Ventriloquist visits to prepare for show, entertain children | News

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A Tony-award winning performer has been in Wilmington this week preparing for an upcoming performance at Thalian Hall.

Ventriloquist Jay Johnson spent some time entertaining the kids at DREAMS, a non-profit performing arts center for children.

Johnson brought some of his puppets and entertained the crowd.

Johnson is best-known for his role on the 70's sitcom Soap.

His two performances at Thalian Hall will be filmed and a show will be put together from the footage.

We talked to Johnson about why he picked Thalian. He said the theater is very similar to the one he performed on when his show was on Broadway.

"It's built when theaters had to have acoustics so you could be heard without a sound system," he said. "For a ventriloquist, that is really key. It is not just a beautiful theater it is a very functional theater - in relationship to the audience is perfect."

Tickets for the September 15 show are now on sale at Thalian Hall.

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