Terry Fator
Terry Fator’s long journey from the plains of Corsicana, Texas to the top of the world of entertainment was not without its challenges. Certainly, he had some help along the way, thanks to the millions of fans who named him winner of the hit NBC series, “America’s Got Talent.” After two decades on the road performing at countless kids’ birthday parties, county fairs and oddball venues, Terry thought his lifelong dream of appearing on the Vegas stage might never come true. When he finally got the chance to audition for AGT in that show’s second season, Terry was determined to take advantage, and brought all his talents to bear in taking home the $1 million first prize and the title of “Best New Act in America.”
“It was the big break I had worked for my entire life,” Terry recalls. Shortly thereafter he began performing to sellout crowds at the Las Vegas Hilton, and by the following year he signed what has been described as “one of the largest entertainment deals in Las Vegas history,” the chance to headline his own show. “Terry Fator: The VOICE of Entertainment,” at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, ran for a record-breaking 11 years, earning Terry raves and numerous local awards including Las Vegas’s Best Show, Best Impressionist, Best All-Around Performer, Best Family Show and Best Overall Show.
Terry is among the world’s most gifted and accomplished ventriloquists, but his talents go far beyond that unique skill. He is a first-rate comedian as well as a world-class singer and mimic, able to perform in more than 200 unique celebrity voices. His vocal repertoire includes Elton John, Garth Brooks, Karen Carpenter, Justin Timberlake, Elvis, Sammy Davis, Jr., David Bowie, Meghan Trainor and Bruno Mars. Onstage he brings to life a hilarious and diverse cast of puppet characters that includes Winston the Impersonating Turtle; Maynard, the World’s Greatest Elvis Impersonator; Elton John; Vicki the Cougar; and Duggie, the annoying neighbor.
In March of 2021 Terry launched, “Terry Fator: Who’s the Dummy Now?” at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. “Needless to say, 2020 has been challenging for so many people. I was thrilled to be asked by my friends at MGM to be among the first performers to launch a new show while the town is recovering from the pandemic year.” Always experimenting, always working on new material, always taking on new challenges, Terry then created a completely new show “Terry Fator: One Man, a Hundred Voices, a Thousand Laughs” which premiered at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower in May 2024, to critical acclaim.
And, now after 18 years, more than 3,500 performances and millions of tickets sold headlining record-breaking shows on the Las Vegas Strip, Terry is beginning an exciting new chapter in his career to pursue a number of new creative projects – from symphony concerts and television specials to corporate events and an expanded touring schedule across the U.S. and around the world, giving him the ability to bring his unique blend of comedy, music, and ventriloquism to national and international audiences.
“There are so many new opportunities that have come my way. I’m working on a tv special, putting the finishing touches on a book I’ve been writing and launching my new road show. It’s called Pure Imagination: Once Upon a Voice and we’re going to be taking it not just across our country, but overseas as well,” Terry said.
Terry’s talents have been showcased in several other media as well. He has appeared on dozens of television shows, including the iconic Showtime at the Apollo (where he received a standing ovation). He produced and starred in three bestselling DVDs. And he wrote a frank and candid autobiography, Who’s the Dummy Now, that chronicles the early struggles that helped form the foundation for his later successes.
While Las Vegas is home for Terry and his wife, Angie, the couple spends a great deal of time on the road as well. His touring life has taken him to nearly every state in America over the past decade. “We’ve had such great experiences seeing this country and the world in this way. We fill our days with wonderful meals, tours and experiences. And at night I get the chance to sing and play onstage!” Terry and Angie’s favorite destination might be Walt Disney World in Orlando. “It’s where we go to recharge our batteries,” he says.
In addition to Terry’s creative endeavors, he contributes considerable time and resources to his charitable endeavors through the Terry Fator Foundation. While he has supported many causes over the years, his most passionate advocacy is reserved for America’s veterans. “Veterans hold a special place in my heart,” Terry notes. “I want to honor their service and sacrifice as often as I can.”
At his core, though, Terry is a performer. “I just always want to entertain. That’s it. I never had fans before and now that I do I just want to keep them smiling and laughing,” he notes. “I didn’t see success until I was in my 40s, and I’m determined to make up for all that lost time.”
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MEET
THE CAST
WINSTON
THE IMPERSONATING TURTLE
Winston is the turtle who helped Terry win America’s Got Talent by showing the world that he (and Terry) can impersonate any singer and any style of music. He joined Terry’s team after his AGT performance. Winston’s innocence and inability to understand Las Vegas or life outside the boundaries of his pond reminds everyone of the child inside all of us.
MAYNARD THOMPKINS
Maynard is the world’s greatest Elvis impersonator…who never had the patience to actually learn any Elvis songs. He has toured with Terry on the road for decades and never fails to fail at doing what Terry asks. As neurotic as the actual Elvis, he doesn’t like his personal space to be violated, and will go to great lengths to keep people from touching him. His laziness and ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time should be a hinderance to his career, but as long as people are laughing he makes up for that with his charm.
WALTER T. AIRDALE
Walter T. Airdale is a country music superstar who has known Terry longer than any other performer in his show. He can sing classic country, Grand Ole Opry, modern Nashville singers like Garth Brooks and Toby Keith, he can even yodel…anything that will impress the ladies. Walter has been married at least 8 times, thinks divorce was invented just for him, and he actually brought dates to several of his weddings, because in his words, “just in case”.
VIKKI THE COUGAR
Vikki the Cougar is that special combination of cougar and gold-digger—meaning she will date 21 year old pool boy hunks and 90 year old billionaire cardiac patients. She truly believes diamonds are a girl’s best friend and she sees herself as a mentor to young women who want to follow in her very round heeled footsteps. She is sultry, sexy and slutty, and unashamed to be all of those three things.
WREX THE CRASH TEST DUMMY
Wrex is Terry’s psychiatrist, a former crash test dummy who helps Terry put things in perspective because of his philosophy of positive pessimism. He is a firm believer that life is meant to be nothing but trouble, which makes sense if you are a former crash test dummy, and his complete acceptance of his fate gives him the ability to rise above the suffering in a strange comedic way.
FERNANDO V. FRANCISCO
Fernando is the Vegas stage version of the movie’s Latin Lover, with a sexy confidence that comes from knowing that women love him because he is Fernando. Fernando is the man every guy dreams of being, who oozes self-confidence and sensual passion. He is the man women want to be with and the man Terry wishes he could be.
DEAN
Terry’s new Dean Martin sounds great and looks fantastic, proving that alcohol is a preservative. Just like the days at the Sands, Dean teams up with Frank and Sammy to deliver classics from the Great American Songbook.
WILLIE
Willie Nelson is one of Terry’s five new cast members. He not only joins Fernando in a classic duet, but he reminds people the best way to handle the IRS.
STEVIE
Legendary soul, pop and R and B legend Stevie Wonder takes the stage dedicating a song to the love of his life, then invited Paul McCartney to join him on Ebony and Ivory.
DAVID BOWIE
The unforgettable David Bowie joins Terry for a set that includes a never before seen duet with another legendary British rocker, Sir Elton John.
ELTON
A new superstar is joining the cast. Oscar winner and Grammy winner Elton John! if you love Elton’s Tiny Dancer, Benny and the Jets, Honky Cat and so many more, stop by the show to check him out.
PAUL
“Paul McCartney” will do his special take on some Beatles classics.
JUSTIN
Justin Bieber has joined the show and comes with a double surprise. Make sure on your next trip to Las Vegas come see me and them.
HYPHEN
Hyphen was in the Beatles until he got kicked out for taking their songs and rewriting the lyrics to comment on current events and modern life. You never know listening to him whether his stories about his past are true or not but to him, once he says them they become the truth.
JULIUS
Julius is a legendary African American singer whose performances at The Apollo Theater have earned him a place in Apollo history. Along the way Julius performed with the greats of the Doo Wop and Motown eras, working with everyone from Quincy Jones to Ray Charles to doppelganger Nat King Cole. Julius has been a big influence on the soul musicians of today and is someone who will tell it to Terry like it is.
MONTY CARLO
Monty is a Rat Pack singer who like Terry has had a number of ups and downs in his career and is now thrilled, like Terry, to be on stage in New York New York. If there is a song that defines him (and in many ways Terry) it’s Sinatra’s That’s Life.
EMMA TAYLOR
Emma Taylor is the forever 12 year old who is obsessed with her phone, selfies and social media. Like a lot of tweens, she falls in love with the latest boy singer heartthrob. Her goal in life is to marry Justin Bieber, or someone from BTS, and have her own YouTube channel that makes millions of dollars so she never has to do anything except post videos all the time. Emma knows the songs of the Taylor Swifts and Billie Eilish’s of today, as well as the songs of Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin and Etta James.
DUGGIE SCOTT WALKER
(Duggie the Annoying Neighbor)
Duggie Scott Walker is everyone’s nightmare, a truly annoying neighbor. Duggie is in his late 30s, early 40s, lives in his Mom’s basement and considers himself a Ganjapreneur. The only job he’s ever had is with Terry as a roadie. In his own weird way, Duggie’s nonsensical comments to Terry are brilliant, like Yogi Berra (if he partook of the sacred herb), as somewhere in his rambling there is a nugget of common sense, accompanied by the strong smell of herbal enhancement. From dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn, his spirit party animal is a wise old owl that smells like stale smoke.
BERRY FABULOUS
Berry Fabulous is a Broadway wannabe who knows every lyric of every Broadway showtune—to the point where he expresses himself constantly with songs from his favorite musicals. He never reached his dream of being an international star, but has worked as the director of his community theater for the last 20 years. While Berry doesn’t speak about his personal life, he is unashamed of his flamboyance and his passion for all things theater and is an example of how you have to be true to yourself.
CUZ KANI KAPILA
Kani is from the islands. Specifically, the 39th Island of Hawaii, also known as Wisconsin. Originally created to be a unique character for Terry’s Hawaiian performances, he has a thick Midwest accent but loves Island life. He sings traditional Hawaiian songs in their original language, is eager to learn and use island phrases, and makes jokes about his Hawaiian appetite. Come join his ohana and say aloha to this talented singer – he’ll certainly tell you mahalo for coming by.
RUSTY THE ROBOT
With a robotic voice and a superior attitude, Rusty is excited to show off just how intelligent and sophisticated his technology is. He’s a prototype who plans to make the NYNY casino fully automated by replacing all employees with himself, and Terry’s show won’t be an exception. Rusty does impressions of all Terry’s puppets, and he happens to think the show is better that way. Perhaps the plan has a few bugs in it, but with a few software updates, Rusty is sure the glitches will be smoothed over for maximum audience enjoyment levels.