I was introduced to Jeff Dunham and his “little people in the boxes” on Sunday at Rupp Arena. I attended the Jeff Dunham: Identity Crisis Tour show knowing relatively nothing about him other than he was a ventriloquist. I’d heard of the comedian, but admit that I had never seen him perform and I knew little about the cast of colorful characters that perform with him. What a treat!

The show opened with Jonathan Arons, the dancing Trombone Guy, followed by Brian Haner, the Guitar Guy. The Trombone guy was fantastic! He had the crowd roaring within in minutes as he danced his way through a variety of music genres. And Guitar Guy, arguably the most politically incorrect of any act that took the stage, brought the house down with his witty lyrics to “Fist Fighting in the Waffle House” and “God Bless Arizona.” Although I feel certain that Guitar Guy’s comic fodder offended some people, both comics did a good job of getting the audience warmed up for an evening of entertainment.

Dunham is easily one of the funniest stand-up comics, playing straight man to a cast of puppets, featuring Diana the drunk, cantankerous Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, the purple Peanut, and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. I spent the first 10 minutes of the show trying to determine of whom Dunham reminded me — and it finally came to me – Dennis Quaid! See the resemblance?

Dunham first introduced us to Diane, his newest character. She is a drunken divorcee with at least three to four marriages under her belt. She, along with Walter, proved to be one of my favorite characters. Her sultry voice and sideway glances, and Walter’s crossed arms and “I don’t give a damn,” attitude were hysterical. Dunham is such a pro at his craft, I actually forgot, on several occasions that he was the man behind the voices – he’s perfect in his banter and in his ability to improvise.

At one point during the show, Achmed the Dead Terrorist literally got his torso stuck and was unable to straighten himself back up. As Dunham worked to untangle him, the bug-eyed terrorist got another opportunity to deliver his favorite line, “I kill you,” and the crowd cheered wildly. I’m still not convinced this bit wasn’t staged, but regardless, it played out really well. Dunham promised that Achmed’s son will be introduced to the line-up soon. He’s currently working on the voice and persona.

Throughout the show, Dunham introduced his other friends, including the hyperactive Peanut, and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick. Bubba J, although featured on the banners and promotional materials, never made an appearance. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Dunham is truly talented and the audience clearly adored him. The guy sitting directly behind me seemed to know most of the lines even before Dunham said them. And while I might normally find that annoying, his belly laughter was so genuine and so contagious, it was hard not to just go along with it.

Blogged by: Jana Curd
Photos by: Paul Hooper