Las Vegas Weekly

March 14, 2010 · 9:44 AM

Crash test dummy debuts at Terry Fator’s first-anniversary show

By Robin Leach

Terry Fator and Carrot Top onstage during the first-anniversary show at The Mirage on March 13, 2010.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

To celebrate the first anniversary of his show, ventriloquist impersonator Terry Fator surprised the star-studded crowd by performing in a jam session with his musicians. Not content with performing a 90-minute show in his main theater in The Mirage, Terry went to the nearby B.B. King’s Blues Club for his after-party, and to the delight of fans performed eight songs with his group.

It was a star-studded audience complete with old-time ventriloquists, while up onstage during the main show, Carrot Top from the Luxor and Frank Caliendo from the Monte Carlo “interrupted” Terry’s show with their own unexpected comedy segments. All won standing ovations from the pumped-up crowd.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue was on the red carpet, at the stage, back in Terry’s dressing room and at B.B. King’s for a photo gallery we’ll have here at Vegas DeLuxe tomorrow. Meantime, here are a couple teaser photos.

The biggest cheers of the night erupted when Terry unveiled the best-kept Strip showbiz secret: the identity of his newest ventriloquist doll. Meet (W)Rex, the original crash test dummy! It’s a $50,000 technical wonder with popping eyeballs, hanging limbs and even a radio embedded in his spleen. He joins Vicki the Cougar, Winston the Impersonating Turtle, R&B singer Julius, Elvis impersonator Maynard Ferguson and annoying neighbor Doug E. Fresh.

In a pre-red carpet video interview, I chatted with Terry and his girlfriend Taylor Makakoa in advance of the dummy’s unveiling, and during my interview with Terry posted Thursday, he reminisced about his first 12 months headlining at The Mirage and what to expect in year two.

As we both joked last night: “One down -- just nine to go.” Terry has a $100 million, 10-year-deal at The Mirage as a result of his $1 million win on Season 2 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent that rocketed his career into super-stardom after 24 years of anonymously working the county fair circuit.

“It’s a great night,” a beaming Terry told me. “I never guessed all those years ago that this would eventually happen and my biggest dream would come true.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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