Terry Fator and one of his cast of thousands at the premiere of The Mirage volcano.
He won $1 million as the first winner of "America’s Got Talent," and it landed him a whopping five-year, $100 million contract at The Mirage. It was a dream come true for Terry Fator who, for more than 20 years, wanted nothing more than to become a Strip headliner with his singing ventriloquist impersonation act.
Now this Saturday -- on Valentine’s Day -- he begins preview performances in advance of the March 14 star-studded gala opening. In an exclusive Vegas DeLuxe interview, Terry reveals how a Valentine’s Day secret from 34 years ago helped make the long journey to superstardom happen.
When we chatted, Terry told me he’s never been so excited in his life. “We’ve started the preview shows for the employees, and the reaction is phenomenal. The theater is done; we are just finishing up the special effects. I am feeling confident, and this theater is unbelievable state of the art. It’s the coolest stage in town, and, wow, I cannot wait for Saturday’s opening. It’s like the very first Christmas you ever remember. In fact, this is better than all the gifts you could ever get!”
Terry let me in on some stage secrets. He will become the first ventriloquist to use close-up TV technology to prove his lips don’t move during the act!
“That’s never been done or seen before,” he said proudly. “It’s a challenge that I set myself -- an impossible one. But I wanted to be as fair to the folks in the back as to those in the front who can see up close. Now with the TV projection, everybody will see my lips up close throughout the entire run of the show. If people come on out to see me, they have a right to know I’m working hard and not falling asleep at the switch!”
He said that in the early days of ventriloquism made popular by Edgar Bergen, a major complaint from viewers was that moving lips distracted them. “Nobody will ever say that’s a distraction with me,” Terry vowed.” I do that for myself. The camera is my trick to ensure the audience is convinced very quickly that the dolls are as real as could be and they are the ones that are remembered from the show.”
Terry Fator and his puppet pals.
Terry also revealed that he’s added some characters: “I have a character called the Cougar, an older lady that truly loves the younger men. She really does! I think the younger men will find her quite attractive. She does some fantastic voices in the show. I also have The Beatle because of the Cirque du Soleil Love musical we have at The Mirage. I wanted someone to do Beatles songs. It will be a blast. We did him as a preview in California to get an idea of how he is in front of a large group, and the crowd went crazy for him.”
Now that he’s settled into his new life in Vegas and a luxury condo less than a 10-minute drive to work, Terry said he couldn’t be happier. “I just love this city. It’s added years to my life just being here. I think I’m a good fit with Vegas, and I couldn’t be happier becoming a full-time resident. Twenty years of living on the road and playing to small audiences in out-of-the-way places has come to an end. The dream has come true. I’m headlining on the Strip, and I still have to pinch myself to make sure it’s true.
“It was a very long journey. I never gave up believing that one day it would happen. I don’t regret all that hard work and the tough times. Sometimes it was very difficult and depressing going through the struggle to survive, but it’s made me who I am today. I think my fans benefit from it because it’s made me work harder to hang onto the dream.
“I can’t believe opening night is already here. It’s all gone so quickly since we signed the deal after "America’s Got Talent." It’s been a whirlwind journey fulfilling all the old dates and getting a whole new show ready.
“I get asked if I’m worried about opening in these tough economic times when our tourist numbers are down. I think it’s a perfect time for me to open. People need a break, and they want to laugh. I’ve deliberately kept the prices of my tickets really reasonable so a family of four doesn’t have to take out a second mortgage to laugh for 90 minutes. I’m promising to give them the best show they’ve ever seen, give them a respite from the troubles and give them strength so we can all fight to get the country back on track!”
About that Valentine’s Day coincidence from 34 years ago? Mirage executives picked Feb. 14 to open without knowing that on Feb. 14, 1973, Terry began his ventriloquist act. “I was 10 years old and had found a book in the school library, "How to Be a Ventriloquist,” he told me.
“I went down to Sears with my mother and bought a $20 Willy Talk doll. I thought this was going to be so cool. I had $10 in my allowance saved, and she contributed the other $10. I used it until it broke, but I still have it, and it will be on display Saturday night in our new retail store. My mom restored it and went onto eBay to find literally spare body parts to salvage and fix back together. It’s too old to be used in the show, but it will be there for people to look at from 34 years ago!
“Next up will be the amazing, big, star-studded gala on March 14. That’s the real deal -- and the dream of over 20 years has finally come true.”
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