Welcome to the new golden age for ventriloquism! The art that was once considered dying is back with a vengeance. The funny thing is that it never really went away. As with most things, it merely cycled.
During vaudeville, ventriloquists were popular entertainers on the circuit. The first ventriloquist to reach star status was Edgar Bergen. Together with his characters Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Effie Klinker, Edgar became a major star of radio, movies and television.
Bergen was followed by Paul Winchell, Jimmy Nelson, Senor Wences and Shari Lewis. Each became stars of the art and popular with the general public. As years went by and public tastes changed, ventriloquism lost some of its mass appeal. Ventriloquists Jay Johnson and Ronn Lucas worked to keep the art visible through their television appearances and variety comedy specials.
Today, after years toiling to become “an overnight sensation”, Jeff Dunham has achieved star status that eclipses Edgar Bergen’s fame. Terry Fator, winner of America’s Got Talent, headlines his own theatre at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas. Jay Johnson went on to star in his own one man Broadway show and win the coveted Tony Award.
Ventriloquism hasn’t seen this type of visibility in decades. It is suddenly “new” and popular again. Ventriloquists are in demand as entertainment for all types of events, from the simple birthday party to cruise ships, casinos, touring shows and corporate events. The demand is actually higher than the number of ventriloquists available to fulfill the dates!
If you’ve ever wondered how to be a ventriloquist, how to talk without moving your lips and how to “throw your voice”, you are in the right place. Ventriloquism is not only a fun hobby, but can be a profitable sideline or even a successful business. It is fun, challenging and extremely rewarding to make people laugh.
If you’d like to be a ventriloquist, check out our on-line ventriloquism course. The most comprehensive teaching tool on the market to learn ventriloquism!
