10/4/2006: I had a grand time at Jay Johnson: The Two and Only last night! The guy is a beyond-amazing ventriloquist, plus I learned a bit about the history of ventriloquism. Very cool. I maybe would’ve liked to understand more about the mechanics of it, but perhaps that’s like a magician showing how to do a trick. Jay is a very genial presence on stage, with a tendency to speak a bit fast, but you tune in to him pretty quickly.
It’s just so amazing to me how he can make all of his “partners” seem so real! You think you want to watch Jay Johnson to see if his mouth is moving, but you are so drawn to these completely real partners he’s working with! It’s really incredible.
Of course, a highlight for me was seeing Bob from Soap. I always loved Chuck and Bob on that show. They do a routine that is just a riot. And we also got a special bonus vaudeville act in the process! Terrific. Johnson also worked with his longtime pre-Bob partner, Squeaky, plus a bird (hysterical), a chimp (so funny), a snake puppet and two other characters that have to be seen to be believed. I hate to ruin the surprises.
The show is about 90 minutes and I laughed pretty much the whole time. The stories about how Jay was drawn to the form were really fun, too. I will admit to thinking, sometime near the end, that I was ready for it to be over and however would he possibly finish. The ending was quite touching, surprisingly. So, all in all, a very fun evening. I highly recommend it. Apparently, the show is not selling well. Last night, the orchestra was full, but perhaps they’re doing a lot of papering. There are discounts out there, too. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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