Moving on: Terry Fator leaving his home on the Las Vegas Strip
His lips don’t move. But his show is.
Terry Fator is leaving New York-New York’s Liberty Loft, his performance home for the past three-plus years. The ventriloquial star said in a statement Wednesday:
“I can confirm that I will be leaving New York-New York Hotel & Casino as of March 26, 2024. I look forward to continuing to entertain audiences both in Las Vegas and around the world, and am excited to share new updates with my fans very soon. I would like to thank MGM Resorts for a wonderful 15-year partnership. Stay tuned!”
Fator has not confirmed where he’s performing next, but look for him to resume his residency this May at The Strat Showroom. He did not give a reason for leaving the third-floor performance space, but word from MGM Resorts International is he was seeking a better venue.
Fator, the Season 2 “America’s Got Talent” championship in 2007, thus ends a 15-year partnership with MGM Resorts. He opened at the former Danny Gans Theater in March 2009, moving to the former Zumanity Theater at NY-NY in April 2021, then to Liberty Loft the following August.
Fator first performed at the Las Vegas Hilton Oct. 14-15 of 2007. His star puppets include Winston the Impersonating Turtle, Walter T. Airdale, Maynard Tompkins, Vickie The Cougar and Emma Taylor.
May We Recommend
UNLV music professor composer and master musician Dave Loeb leads the 34th annual “Joe Williams Scholarship Concert,” a tribute to Marlena Shaw, at 3 p.m. Sunday at UNLV’s Ham Hall.
The show features Vegas stage greats Laura Taylor, Michelle Johnson, Jo Belle Yonely, Naomi Mauro, Gary Fowler, Clint Holmes, Lara V. Smith, Toscha Comeaux, Linda Johnson, T. Bradleigh Calvin and Steph Payne. The emcee is classic comic and master musician Pete Barbutti.
The event honors the late jazz great Shaw, who died Jan. 19 at age 84 in Las Vegas.
Proceeds go to the Joe Williams Scholarship Fund, which supports students at UNLV’s School of Music. Williams, the “Emperor of the Blues,” gained international fame initially Count Basie Orchestra, and through the Grammy Award-winning album “Nothin’ But The Blues.” He was popular on TV talk shows and in Las Vegas showrooms throughout his career.
Tickets are $10 — a mere pittance — go to unlv.edu for more intel.
Cool Hang Alert
Column fave Kelly Clinton-Holmes debuts her latest production, “Unleashed,” to Notoriety Live at 2 p.m. Saturday (1 p.m. doors). This is an autobiographical, variety show that covers Clinton-Holmes’ career from her time backing Wayne Newton and Engelbert Humperdinck through her role as Sister Mary Amnesia in the stage show “Nunsense.” Go to NotorietyLive.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.