Tonight I went to Nashville to see one of my favorite ventriloquists, Taylor Mason, perform at Zanies comedy club. It's the second time I've seen him this year. This time I went by myself in hopes of getting to talk with him.
As I was walking from the parking lot to the back of the line waiting outside the club. Taylor was unloading his car and going into the club's back door. I stopped and talked with him a bit mentioning that I had attended I-Fest and dropping Doug Nearpass' name at the same time.
Inside I got the opportunity to sit at the table front and center next to the stage. I was by myself at a table in the front row.
Taylor's act was about 33% the same as the last time I saw him in May but the other 67% was new or different. During his act he told the crowd that he was a $100,000 winner on Star Search in the early 1980's. I didn't know that.
During the show he premiered a new puppet that he used in the audience participation part of his show. The two people he picked from the audience were very good at working the puppet. It was very funny.
After the show I stuck around and waited for the chance to talk with him again. I found out he lives in Morristown New Jersey. I told him I was originally from Phillipsburg and he said he's familiar with where that is. Finally I got my picture taken with him; something I wanted to do last time but didn't get the chance.
I think one of the reasons I like Taylor Mason's performances so much is because he breaks the so called "established rules" of ventriloquism. These include keeping the puppet alive while it's on stage and always treating the puppets as if they were real people or animals. The rules are not broken in defiance of the "brotherhood of ventriloquists" it's just what works for him. Rather I should say he really makes it work. The things he does on stage could very easily fall flat but his pleasant personality and his comfort with letting them "in on the joke" make them successful. That's why I'll always be a fan of Taylor Mason.
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