For years, America’s Got Talent has been the destination of choice for anyone looking for a platform to showcase their talent to America and the world at large. Because it doesn’t limit presenters, the audience is usually treated to quite a number of atypical acts. It could be a pro at juggling tennis balls with both their hands and feet concurrently, a magician who surprises everyone with a gift under their seats or even a budding EDM who’s been talked into sharing his beats with the world by family and friends. Ventriloquism is not that much of a peculiar act but you can’t argue over its uniqueness. Many ventriloquists have been on the show but none has come close to being as humorous as Paul Zerdin.
Ventriloquism is an act in which the ventriloquist- the main performer- engages in conversation with a puppet or dummy. Unlike other acts, the puppet in ventriloquism is more than just another prop since it’s made to act like it’s talking on his own. It’s a personified object. It normally involves a lot of cues that can easily mess up the performance if confused: “throwing” your voice can be really challenging when you are going back and forth in conversation. A ventriloquist basically talks to himself but to a different person altogether. Keep in mind that the ventriloquist’s lips should be seen to be moving, or at worst, should be moving subtly. Paul Zerdin, appearing on AGT’s 2015 quarter finals mastered this art and presented it in a memorable way.
After getting on stage for the show, Paul revealed that he had an argument with his puppet Sam. Sam dares Paul to continue with the performance without him. Paul in turn walks off stage, leaving his puppet all by himself. It obviously is pointless to have a puppet without his master but Sam isn’t your ordinary puppet. What he does wowed everyone including the judges. Howard Stern was even roasted.
Zerdin deliver a great combination of wit, humor and sass served in a well-prepared ventriloquism dish. It’s no shock that he won the season. America truly loved him.
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