providing the volunteers with articulated jaws, everyone begins laughing. The Human Puppets get cartoon-like voices and everyone, including Tom, is surprised by what they say. It is often hard to tell who is laughing harder, the audience, or the volunteers.
Triple D – Dangerous Dudley Duck is another crowd favorite. This cute little white duck has a worldly attitude. He gets around and has no trouble offering his opinion on any subject. (Including ones he doesn't know about.)
Crowl's posse of puppets also includes Wilson the Tennis Ball and Nancy Drew, a sketch of an audience member that comes to life. A newer addition to the suitcase is Taco, the world's dumbest dog. This adorable creature has audiences falling in love with him the moment he comes on stage. He is also the archenemy of Wilson, who Taco loves to chew.
Contact our office to discuss bringing ventriloquist comedy to your next event. A co-founder of the International Ventriloquist Society, Tom is a friend of some of the best comedian ventriloquists in the business. If Tom’s act is not available, we are happy to recommend a quality stand up comedy ventriloquist for your event.
People remember two things about most events, food and entertainment. If either of these was bad, it leaves a lasting impression on the occasion. We'd like to share three tips to help you make certain you hire the right entertainment for events you host.
1. Know Your Event:
Your event isn't just a corporate function, a company picnic or an office Christmas party. There is a reason you are hosting it. It could be a show of appreciation to employees or clients. You might be introducing new policies or training. It may be a part of a larger function such as a convention or conference. Some events launch new products. The reason behind the event will help you focus on the right style of entertainment. Does the entertainment need to compliment the reason? Maybe it needs to focus on the reason with a customized presentation. Perhaps it just needs to be fun and show everyone a good time. Entertainment for corporate events should be able to handle both of those functions. Customizing the program to include your reason and message while making certain everyone has fun.
2. Know Your Audience:
Every audience is unique. They have ebbs and flows. When planning entertainment for events, you need an entertainer who can captain the ship and direct the motion. To find the right style of performance you need to know what your guests will enjoy.
Blue collar workers, the road crew, the plant workers may enjoy standup comedians. Another option may be variety entertainment. You could combine both and hire a comedian ventriloquist. Ventriloquist comedy gives you the laughs of standup mixed with the visuals of variety.
Office personnel and middle management may also enjoy the craziness of ventriloquists. You don't often find them as entertainment for corporate functions. That means you will have something unique that guests will talk about.
Executive gatherings may need to be more refined. Business comedians can often target the event purpose and relieve job stress.
Knowing your audience and what they like will help you zero in on an entertainment style. This can make your job easier by weeding out genres that aren't right.
3. Do Your Homework:
There are tons of entertainers and going through promotional materials can be time consuming. An entertainment agency can help, but they may also push a talent that earns them a bigger commission. It is rare to find someone who does not contract other acts for a piece of the pie.
We prefer you find the right entertainment for events. That is why we offer a free conference call to learn about your plans and make recommendations. A comedian ventriloquist with over 30 years of professional experience, Tom has worked with the best. He understands event entertainment and performing conditions. He recommends acts that will work within your parameters and fill your needs. He even puts them in touch with you so you may determine if they are a good fit.
When you get the information from any act, watch their video. If it is a comedy act, does it make you laugh? Or if it is musical, are you tapping your toes? If you aren't engrossed in the short demo, how will your audience react for a longer program?
Check the entertainer's references. Don't be fooled by company logos or quotes. Some acts make them up! Others use quotes that aren't theirs. This is another benefit of working with Tom. He only recommends full time professional acts and knows the results they provide clients.
Live entertainment promotes and enriches a city's nightlife. An increase of live entertainment can help businesses while building a vibrant arts community. Unfortunately sometimes government gets in the way of growth and economic advancement. Hard to believe, huh?
When restaurants and taverns present music or comedy nights, people show up at the door. This results in sales of food and drink, which benefit the establishment. The entertainers get paid, which supports their livelihood. Taxes get paid, suppliers get paid and the results stimulate the economy.
Why would any government create Live Entertainment Legislation that would counteract this? Unfortunately some have. In areas, bars and taverns must apply for Live Entertainment permits. It is considered a privilege to host an entertainment event.
City liquor boards even hold hearings to determine if certain conditions are met. These conditions include traffic, sanitation, security, and noise mitigation. Depending on the results of their “study” it could be weeks before they grant zoning approval.
Antiquated zoning laws prevent these areas from flourishing. Areas rich in performance artists are stifled by restrictive governing rules. With proper live entertainment legislation, the arts community can benefit the business community. This is a win/win situation, creating an important tool for economic development.
Live entertainment is a draw for both businesses and events. When the audience and entertainer can interact, it creates a once in a lifetime performance. Attendance increases when venues host entertainers that people want to watch. This has a positive impact on the bottom line.
When you plan live entertainment for events, contact our office. We can help you through the decision making process based on your event needs. Not every entertainer is right for every event. Making wise decisions at the planning stage can set you up for success. Contact us now!
Ventriloquism is a popular form of entertainment. Jeff Dunham introduced Achmed The Dead Terrorist and shot to world-wide fame. Ventriloquist Terry Fator was voted winner of America's Got Talent. Terry now headlines his own theatre at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin followed in Terry's footsteps, winning ACT in 2015.
The visibility of ventriloquism spurred demand for this type of entertainment. That led to many people learning the skill and hanging out a shingle. Comedy ventriloquists started popping up everywhere. The number of ventriloquists still pales in comparison to magicians, jugglers and clowns. But the number of good comedy ventriloquists is even smaller.
It may be hard to imagine, but the term comedy ventriloquist doesn't always mean funny. These part time standup comedians grab a few jokes from a joke book, string them together and call it ventriloquist comedy. Then they don't understand why the audience isn't laughing.
Some even steal routines from famous ventriloquists and try to present it as their own. They don't realize the nuances of presenting the material. While their audience may laugh, the comedy seems superficial.
There is a popular story of a ventriloquist who went to a puppet maker and asked for a puppet funnier than Jeff Dunham's Peanut. This story represents the disconnect between performers and entertainers. The performer thinks the puppet is funny. They think the jokes are funny. They look for an easy way to create their act to perform for an audience. Entertainers simply want to entertain.
So what makes a ventriloquist funny?
First, the entertainer needs to be funny. They have to think funny. They have to see humor in the way things happen. This allows them to be creative and share a unique point of view with their audiences.
Timing is the key to all good comedy. The pause, the expression and the gesture all enhance the spoken word. A good comedy ventriloquist understands manipulation and interaction with their character affects the audience.
The good comedy ventriloquist realizes it isn't the puppet. Instead it is the character the ventriloquist creates. A strong character has depth and background. It creates an opposing force that can play off the personality of the entertainer. Contrast creates comedy.