Terry Fator brings “Pure Imagination” tour to Kent State Tuscarawas Feb. 28

After years headlining in Las Vegas, comedian, ventriloquist and singer Terry Fator — the Season 2 winner of “America’s Got Talent” — is taking his new 2026 tour, “Pure Imagination,” on the road, with a stop at Kent State University at Tuscarawas’ Performing Arts Center Feb. 28.

Fator said he will bring about 30 puppets from his collection of 50, including fan favorites Winston the Impersonating Turtle, Maynard Thompkins, Vikki the Cougar and Duggie Scott Walker. One number, “We Are the World,” features 19 puppets.

The show offers much humor but also heart. The "Pure Imagination" tour began in late January and Fator is already getting rave reviews.

“It's interesting, because I've been doing this now for 50 years, and to a person who has seen this show, they're telling me, and I feel it myself, that 'Pure Imagination' is the best show I've ever put together,” Fator said. “I think part of it is that I have that freedom. I don't feel constricted, I don't feel trapped, I don't feel locked in. I feel free, and so therefore, I'm able to express myself creatively.”

Fator is one of the world's most gifted and accomplished ventriloquists and is able to perform in more than 200 celebrity voices. It all began at the age of 10 when he found a book on ventriloquism in his school library.

With this show, he has been working on his vocals, and he plans to do more songs himself.

“Still, it’s mostly me singing with puppets and puppets singing, but it's just a more sophisticated show. It's more about storytelling and it’s very funny,” Fator said.

In addition to laughter, the show also takes the audience through a range of emotions.

“There'll be highs where you're just amazed at what you're seeing and you're laughing really hard. Other times, it's sentimental and you're just feeling emotionally in a different area, very serious, and then we'll bring back laughter,” Fator said. “It's just one of those shows where you're really going to experience every emotion, and you're going to carry the high from being at this show and watching the show for a couple of weeks with you. It's just going to make you feel good. That's what I love about it, and that's really what I set out to create.”

Children will love the show because of the puppets, but it’s geared toward the adult intellect.

“We do a show that has some adult content, but it's double entendre adult content, so you can bring your kids,” Fator said. “There's a lot of jokes in there the adults will be howling at, but the kids won't have a clue what we just talked about.”

Fator had a residency in Las Vegas for 18 years prior to deciding to go on the Pure Imagination tour.

“It was a dream come true,” Fator said of the residency. “It was phenomenal, and I loved it, but it really began to constrict my ability to expand my horizons creatively, because it was just the same theater, the same show.”

Although, Fator admits he did rewrite the show 30 or more times during the residency. He loves to work, but he didn’t have time to do anything else. He finally called it quits last year.

“I really want to concentrate on touring and then focus on other creative outlets,” Fator said. “And allow myself to do well, and just to expand my horizons as an artist.”

In that space, Fator is almost finished with his first novel which he began in September, and he has ideas for about 10 more books.

At the show, Fator will talk about the Terry Fator Foundation which works with mainly military and first responder charities. People can go to terryfator.com to purchase anything Fator might be wearing in addition to tee shirts, baseball caps, puppets, plush toys, playing cards, etc. and 100% of the profits go to help others. Items will ship immediately but will not be available at the show.

Fator was the first to shatter the glass ceiling of puppets proving that a puppet show can be enjoyable for adults.

“Children love it because it's whimsical and it's fun, and, of course, they love Winston the Impersonating Turtle,” Fator said. “But the adults are going to absolutely love the songs we do, the jokes we do, the fun we have, and it's just a fun show that will leave you on top of the world.”

Tickets are on sale now at the Performing Arts Center box office by calling 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tuscpac. The box office is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Kent State University Performing Arts Center is located at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.