Clinton Township – TAYLOR MASON is a one-man variety show -- a world-class ventriloquist, talented musician and one of the most successful comedians on the circuit today. Star of the hit children’s television show Taylor’s Attic, Taylor and his overstuffed friends bring the house down with their unique brand of family-safe comedy at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts Saturday, January 23, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. For tickets call 586.286.2222.
TAYLOR MASON has spent the past 25 years making audiences laugh on stage, on film, on television and on the printed page. He’s a world-class ventriloquist; a prolific writer; a talented musician; and one of the most successful comedians on the circuit today.
TAYLOR’S skill as a ventriloquist is second-to-none. Whether he is performing for thousands in a giant arena, on stage in a theater or club, and most notably on screen, his flawless technical ability and uncanny puppet manipulation are instantly recognizable and thoroughly entertaining. Mr. Mason not only performs as a ventriloquist, but his knowledge of the history and understanding of the craft make him uniquely qualified to share his many experiences as a professional “vent.” He’s been through every situation including being stopped at the airport TSA checkpoints for having “a body in a bag.” Audience members have shouted at his TAYLOR’S sidekick – “ROMEO” – forgetting that it’s a puppet and not another human being. He actually “throws” his voice, making it appear that his puppet is in another part of the room, or on the phone, or behind a curtain. His understanding of the craft known as ventriloquism, its history and its purpose as an entertainment vehicle, allows him to use and ply it for laughs and inspiration. If it was true, as Rolling Stone magazine once said, that ventriloquism was a “dead art,” TAYLOR MASON is personally responsible for reviving and making it viable once again.
TAYLOR has worked as a writer in many capacities over the years, starting with The Second City Theater in Chicago at the beginning of his career. He has written for Bananas-TV, the Emmy –winning comedy series currently showing on FOX Television. Recently he wrote 26 episodes for his children’s television program, Taylor’s Attic. TAYLOR also wrote a 6-week course through the extension program of Columbia College where he taught ventriloquism to students in the Chicago suburbs. Mr. Mason is a contributing writer for New Christian Voices, for whom he produces one column and one joke file every week, and his act is in a constant state of edit and re-edit, as he constantly writes and updates his live performance on a weekly basis.
TAYLOR’S TV credits include his $100,000 Star Search Grand Champion performance, Last Comic Standing, the FOX-TV show Bananas, numerous appearances on Comedy Central and Showtime, and the pilot for a TBS pilot, Comedy Roadshow which aired in the spring of 2009.
TAYLOR MASON is not a one-trick pony, and he’s impossible to put in a box. Ed McMahon said it best: “One of the best comedians I have ever been around.”
Ticket prices range from $17 to $52 with discounts available for students, senior citizens, military personnel (both active and retired with a valid military I.D.), and groups of 20 or more. Purchase tickets in person at the Macomb Center box office Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Friday 12 - 6 p.m. The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is located on Macomb College's Center Campus at 44575 Garfield Road in Clinton Township, Michigan 48038. Tickets and additional information, including a complete season schedule, are available online at www.MacombCenter.com or by calling 586.286.2222.
TAYLOR MASON is sponsored in part by Christian Financial Credit Union and the Macomb Center’s premiere sponsors for the 2009-2010 season AT&T, The Macomb Daily and National City.
The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is a community enrichment program of Macomb College dedicated to providing a diverse range of family-oriented cultural enrichment experiences. The Macomb Center presents high-quality professional performances, offers educational outreach in the arts and, in partnership with the adjacent Albert L. Lorenzo Cultural Center, creates unique opportunities for multifaceted cultural programming.
Details-at-a-glance:
TAYLOR MASON
Saturday, January 23, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
44757 Garfield Rd., Clinton Township 48038
586.286.2222 www.MacombCenter.com
Tickets: $17 to $52
Discounts available for students, seniors, military personnel, and groups of 20 or more
Links / URLs:
YouTube Community: YouTube - Taylor Mason with RomeoRelated Videos
Media contact:
Sandy Hazelton- Pianko
586.226.4737
hazeltons@macomb.edu