PUPPET LOVE
Comedian, ventriloquist Dunham brings his twisted humor to NM
With his magical mind, Jeff Dunham has been able to create a cast of characters. There’s Walter, Peanut, José, Bubba J and Sweet Daddy Dee. These are just a few of the many the comedian has developed in his decadeslong career.
He is known for his ventriloquism and observational and black comedy.
He has sold millions of DVDs and is one of the most profitable comedians in the world.
Dunham puts a lot of time and effort into developing story lines for each character. He says it’s often difficult to keep it all together because he has nearly a dozen puppet characters he’s created.
While on tour, he prefers to save his voice for his shows.
After 20-plus years on the road, the most challenging thing is being on the road.
“The most challenging thing after all these years is the same as it always has been: The time away from home and family,” he says in an email. “… But I know that many folks have it much worse. I’m happy. I love my job. That’s a great thing.”
Dunham has crisscrossed the world with his tours.
In that time, there are some special shows that stick out for him.
“After nine world tours, with the last one two years ago having been the craziest, (five continents; 12 countries; 19-plus cities in 40 days), Dublin, Ireland, had some of the most off-the-wall, crazily great audiences,” he says. “I can’t wait to go back. On the other hand, it amazed me how fantastic the audiences were literally everywhere we went. … Even in countries where English is the second language. It simply proved to me that we in this world have much more in common than a lot of folks realize or will admit.”
Always the professional, Dunham tries to keep his nerves in order.
“I get nervous now only if I’m trying something brand new,” he says. “But that’s also what makes me look forward to getting on stage. I try new material, scattered throughout the show, almost every night. It’s the anticipation of great success or ugly failure.”